I used to get the marbles out of spray paint cans when I was a kid. I don’t remember any metal ones. I would use anything that was sharp to poke them to let the gas out, usually a screwdriver sometimes a nail. I’d then use some pliers to open up the hole to get the marble out. The marbles were usually clear ones after cleaning the paint off of them. It could be a surprise to get a purple or green one. I was cleaning out my paint cabinet and had some old spray cans that weren’t any good. I recalled my childhood when I poked the cans to get the marbles out. The marbles I got out this time were all just green tinted ones. I’ll probably still try my chances and see what I get after using up any spray paint. I saved the marbles this time by putting them in an old spray paint can cap. It’s sitting on my windowsill in the garage.
One of my customers is an industrial fabrication facility that makes parts for caterpillar excavators. They use mig welding wire out of 55 gallon drums with a cone on top . anyways on top of the wire is a layer of marbles that how they keep the tension on the coil of wire as it gets pulled out of the drum onto / into the welder . I snagged a couple out of one drum a while ago but these marbles were 2-3 times bigger then your normal marble and just plain green glass . still cool
Last night on Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe did a segment with him working where they make rattle can and other marbles.
9/16" is about the average for the industrial marbles found in rattle cans. They do vary some since they usually are selected along with seconds or possible rejects from the marble making process. I have also had a few nice finds that are different from the more common shades of blue, green and clear marbles. The chrome and white one is my favorite find.
I always wipe them with the rag I covered the can with, I usually use a welding pic right thru the can. I have not poked myself yet?
I lay the cans in the door track on the ground in front of the shop . Lay a rag or old towel over the can . The poke a hole in the can with a long pointed bar ( a rock bar that was once used to jab holes in the limestone rock to make post holes ) . Then I use a pair of tin snips to cut a bigger hole to get out the marble .
The Jalopy Journal
