From the article: Dealing with Stuck Paint Tube Caps
How do you deal with a cap on a paint tube that's stuck and won't open? Do you have any 'secrets' you wish you'd learned years ago? Share your tips and suggestions here. Share Your Tips
Nutcracker
- I keep a nut cracker to open difficult tubes. Also, soaking oil paint tubes in warm water sometimes helps. It can help soften oil paints that are getting solid.
- —JackiefromDevon
Stuck Paint Caps
- I usually put a smear of silicon grease on the inside of the cap and months later it's no problem to open.
- —CyprusLenny
Easiest Way
- All you have to do to unstick the caps is to run the cap under running hot water. Keep it there for a few seconds. Take it out, and try again. It always makes it at least a bit easier to open.
- —Guest Easy
Stuck Caps
- For removing stuck caps, especially on oils, the oldest method is to heat the end with the cap over a candle until almost too hot to touch. Then, if necessary, grip the cap with a pliers and turn it. If it won't come off after that, you might have to open the other end of the tube and squeeze the paint out into another container (or onto your palette if you're ready to paint).
- —Guest Edward
Rubber Gloves
- I keep a pair of rubber gloves around for opening jars, and they work for paint tubes, too.
- —Guest Nature Girl
What to Do With Stuck Paint Tube Caps
- I keep a pair of adjustable pliers at my work table. After removing the stubborn cap, I then clean the threads and try to remember to be less messy in the future. If super serious about avoiding stuck caps, a bit of petroleum jelly swabbed over the threads with a cotton swab works wonders. Try to remember to do it when the tube is first opened and the threads are still clean.
- —jAlida
Hot Water for Stuck Caps
- I find if I place the tube of paint upside down in a dish of hot water, just covering the top, it softens the paint around the top and they open easy.
- —Guest Liddy
Broken tube caps
- Save caps from used up tubes for use when a cap breaks or have little containers handy to transfer paint too.
- —Soulcreek
Opening jars and tubs
- With screw top paint and medium containers, I find the best way to avoid a long tussle with the object of desire is to be organized from the word go. Make sure the top of the jar or tub is as free as possible of paint or medium after taking anything out of it, then take a generous sized piece of cling film and place it over the opening of the container before screwing the lid back on. This not only prevents the lid getting stuck, but also acts as an airtight layer, thus preserving your paint or medium.
- —Guest Faith Jones
