Loosen the lid on Testors enamel square bottles.

[bytownshaker]

On 11/6/2023 at 11:11 PM, Bills72sj said:

I have been leaning towards getting this...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325372061702

They have some interesting stuff, They also have them for Tamiya bottles.

[Can-Con]

Yup, just a little heat from a lighter does it for me for over 40 years now. 

I don't smoke but a lighter comes in handy and keep one on my work area.

Also useful when you need a piece of stretched sprue.

[bobss396]

On 11/7/2023 at 10:22 PM, Bullybeef said:

 Brute strength and ignorance is the only way! 

I broke a bottle as a kid, using dad's workshop vise and of course vise-grip pliers.

[TonyK]

On 9/22/2023 at 8:25 PM, Bills72sj said:

I go old school mechanical. Channel lock pliers. If it is really bad then then I use my plastic jaw Pana-vise to hold the bottle. Too lazy to clean the cap/threads after every use.

Same here. My vise has rubber grips to hold the bottle safely. A couple of my Tamiya bottles have to be opened this way every time.

[WillyBilly]

For over 40 years my method of cap removal is a pair of pliers. I use robo grip pliers now. I also have an adjustable wrench. I put the wrench on the bottle and use the robo grip on the lid. I have never broken a bottle. And I also use a sharpie to lable the color in the bottle since the lettering is so small.

 

[bill-e-boy]

I use nutcracker pliers and occasionally need to tap the top of the bottle too. the nutcracker pliers work on all of the bottle jar sizes and brands as Tamiya paints can be hard to open at times. Have not tried loosening with lacquer but will remember that for the next time I have a stubborn bottle cap.

Interesting to see so many people have a stash of the Testors little square paint bottles - I must have about 50 left in my stash 

[Straightliner59]

11 hours ago, bill-e-boy said:

I use nutcracker pliers and occasionally need to tap the top of the bottle too. the nutcracker pliers work on all of the bottle jar sizes and brands as Tamiya paints can be hard to open at times. Have not tried loosening with lacquer but will remember that for the next time I have a stubborn bottle cap.

Interesting to see so many people have a stash of the Testors little square paint bottles - I must have about 50 left in my stash 

I still have some Pactra 'Namels in square bottles! I still like to just invert the bottle, and put a couple of drops of lacquer thinner in the lid and let it sit a minute. Then generally, I can get by without the pliers. Generally...

[bbowser]

This time of year I set it cap down on the wood stove for about a minute, works every time!

[Oldriginal86]

On 11/10/2023 at 1:52 PM, bill-e-boy said:

 

Interesting to see so many people have a stash of the Testors little square paint bottles -

What do you mean “stash”. That’s what I mostly use. I know there is different products out there, some say better. I like to stick with what works for me. Most of the older bottles have scars on the lid from pliers. I’ll have to try the lacquer thinner trick.

[peteski]

1 hour ago, Oldriginal86 said:

What do you mean “stash”. That’s what I mostly use. I know there is different products out there, some say better. I like to stick with what works for me. Most of the older bottles have scars on the lid from pliers. I’ll have to try the lacquer thinner trick.

Clean the lid seal and the bottle's lip ever time.  You paints will last long (as none will be wasted) and they will be easy to open. 

[slusher]

I clean paint lids and bottles all the time but you still get one that stick time to time..  I have one of those lid grippers my wife uses in the kitchen. I have a baby pair of channel lock brand channel locks I have had since I was a teen aged that perfect for small Testor jars and seldom mark the lid…

[bill-e-boy]

16 hours ago, Oldriginal86 said:

What do you mean “stash”. That’s what I mostly use. I know there is different products out there, some say better. I like to stick with what works for me. Most of the older bottles have scars on the lid from pliers. I’ll have to try the lacquer thinner trick.

I mean that the little square jars have not been available in New Zealand for a very long time. I stocked up when they were being specialed out after they stopped being imported into NZ, And got a bunch from another modeler too, so I have a stash of small square bottles. I did the same when the big jars were stopped being imported into NZ. So I have a stash of these too.

[customline]

On 9/22/2023 at 4:06 PM, maxwell48098 said:

To avoid the caps sticking on any bottle paint, I always completely wipe out the inside of the cap as well at the top edges of the bottle that come in contact with the cap seal. I've done this for 55 years and have never had a problem with a cap sticking.

 

A.J.

Yup. I do this too!

It only took me 55 years to learn to do it ?

[W Humble]

Final word, from a guy who has been modeling (of and on) since the Korean War era: you ain't supposed to get them off after the first time, of course!  I still have a few Testors bottles, as described, that say "19 cents", back when a buck was worth closer to 100 cents.  But I use my little bench vice and pliers with the jaws in 'wide' setting, and it always works -- well, the glass broke once, but typically the paint had dried out, so very little clean up!  Using hot water or lac thinner will eventually make your labels useless, tho.  Harder to open were those teensy bottles that Aurora sold, but the paint was super good.  IM Humble O.

[peteski]

14 hours ago, W Humble said:

Final word, from a guy who has been modeling (of and on) since the Korean War era: you ain't supposed to get them off after the first time, of course!  I still have a few Testors bottles, as described, that say "19 cents", back when a buck was worth closer to 100 cents.  But I use my little bench vice and pliers with the jaws in 'wide' setting, and it always works -- well, the glass broke once, but typically the paint had dried out, so very little clean up!  Using hot water or lac thinner will eventually make your labels useless, tho.  Harder to open were those teensy bottles that Aurora sold, but the paint was super good.  IM Humble O.

And I'll say it again: if you are fastidious enough (no reason not to be) and clean the bottle lip and the gasket in the lid, there will never be a reason to use brute force to loosen it (and possible end up with broken glass).  Simple enough.

[Rick L]

Amazing! 39 replies on how to open a stuck bottle cap.?

[peteski]

Fun stuff.  The "meat" of the thread was in the first few posts. The rest is just a fun discussion.

[Ace-Garageguy]

12 hours ago, Rick L said:

Amazing! 39 replies on how to open a stuck bottle cap.?

I'd have to hire a specialist. I'm afraid it's beyond my skill set.

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I'd have to hire a specialist. I'm afraid it's beyond my skill set.

That's why I have a valet!?

[Skip]

Just used some mineral spirits, eyedropper between upside down bottle's lid last night. Allowed it to sit for a couple of hours and it opened right up by hand! I had been trying to open the bottle with water pump pliers and the stupid thing wouldn't even budge! Great trick! This was a last shot effort; I was heading to Hobby Town in the morning if it didn't work.