Getting the darn can open!

[graham-xrf]

It's about when you can't get a decent grip on the little can. It should be easy enough, but it never is!
The difficulty has been recognized before, resulting in the classic little riveted rotation key on the side of boot-polish cans, to hook the lid up and off.
Similar sentiment on the genius design where one just presses on a special point near the edge, and the lid rocks up off it's seal.
Then we have the special cans for us engineers..

 

[mmcmdl]

I play hell getting anything open these days . If it's not my eyes , it's my fingers not wanting to go where they're suppose to go .

 

[ConValSam]

resulting in the classic little riveted rotation key on the side of boot-polish cans, to hook the lid up and off.

I bought a tin of paste solder flux some time ago and struggled mightily to open it the first time; the next time I went to use it the tin was basically sealed for eternity. I cussed a few times and then lamented that someone decided to save a few pennies by eliminating that wonderfully effective little key.

 

[RJSakowski]

I have a similar problem with my former "Vise Grip" grip failing, needing a bright light and a magnifier to see fine detail, and keeping nails ultra short to prevent breaking. I get frustrated in the supermarket trying to open a simple plastic bag to put my produce in.

A simple solution to the tin from hell would be to put a couple of self tapping screws in the sides; one on top and one on the bottom to provide a pry point.

 

[graham-xrf]

I have a similar problem with my former "Vise Grip" grip failing, needing a bright light and a magnifier to see fine detail, and keeping nails ultra short to prevent breaking. I get frustrated in the supermarket trying to open a simple plastic bag to put my produce in.

A simple solution to the tin from hell would be to put a couple of self tapping screws in the sides; one on top and one on the bottom to provide a pry point.

Oh yes! This can is definitely going to acquire a modification, or give over it's role to something else, even if that is to re-purpose a spent boot polish can to a more valued future!

The stuff in the can, as is available in UK, is basically Prussian blue in an oil paste. The whole reason I went for the can was the problem with the squeeze-tube. I used to have some in a tube, which I had to trash when it was only half-used, because the metal developed small crack holes right along the edge of the squeezed-out section. It got everywhere! Unusable it was, and left me looking like a Smurf, and needing a new shirt!

I am not sure I could trust self-tappers not to leak the goop out. This may be a job for the super-glue, as recommended by Stefan G






The water-washable brand Canode Blue (and yellow) spotting inks is not to be found here in UK. No matter - I have supplies of my own ingredients. I made layout fluid before. I can also make spotting ink. I also discovered the 200G tube of artist's "Ochre Rouge", although also oil-based, works really well. I guess getting involved with spotting stuff is a minority activity.

 

[graham-xrf]

I have a similar problem with my former "Vise Grip" grip failing, needing a bright light and a magnifier to see fine detail, and keeping nails ultra short to prevent breaking. I get frustrated in the supermarket trying to open a simple plastic bag to put my produce in.

A simple solution to the tin from hell would be to put a couple of self tapping screws in the sides; one on top and one on the bottom to provide a pry point.

Yeah - and fighting our way into the stuff that comes on a card, welded to a super-tough transparent plastic formed bubble mold. When it happens to be the pack of new razor blades, and you are in the bathroom with a wet face - forget it!

 

[RJSakowski]

Yeah - and fighting our way into the stuff that comes on a card, welded to a super-tough transparent plastic formed bubble mold. When it happens to be the pack of new razor blades, and you are in the bathroom with a wet face - forget it!

One of the consequences of trying to reduce shoplifting. Perhaps the current drive to eliminate plastic from our lives will bring an end to the bubble packaging. When I bring that stuff into the house, the first action is to go down to the sheet metal shear and trim the package. Much easier on my already sore hands.

 

[graham-xrf]

Marking Blue Blues
I had not thought I would have more to say about the can the marking blue comes in, but I change my mind. Originally it was about the lack of easy access. Getting the can open - somehow.

In all of this attempt, we keep in mind the 38grams of blue in a can, gets it to 65grams total, and the forces one must apply to the slippery thing far exceed that. The control of said forces will involve a muscle-driven response to a high value transient when the darn lid lets go!

Let us temporarily forgive all that. When the can is finally levered open in a mad scene involving biggest pipe-grip plumbing pliers, and small(ish) screwdrivers, this is what we have!



There is blue-goo all the way around the outside where the lid contacted the lower part. Wiping it away is messy, and tricky, and lightweight can is prone to tip, skid, topple, and in other ways deposit some of the blue, brimming from the top. Good that one gets "a whole 38grams", but don't count on on using it all!

Not shown is what goes on underneath the cap. A huge blob of blue, stuck there, just like it would on the lid of a paint can recently shaken. How to deal with it. It has a long drip wobbling under it. Getting the content under the lid to go back into the space within the can from whence it came is a whole new situation! Said situation will be repeated with perhaps worse variations not yet speculated.

This receptacle, for what it holds, and how it is expected to be used, is just not fit for purpose! Maybe if I persuaded most of the blue goo into a plastic syringe, things might be under more control. I know a little goes a long way, but so far, not as much as a nanogram has made it to a surface plate. I do, however, have several blued-up paper towels in my wastebin, only one of which was useful in actual contact with the tin can!

 

[pdentrem]

Eggs come in a flimsy cardboard or foam container but many hardy objects come in a sealed plastic that requires knives and scissors to brute force to open!
Pierre

 

[Bi11Hudson]

I ran across the optimal solution the other day, but couldn't find the original post. So I posted the idea in "Tips And Tricks". It amounts to using small nails, (US) #18 brads, to attach a block of wood to the top. I used hot glue on my flux can, but for noncorrosive material the nails should work better. I also used a cutout from a hole saw, more elegant I thought. This has been a known proplem for at least 70 years. . .

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