Please put a screw-off lid on my Denatured Alcohol

[Chip]

I often use denatured alcohol as a solvent when working with glues on canoe projects. I currently have two brands on hand: Jasco and Klean Strip. Both have lids that have to be pried off with a tool. It bugs me to have to grab a tool, usually a screw driver to open the can.

Okay, I shouldn't buy those brands with the tops I don't like. There must be somebody selling alcohol in a can with a screw-type lid. You can bet next time I shop, I'll be looking for an easier to open lid.

Anybody else find these lids a peever?

 

[Cheeseandbeans]

They drive me crazy too. Many of the finishing wood oils use this style as well. I deal with the inconvenience in the shop, but transfer the alcohol for my stove. I trust the o-ring sealed screw top more than the plastic pry off variety when packed.


Bob

 

[Alan Gage]

I buy it in the gallon jugs, which I believe all use a screw top.

Alan

 

[Waterdog]

S.O.B!!! I never gave the pop tops a second thought but now
i can’t unread Chip’s thread. All my wood oil, Japan dryer, and solvents are in those pesky cans. Those got to go! I think Alan’s right about 1gallon cans. Might have to start rooting in the recycle center bins on my recycling run!

I guess I’m “woke” now.

Cheers,
Barry

 

[MagicPaddler]

I start a project and when I open a can I leave the can open so I don’t need to continuous find a opener.

 

[scoutergriz]

I just decant it into old, clean Coleman fuel cans (1 or 4qt) with screw tops. You can take a photo of the label (don't forget the safety and WHMIS info on the back), print it off, then paste or tape it onto the replacement can so there's no mistaking it for fuel.

 

[Guest]

I start a project and when I open a can I leave the can open so I don’t need to continuous find a opener.

I do that as well, although not with acetone cans.

Even with alcohol in a screw capped container I have problems remembering where I set the dang cap, and tend to sploosh out more alcohol than needed.

With no sink in the shop I keep labeled spray bottles of water and soapy water on hand, but filling spray bottles with alcohol eventually ate the rubber spray gasket. I tried a variety of spray bottles to no avail, and finally tried an empty PetArmor flea and tick spray bottom.

I’ve been using that flea and tick spray bottle for several years. The gasket is good as new, it seals so tightly that the alcohol doesn’t evaporate, and spraying or squirting instead of splashing out too much the alcohol my supply lasts a lot longer.

I need to find another durable gasket spray bottle to use with vinegar.

 

[Boatman53]

I transfer from the big can to a smaller squeeze bottle with a little flip up nozzle.
Jim

 

[Guest]

I transfer from the big can to a smaller squeeze bottle with a little flip up nozzle.

I like that idea. I have an old, mostly empty 8oz Ronsonol lighter fluid bottle with a flip up squirt nozzle. That one is getting vinegar (and a label) for shop use. Thanks.

 

[recped]

What products require child-resistant packaging?

The PPPA allows the Commission to set rules requiring child-resistant packaging for specific types of products customarily used in or around the household[SUP]*[/SUP] if the Commission determines:

* consumer retail sizes need them, "commercial" quantities may not.

What is a child-resistant package?


A child-resistant package is one that is designed or constructed to be significantly difficult for children under 5 to open or obtain a harmful amount of the contents within a reasonable time. In addition, the package must not be difficult for normal adults to use properly.

For a package to be child resistant, a total of 80 percent of the children tested according to the procedure summarized below must not open the package during a full 10 minutes of testing. Please check below for more information about the level of child resistance required during the first 5 minutes of testing.

To make sure that adults are able to use a child-resistant package properly, 90 percent of adults tested have up to 5 minutes, and then another minute in a second test, to open and close the package so that it is child resistant again.

Lots of fun data at the link below, trivia like how to assemble a group of adults required and the process under which you conduct the test to accurately find the 10% who fail to complete the task even with a 1 minute 2nd chance!. "Adults" = a range from 50 - 70, presumably the 71+ either all fail or shouldn't be allowed near these materials.
Full details here:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/PPPA

 

[PeteStaehling]

I have used a smaller bottles in the shop from time to time. I use denatured alcohol as camp fuel so I often have it smaller bottles for that. For the majority of my camping use that is either bike touring backpacking where I don't need to carry much because I restock frequently so the 12 ounce yellow bottle Heet bottles are about right. At times I have just kept one of those in the shop and refilled it from the gallon can, but I wind up taking them camping and they don't make it back to the shop.

That said, don't you have a knife in your pocket or on your belt with a tool that suffices? If not isn't the alcohol close to a bench that has a tool within reach? In my case that would be a yes on both counts, so the tops are at worst only a very minor annoyance, no worse than the child proof ones on the screw top ones on the gallons in my opinion.

 

[PeteStaehling]

They drive me crazy too. Many of the finishing wood oils use this style as well. I deal with the inconvenience in the shop, but transfer the alcohol for my stove. I trust the o-ring sealed screw top more than the plastic pry off variety when packed.
filedata/fetch?id=124774&d=1620420196

Bob

For what it is worth... I found this little hack to be useful, It was based on a factory made cap that I used to have, but I made this one from a regular cap. It is handy for dispensing tiny amounts for priming or even filling small stoves, filling lighters, and so on. This particular beat up and ancient (50 years old?) bottle has white gas for my SVEA123 and Whisperlite International stoves in it, but the cap setup would be useful for alcohol as well.

I just drilled the cap and used part of the body of a syringe as the pouring tube. That allowed for a finer nozzle and a cap, but any kind of tube could be used as long as it would stand up to whatever solvent was being stored and dispensed.

If I used it as a shop bottle I'd just use the one cap with the little pour spout. In a pack with other gear I wouldn't trust the spout to not get broken off and leak all over everything.

I have found it handier and less prone to spills than a funnel.

 

[Cheeseandbeans]

That’s brilliant Pete. I have been looking for a vintage Optimus stove and that would be perfect for the priming cup.

Bob

 

[PeteStaehling]

That’s brilliant Pete. I have been looking for a vintage Optimus stove and that would be perfect for the priming cup.

Bob

The basic idea wasn't mine. I did come up with using the piece of syringe body though. Any way I find it really handy.

BTW, you may or may not find that you want/need a vent hole in the opposite side of the cap from the spout. If you use a vent hole obviously you need to use the regular cap for storage.

 

[Chip]

So glad I posted about my peeve. I mean, it's just a personal vexation, but I keep wondering why the vendors use this type of cap. They really aren't convenient to the user, unless you happen to walk around with a prying tool (I've lost dozens of pocket knives and don't need a knife enough to wear one on my belt). Or, you use the whole can at once, so you don't frequently open and close it.

Thanks for sharing your solutions to the cause of my vexation. I had to laugh at Boatman's use of a plastic, flip top bottle. Since Covid, I've kept one of those, filled with alcohol, in my truck. I use the alcohol to wipe down my hands as soon as I get back in the vehicle, trying to keep the cab sterile. But it's the isopropyl kind of alcohol from the drug store, which, BTW, is available in spray and screw-off topped bottles. Duh! I never thought of using it in the shop for denatured! And I never thought of reusing the isopropyl bottles in the shop. Nothing but in-the-box thinking on this topic.

But I really like PeteS's adopted idea of turning the cap into a spout. I recently uncovered three syringes in the shop. I had used them for micro glue jobs 40 years ago. The needles are corroded. They are going to be adapted and become spouts I will glue to the stupid pry-off tops. Most of the time I'm using alcohol (the undrinkable kind) I'm just sloshing some onto a rag or a surface I want to clean. The syringe body will become a squirt spout on the pry-off top. I can just aim, then squeeze the can to squirt out a bit of fluid. Evaporation through the tiny spout opening will be minuscule, and the syringe has a cover I can snap in place when I'm not using the solvent.

Thanks, canoetripping community.

 

[Chip]

Works great. Makes the bottle a little taller, and will be easy to knock off or loose the orange plug, but I like it so far.

 

[scoutergriz]

you can buy replacement needles (blunt tipped though) from most craft shops...
just sayin'

 

[Guest]

dang Chip, that looks like something the DEA or Homeland Security would find interesting.

I have an idea for opening that style cap. I have a metal “church key” bottle opener, with a magnet on one side, stuck conveniently to a file cabinet six inches from my shop desk.

I tried the bottle opener end on the acetone cap, and think if the broad end flap was bent a bit less curved it would pop open those damable caps without screwdriver clawing and scarring. Wouldn’t make them any easier to close, but that’s why man invented hammers.

I’m not doing radical surgery on my precious church key until I have a replacement; I might go thirsty. But I’ll find another to bend sacrifice and let you know how it goes.

If that works, definitely another magnet backed one, so I can leave it on the acetone can and not have to search the shop for it.

I am surprised there isn’t a specific opener for that style cap, like the paint can opener doohickies. There probably is such a specialty tool, for only $5.99. $7.99 for the magnetized version.

 

[billconner]

I'm amazed I can find next to nothing on the www about these.1 youtube showing using a screwdriver to open the cap. Not alcohol nor other solvents, but some things in cans like this, stripper and some oils, gum up threads on a screw cap.

 

[latremorej]

"been using that flea and tick spray bottle for several years. The gasket is good as new, it seals so tightly that the alcohol doesn’t evaporate, and spraying or squirting instead of splashing out too much the alcohol my supply lasts a lot longer."

Mike, that is a really good idea!

All of these solutions are good!

I have had good luck putting the D-Alcohol in an old contact lense solution bottle. The small squirt tip makes it easy to point and squeeze.

Jason