How to remove stuck lids on Old (1990's-2000's) Testors Square Bottles & Mixing them.

[stavanzer]

In the course of my Garage Excavations, I have found about 50 bottles of Testor's paints. None have ever been opened, all are sealed.

Most are 20-30 years old.

Do you have any hints on opening, and them and then getting them mixed up to use?

They will be brush painted, not airbrushed.

 

Thanks, Alan

[espo]

A pair of plyers would be one approach. Also setting the bottles upside down in some hot water. Let it soak for a few minutes to see if the water can penetrate the hardened paint around the cap on the inside of the bottle. 

[Mark]

If you can't open them by hand, turn them over and flow a couple of drops of lacquer thinner between the cap and bottle.  Let it sit for a bit, then try opening.  Pliers or channel-locks are tools of last resort.  Make sure you have a replacement cap.  I keep caps from used-up bottles.

The electric paint shakers are okay, but the first mix after sitting a long time must be manual.  I just did this with a bunch of older paint, I used a stainless steel mixing tool.  Easily cleaned with a thinner soaked rag after each use.  Add a few drops of enamel thinner if needed, then into the paint shaker it goes.

[bill-e-boy]

Or heat the lid up gently with a hair drier (or paint stripper heat gun on low) to loosen it. Use a rag so you don't burn you pinkies. I also have a pair of plier type nut crackers with serrated jaws that are the ducks nuts for opening for opening screw caps. 

As for mixing I use a el-cheapo small flat screw driver about 2.5mm wide  for mixing paints. Just wipe off with a tissue when done. Shaking works but with old paints takes an age and you end up with RSI

I have a collection of these paint too - they are all sorts of colours and I occasionally use them up for small detail stuff

[peteski]

I'm for the lacquer thinner trick (which has been mentioned on the forum multiple  times).  Just be patient as the thinner has to soak into the decades-old enamel paint.  I would let it work for at least half a day, periodically checking if it loosened up yet and reapplying the thinner if it evaporated.  You can do this to bunch of the bottles at the same time.

When trying to unscrew the lid first wrap an elastic around the lid.  Best are small wide ones sometimes used to bunch some fresh veggies or ones to preventing live lobster's claws from opening. Regular elastic will work too, but wrap it around the lid few times. The rubber gives your fingers extra gripping power.  Pliers or similar metal gripping tools should be  used only as a last result (as they will likely damage/distort the lid which might make is no longer tight).

Edited Friday at 08:51 PM by peteski

[johnyrotten]

47 minutes ago, peteski said:

Pliers or similar metal gripping tools should be  used only as a last result

I did this when I was a kid, with a nut cracker. Bottle broke, you can guess the rest. Absolutely last resort. Couple drops of thinner and let it do its thing.

[rattle can man]

Hot water/ heat and careful use of a bottle opener (I bought one designed specifically for the task) or round jaw pliers. Don't squeeze the metal lid so hard you make it into an oval.  Heat will a) soften any paint and b) the metal lid and the glass have different expansion rates.

[Dave Van]

Adjustable spanner on jar (monkey wrench) vice grips on lid......works 99.9%

[Shark]

Just curious, older bottles of Testors had the price printed on the cap. Do any of them have that and if so, what was the amount.

[Bainford]

12 minutes ago, Shark said:

Just curious, older bottles of Testors had the price printed on the cap. Do any of them have that and if so, what was the amount.

Check this thread 

 

[slusher]

tMy wife has a sheet of somethimg like rubber that  helps open jars I have used it on paint jars.  I have a set of channel lock plyers that I use also..  they are small an fit in my pocket..

[slusher]

 

 

 

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

Then ther are thes on eBay for 7 dollar and some change.  I am not connected to the seller I plan on buying one..

[Chris V]

Another vote for the "cellulose-/lacquer thinner and patience" approach!

Apart from the risk of shattering the glass, using vise grips or directly on the cap will usually damage the treads, rendering the cap useless. 

In the rare event I do have to use additional force to loosen the cap, I use a small pipe wrench and place a folded towel between the cap and the jaws of the wrench.

As a rule of thumb it's a good idea to clean the treads on the jar/glass and inside of the cap with a rag/paper towel soaked in lacquer thinner before screwing the cap back on. 

[Skip]

Vote for thinner, turn upside down and wait until you can unscrew by hand.

[stavanzer]

Thanks for the many helpful answers. All of these are Brand New, and have been stored upright. They have never been stored on their sides. So, I don't think there is much paint in the threads. Mostly, they are just very old. BTW, none have prices on them, and all have settled solidly.

I'm going to order one of those ebay opening wrenches that was linked up above.

I may spring for an Electric shaker. Any ideas which one is any good?

P.S. to Dave Van. I have my Ford Script Monkey Wrench in my tool box. I'll be using it. Thanks.

Thanks, Alan

[stavanzer]

On 6/6/2025 at 4:45 PM, Shark said:

Just curious, older bottles of Testors had the price printed on the cap. Do any of them have that and if so, what was the amount.

Nope , all are too new. Purchased in the late 1990's early 2000's. 

[peteski]

If these paints are new now old stock and unopened, I would just try to wrap an elastic few times around the cap (or use a wide elastic, or even one of those rubber disks for opening stuck food jar lids) and see if that'll give you good enough grip to unscrew the cap.  Like you, I don't think there is any paint hardened in the treads but the small caps are not easy to get a grip on.

[bobss396]

I recently tossed ALL of my little Testors bottles. To me, there are far better choices than 1/4 ounce bottles of enamel paints.

[Beans]

On 6/6/2025 at 5:45 PM, Dave Van said:

Adjustable spanner on jar (monkey wrench) vice grips on lid......works 99.9%

My usual method, only broke one bottle this way.

[Dave G.]

I have a smaller sized pliers, where the inner part of both jaws is well rounded with teeth that  about every other tooth on Testors caps serrated edge engages the pliers teeth.. With a little heat first and a gentle nudge from the pliers, I've rarely needed more to get a top off. I haven't damaged a top, it doesn't get much easier. And this on seemingly impossible tops to get off with bare hands.