How do you open paint jars?

[Dr. Cranky]

Here's what I use and it works like a charm:

[GerN]

Most of the time, rubber-coated shelf liner (looks like rubber screening) works for me - one piece for the bottle, one for the top. This stuff also makes a good work surface when I'm hacking up a car body, etc. and need a little help keeping it in place. For really recalcitrant bottles, I use a a strap wrench on the bottle.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Low-yield nuclear weapons will open all of the paint containers in a several-mile radius. Saves a lot of time.

[Guest G Holding]

A 2 or 3 inch strip of bicycle inner tube makes a great tool...one around the lid, another around the jar. Works better than the micro mark tool as shown by Doc Cranky...Also storing the paint jars "lid down" makes a huge difference

[James2]

I don't even want to hear from all the anal car modelers here!

Not sure, but I believe there was never an Anal kit made!

[Tony T]

I've used the pliers and adjustable wrench on the Testor's square jars. Never had one break, luckily. I have broken the plastic lid from a Tamiya jar. Just an annoyance since it won't seal afterwards! Ziplock bag helped to slow the inevitable drying-up of the paint.

A good idea is to wipe the top of the jar of wet paint before putting the lid back on. I believe it is usually dried paint that causes the issue of a stuck lid.

[eizzle]

Not sure, but I believe there was never an Anal kit made!

We would have to have anal paint to!

[James2]

What kind of glue would we need? Gluetimus maximus?

[Erik Smith]

Don't shake your paint. Stir it. Since adopting this, I do not have paint lids that stick. Buy a large bundle of sticks at the craft store for stirring.

[Tony T]

Don't shake your paint. Stir it. Since adopting this, I do not have paint lids that stick. Buy a large bundle of sticks at the craft store for stirring.

Good point...I started doing the same (stirring instead of shaking) a while back along with wiping the top of the jar before putting the lid back on.