Opening stuck paint jars

[the Baron]

Hi, all!

Watching Scott's GeeBee series, and seeing him have to really wrench to get that paint bottle open, reminded me of a tip I'd like to share with you.

I keep a rubber jar lid grip pad in my tool box, for just such an emergency. You can get them at the supermarket, but I've actually never bought one-I've loaded up on free ones that various businesses gave away as little gifts. They really help to grip the lid, and I always try the pad, before escalating to pliers (a last resort).

Hope you find it useful!

Brad

 

[HWR MKII]

It also helps to run the lid under some hot tap water for a minute or 2. This can expand the lid away from the jar some and make the underlying paint a little gummy so it will give.

 

[FourForty]

Thanks for the tip Brad.

 

[MrNatural]

set your jar down upside down then drop a little thinner around the cap wait a few seconds it will come right off there is no jar to strong for this trick

 

[icekj]

I have found that taking a rubber band and putting it arround the cap works wonders. Very easy and cheep method. If you cannot get a good enough grip on the jar then put a rubber band on both.

HTH and God Bless,

Ken

 

[Unkljune]

Hold the bottle upside down, under hot water. Tamiya, testors work well on both.

 

[Grendels]

set your jar down upside down then drop a little thinner around the cap wait a few seconds it will come right off there is no jar to strong for this trick

Beat me to it! This one works best for me. Especially on plastic lids.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Use Vallejo, covers never get stuck, and glass bottle won't shatter (because it is plastic) if the cover is every a little "tight"

 

[THE NEW ONE]

i just throw my paint bottles into my vice and very slowly tighten, and turn

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

i just throw my paint bottles into my vice and very slowly tighten, and turn

I did that once on a particularly stubborn jar of Testors. No amount of hot water would enlarge the cover enough to get it to come off, on goes a pair of channel locks to help it along. I was smart enough to use a towel to grip it, and while the cover did come off, so did the neck of the bottle with it. I was lucky in that instance, but I have heard many stories of bottles shattering in a person's hand putting too much pressure on the cap with a pair of vice grips or channel locks.