Paint Cans

A torch and some sandpaper.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Cookies good.

Altoids tins work great for homebrew RF filters and attenuators

I've used those too, though I don't run antennas through the side of the can like that. ;)

I have one that I use for testing photoreceiver protos--four BNC F-F bulkhead adapters and probably six 10 nF ex-Soviet feedthrough caps installed in the lid.

They aren't as good as a clean (uncoated) paint can, though, and the RF shielding effectiveness depends critically on both the tin and the lid staying really circular. If they don't, you get slot antennas in the seal.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

It was good enough to tune my low-jitter phemt triggered Colpitts oscillator. My office is 2 miles from Sutro Tower and I suspect that the topography focusses the 22 Mwatts of RF specifically at me. I could probably light an LED.

Thanks. I'll look for a fine wire brush.

Yeah. It's to allow a steel can to contain latex (water-based) paint.

The coating may be something like PVC, so I'd try a methylene-chloride paint stripper, like "5f5" (unless the EPA has ruined that too).

You may also be able to solder through the lining film.

Somebody must make paint cans for solvent-based lacquers, which cannot tolerate such coatings. Google. Yes, look on Amazon for "unlined" cans.

Joe Gwinn

Wire brush in a drill motor? I'm not the greatest safety advocate but where eye protection. In addition to the film wire brushes have a nasty habit of shedding wires.

there's a smaller version,

abrasive grit wheel, it sheds crud, but not skin-penetrating barbs like a wire brush wheel.

That was my thought also. I have lots of sandpaper. It would take a pretty coarse grit to remove the film, and it would take the metal also. But a touch with a wire wheel should do the job.

Old wire wheels are more likely to shed wires, but new ones are pretty safe. I will use them in an electric drill where I can control the speed and direction. It will never reach the speeds and forces required to shed wires.

I have a bunch of wheels on order that should arrive Monday.

I looked at cookie jars. They a are horrible expensive (about $40), and most hve painted sides where the lid touches. Paint could be removed with paint remover, but that is a very toxic and messy operation the is best performed outside. I pass.

Go to amazon and search for galvanized garbage cans, may be too expensive but I spotted this one:

Too late to mention a brass wheel then :) Bring a magnet if you go shopping for one. There are a lot out there that are brass colored, to put it kindly.

All that low VOC paint that rusts cans is to blame, they used to make them metal on metal.

Wire brush wheel driven by a suitable power tool.

Wear full face protection, else you may wind up picking a few stray metal bristles out of your face.

yeah, but they eat metal better than they eat plastic. wire brush is the other way round.