Closing those darn LIDS!!!

[Spiritwolfe]

When you open a can of finish / sealer etc., how do you go about putting the lid back on?

Yes it's a serious question. For some reason I have the worst luck with them so figure I must be doing something wrong.

[scotia carver]

Hi SW
The method I use is to clean out the grove where the lid sits, really well , place the can with lid on the floor ,put piece of board on top of the lid and stand on the board, pushing the lid into the grove
Bruce

[Spiritwolfe]

Hi SW
The method I use is to clean out the grove where the lid sits, really well , place the can with lid on the floor ,put piece of board on top of the lid and stand on the board, pushing the lid into the grove
Bruce

Really! Cleaning that groove out! Check! Good idea. I'm not doing that.
Placing a board on top guarantees equal pressure all around.
A much superior method.
Thanks Bruce
i will adopt this idea

[Bob K.]

I simply tap my lids on with a hammer. Just tap lightly around the entire circumference of the lid (maybe several times) until the lid is completely seated.

[Spiritwolfe]

I simply tap my lids on with a hammer. Just tap lightly around the entire circumference of the lid (maybe several times) until the lid is completely seated.

This is how I usually do it but if those grooves are filled you get an uneven fit and it never seems to seal right. Then when you go to use your favourite finish its all gunky and tacky on top. Maybe it's just me. Lol

[Brian T]

Take a small finishing nail and pound 3 holes in the bottom of the lid groove. That way, the slop drains back into the can.
The holes get covered up when you bang the lid back on. I scored a used rubber hammer in a garage sale for that.
Storing the cans upside down seems to reduce the amount of skin.

[Arthur C.]

I clean the groove quickly, then tap on the lid with the end of a short piece of 2x4...hammer would do, but the piece of wood is always there on my outdoor work bench. Before I tap the lid, I cover the can with a rag so any finish remaining in the groove doesn't squirt out on me. I find that a little finish left in the groove dries to a seal and ensures a tight fit.

[Claude]

I clean the groove, then I use a piece of scrap wood laying across the lid and then tap the lid with a hammer, rotating the piece of wood 4 or 5 times to get it evenly tapped all the way around. I use so little of oil-based finishes, that I buy it in a quart size, then the first time I open it, I pour it into several small jelly jars (8 oz each), put on the Kerr or Ball rings and lids to seal. The ones I want to reserve for the future, I put into a small box, close the lid and put on the back of a shelf. When sealed, and out of the light, the stuff will last for years.

Claude

[Spiritwolfe]

These are all fantastic ideas guys. I'm so glad I posted this question.
I like the idea of pouring the substance into better containers and storing the rest because every time you open those lids and close them again you're potentially warping that lid each time. Those lids drive me nuts but only because I'm not sealing them up properly.
Nothing like needing to peel away a layer to get at your finish. lol

[Robert Cahill]

I clean the lid and then put a small amount of petroleum jelly on it

[Arthur C.]

SW, something just occurred to me about your problem. Could it be that your resealing difficulty arises not from the replacement of the lids but from the way you initially remove it? Could you be warping the lid by prying it off too aggressively at one spot, rather than prying up a little at a time in rotation until the lid loosens up? Just a thought.

[Spiritwolfe]

SW, something just occurred to me about your problem. Could it be that your resealing difficulty arises not from the replacement of the lids but from the way you initially remove it? Could you be warping the lid by prying it off too aggressively at one spot, rather than prying up a little at a time in rotation until the lid loosens up? Just a thought.

YES it most certainly could be.
Perhaps my question ought to have been
"How do you open your metal tins with metal lids?

I probably AM opening them far too aggressively. I could definitely see how that could lead to improper sealing of the lids afterwards. My significant other is constantly telling me that I'm ruining our finishes.
I really like Claude's idea. As soon as you open the can you pour what you need into a jar with a screwable lid. Id personally find this much easier to clean off than metal.

Thanks Arthur
Good suggestion

[Tinwood]

I always punch about six or eight holes into the can groove (not the lid) so any slop drains back into the can. From Lee Valley or other suppliers you can get a can of "Bloxigen" which is an inert gas. You give a quick squirt into your open container and it deposits a layer over the finish displacing the oxygen to prevent skinning of the finish. With those two things plus Arthur's two suggestions of the rag and not warping the lid when removing it, you should have a container of finish which should last you until it is all gone.

Tinwood

[Tom-H]

Open the metal can with a bis As_ screwdriver. When done using the the contents, place the lid back on the top over the sealing grooves and smack hard several times with a hammer. Remove my shirt and dispose of it in a save manner. Buy a new favorite shirt......I never seem to learn from my mistakes.

[drhandrich]

i like to simply lay a scrap board on top and step up onto it. works every time, maybe sooner or later i would stand next to a wall for a steady rest though.