BubbaJoe Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I thought i would share this little tip , my apologies if this has been mentioned before. one thing that drives me crazy is the amount of time i spend keeping paint jars and caps clean . the arthistis in my hands is starting to prevent me from open jars and lids. paint jars are no exception. what makes it worse is when the lids get painted shut and i have to break out a pair of channel locks to help unscrew the tops. i try cleaning the lids and lips after each use but sometimes they still get paint in-between the rim and the lid making unscrewing the lid next to impossible (yeah my hands are that bad) i solved this problem by using glads press and seal paper. i clean the lip of the paint jar and cut a piece of press and seal to fit the edge and well... press and seal .the paper sticks to the lid but is very easy to remove and it keeps the paint off the lid...and opening the paint is now a breeze..for the most part depending on how bad my hands are that day..anyways thought i'd pass it along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I thought i would share this little tip , my apologies if this has been mentioned before. one thing that drives me crazy is the amount of time i spend keeping paint jars and caps clean . the arthistis in my hands is starting to prevent me from open jars and lids. paint jars are no exception. what makes it worse is when the lids get painted shut and i have to break out a pair of channel locks to help unscrew the tops. i try cleaning the lids and lips after each use but sometimes they still get paint in-between the rim and the lid making unscrewing the lid next to impossible (yeah my hands are that bad) i solved this problem by using glads press and seal paper. i clean the lip of the paint jar and cut a piece of press and seal to fit the edge and well... press and seal .the paper sticks to the lid but is very easy to remove and it keeps the paint off the lid...and opening the paint is now a breeze..for the most part depending on how bad my hands are that day..anyways thought i'd pass it along. That's actually a great idea Joe! I'm really bad about keeping my jars clean. I keep that same channel lock that you speak of on my work bench at all times & some times that doesn't even work! Thanks for the tip! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Spare (or dedicated) Channel locks are indeed very handy, so is turning the bottle upside down and squirting a little lacquer thinner into the thread area. After just a few seconds, the lids screw right off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeBee Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 turning the bottle upside down and squirting a little lacquer thinner into the thread area. After just a few seconds, the lids screw right off. That's what I do when I have a jar or bottle of paint that doesn't want to be opened, works all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 All of the above are good ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) Just running hot water over the jar lid works too. I'm just far too lazy, so out comes the channel lock! Steve Edited January 1, 2015 by StevenGuthmiller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miatatom Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Sometimes the best solutions are the most obvious. Thanks for telling me what to do with that roll of Press and Seal above my work bench. The lacquer thinner tip is also another obvious solution. Thanks for pointing it out, Kevin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell C Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Press’n Seal®, never heard of it before. I'll have to get some to solve my own paint problem as well as to replace the worthless cling wrap stuff I try to use for my leftover food. And, despite all my years of model building, I wasn't smart enough to think of using solvent in the upside-down bottle threads. Brute force has been my friend most of these years, with the ever-present fear of twisting the neck clean off the bottle, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Press’n Seal®, never heard of it before. I'll have to get some to solve my own paint problem as well as to replace the worthless cling wrap stuff I try to use for my leftover food. And, despite all my years of model building, I wasn't smart enough to think of using solvent in the upside-down bottle threads. Brute force has been my friend most of these years, with the ever-present fear of twisting the neck clean off the bottle, Have ever twisted the neck off of a paint bottle? I've been building for nearly 50 years now. I've never seen or heard of that happening. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell C Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 ...ever twisted the neck off of a paint bottle? ...never seen or heard of that happening. Paranoia on my part. I usually gave up since all I had at my disposal was a pliers holding the bottle and another pliers twisting the cap off. They either opened or they were destined for the trash. Now, if I'd had access to a vice to hold the bottle and a pipe wrench....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BubbaJoe Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 testers bottles have always been the worst...i end up crimping the cap with the channel locks ,may as well toss them after that. i have tried sitting the jars/bottles upside down in thinner and it works most times but takes time waiting for the thinner to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedotwo Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Being an impatient sort, waiting for the thinner to work wouldn't replace my using channel locks I recently picked up a jaw type opener at HL in the checkout lane that has a rubber gripper area and fits Modelmaster and Tamiya bottles, but not the little Testors. I use this new rubber one to hold the jar while using the channel locks on the lid. At least now I won't wreck the labels. I'm going to try the press and seal method and see how that works now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twopaws Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Thanks for the Press and Seal tip, similar to my solution, I keep precut pieces of wax paper with my paints to do the same thing, works like a charm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGlueblob Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I eep a small tube of Carmex (petroleum jelly) nearby. A small dab in the jar threads and all's well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Have ever twisted the neck off of a paint bottle? I've been building for nearly 50 years now. I've never seen or heard of that happening. Scott I certainly have, and I saw my friend do the same one night as well. Tore his hand open pretty bad when the bottle snapped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwrass Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Joe, Great tip! with the press and seal. Seems as though we all have some type of griping devise to remove tops. I typically wipe the top of the bottle with a rag that has some thinner on it. For the cover and for airbrush bottles and airbrush cleaning I have two small parts cleaners that have a pumps that hold about a gallon and a half of thinner ( I think I purchased them at harbor freight for like $35 each) I have one filled with mineral spirit and the other one with lacquer thinner. I use these both for cleaning equipment and they work great! When you close the covers the are safe from fire and exploding. Cheers jwrass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnU Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I certainly have, and I saw my friend do the same one night as well. Tore his hand open pretty bad when the bottle snapped.When I was a kid about, 10 or 12 years old, had some Pactra paint seal up tight. Held the bottle in my Dads bench vise and used plyers to twist the lid. SNAP! twisted the neck off the bottle and painted the vise yellow! Pops wasn't happy! Spent the next hour or so with turpentine cleaning the mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattW Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I have 2 oil fliter/jar opening type strap "wrenches" that were originally intended for use in the kitchen, but the ones I have, have a narrower rubber strap that make them perfect for holding the bottle while using the other one on the cap. Works almost every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobobbie Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Sorry am on my tablet so I have some trouble linking. I keeps a pair of harbor freight "free" scissors on my bench. On the inside of the handles are some serrated jaws that make ideal paint jar openers. Bob Gregory Ruining one model at a time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarana-X Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Channel locks and pliers have always been my go-to. Sometimes prying the edge of the lid with a small flathead screwdriver. I'll try the wax paper first, since I have an abundance of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I eep a small tube of Carmex (petroleum jelly) nearby. A small dab in the jar threads and all's well. This suggestion interests me. Can you tell me more? Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintagercr Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Great ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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