I've been using hobby paints for about 15 years now, but I still have the same issue. If I don't use a bottle for a week or so, I can't get it open again. Most of the time, I use hot water to heat up it up, put on rubber gloves for a good grip, then twist. This works about 75% of the time. The other 25% I rip off a good chunk of skin like I did just now to no avail. Do you guys have any tricks you would like to share?

 

put the paint jar upside-down on your work table. get a medium to heavy brush , load it up with lacquer thinner, drip it into the lid from the underneath, allow it to drip into the lid's threads. Let it sit for 3 minutes. lid will come right off.

 

*looks at hand*

*sees the carnage*

So that's how you get those bottle open....couldn't you have told me that, like, a few days ago, FR? Before I tried to open that bottle of clear green?  

I still use GW paints since they come in jars with a flip-open lid.  

 

I've only ever had a couple that were so insanely tight that I needed to use my Leatherman Wave multi-tool. I opened up the pliers, gripped the lids, applied pressure, & twisted them off. Once I had them off, I cleaned up the area where the paint had dried onto the lid, then got back to work. Only down side is they did it again. No other bottles have had an issue this bad, but then again, these were Testors paints & once that cap liner goes to crap, most lids will stick like hell.

I'm in the process of using what I have of both Testors & Tamiya (& a couple of Mr. Hobby paints). I tried out the Vallejo acrylics that my friend Rich (Spurt Reynolds) got me hooked on & love the hell out of them. The handful I've got are highly pigmented & go on smooth, if thinned just right (as with most paints). I think what I like most is the flat/matte finish of the colors I have. They look great on my Prime & Galvatron customs so far.

Good luck with your paint jars, man. Hope you get them opened without losing a hand!

 

Some good advice here, if I can throw 1 more trick in...instead of using rubber gloves try wrapping 1 of of those wide rubber bands around the lid a few times then twist bare handed.
Those elastics are commonly found in the produce section of most grocery stores, used to bundle broccoli/asparagus etc. together.
I use them to get food jars open all the time.
I also save those because I have a cutting board that slides around on my counter, throw 3-4 of those underneath the cutting board - no more sliding.

 

Thanks for all the tips guys. I will try each one after my hand heals up. I have a huge blister now on the lowest joint of my index finger so I won't be opening anything for quite a while. I did find that Tamiya makes a bottle opener, but it looks like it only fits their bottles. I've never really had trouble with their bottle because they were bigger, hence easier to grip, hence easier to apply torque. I'm mostly working with Testors Model Masters and those lids really suck.