Empty Paint Cans?

I use canning jars. They’re cheap, they seal up well, and you can see what’s in them. Sometimes you can find boxes of them at yard sales for next to nothing.

-- http://www.north40custom.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --

Charlie: The Lowes by me has empty cans that you can buy in the paint dept. I don’t remember the price. But, I’ve seen them there. They were with the small buckets that you use when you are brushing paint.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Charlie.. I use glass jars and keep them in the dark and it last for a long time I have some water base varnish in a glass jar for 5 years now and it is still like out of the can.

-- --<<<<<< I will not stop until I get it right. >>>>>>--

I use glass pint or half pint canning jars (mason jars). Don’t forget to buy the metal lid rings with the rubber to seal it up. Just don’t drop’em :-)

I like the glass because I can see the stain.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

Another thing always put your used paint and varnish upside down if you have a leak it will seal itself and you dont get that skin on the top .

-- --<<<<<< I will not stop until I get it right. >>>>>>--

I’ve seen them at big box stores, but I usually get them at my local hardware store for around a buck or so. $2 or so for a gallon can.

-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric

Good tips, Guys. Thanks.

I was thinking clear containers were not the best solution because of the issue with light breaking down the finish, but I suppose keeping them in a dark place when not in use is easy enough.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

One thing about glass jars. If you get finish in the threads the lids seize up. If you get brute with it, you get an exploding varnish bomb with glass shrapnel. Stained the entire left side of a pair of overalls and supporting garmenture with BLO doing this. Here if you buy 36 quart cans they are $2.39 apiece plus shipping.
Like Karson I just buy ‘em at Lowe’s as I need ‘em.

I also get freebies at the Paint store I frequent.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Baby food jars – holds small quantities, latex lined lids.

-- Randy, Tupelo, MS ~ May I become more like the Master Carpenter every day.

Thanks for the first-hand, Doug. LOL!

I’ll look at Lowe’s…. I just never noticed them there before.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

http://www.bestcontainers.com/paint-cans.html

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

Menard’s too.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

I use a lot of quart, pint, and half pint cans and I get them from http://stores.spartanpackagingsolutions.com/-strse-Metal-Cans/Categories.bok

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

The secret as I understand it is like many medicines these things are affected by UVA light so like there are some medicines that need to be kept in dark glass jars. That is if you decide to use glass at all.Otherwise Keep in a dark room as suggested or just use dark glass this should help.NO guarantees with my advice as there are so many new chemical paints ,,stains, varnishes, etc ,etc ,etc ,out there.Have fun good luck Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

When I screw on a cover on a glass jar, I screw it down over a plastic bag.

It gives a good seal, plus the threads stay clean, for easy removal.

You can trim off the excess plastic.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Charlie, Have you tried Sherwin Williams or any of the paint stores. We get ours from Sherwin Williams.

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

You guys have given me a world of options. Thanks!

Tim, those metal cans with the screw-on lids look like a winner.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Actually, Charlie, I sent you the wrong page. I hadn’t seen these with the screw on lids. I use the regular paint cans. I think the price is about the same though.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

Good info Tim. Hey Doug I’ve been there with the exploding jar thing, now I wax the threads before storing finishes in them.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Yeah, come to my house and you can have all the empty paint cans you want, once you’ve put the paint on the wall. :-)

-- Terry Roswell, L.A. (Lower Alabama) "Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans."

I don’t use glass jars for everything, but I do prefer them for home brews because I like to see what’s in the jar. I can always store a glass jar in a dark place to keep the light out … but I can’t see through the sides or bottom of a metal can. As some of the other posters have already mentioned, there are several ways to keep the threads of a glass jar clean.

To answer your original question, I get my cans from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They aren’t always available, but I’ve run across them several times at more than one location. When they get them in, they usually have a bunch. If my memory is correct, the last time I picked some up the pint cans were $.50 a piece and quart cans were $1.00 a piece.

-- Lip's Dysfuncational Firewood Farm, South Bend, IN

...a tip: A screw lid on any jar will come right off if you place a piece of wax paper over the jar mouth before screwing on the lid.

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

Charlie-
I use EZ-Mix paint cups, they are available from any auto paint supplier. They have the measurements right on the side of the cup, they are strong plastic so they wont melt when solvents are poured in them, and they are reusable. They usually come in cases of 100, for around $30.00.
I went the mason jar route, but after having some drop on the floor (makes a heck of a mess) and fighting with stuck lids (yes I tried the wax paper over the top, but the solvents seem to disolve the wax paper), I settled on the EZ-Mix.
Also, they are very nice to store, they stack nicely on the shelf.

Dave

-- MISSION FURNITURE-My mission is to build furniture

I certainly learned good stuff on this thread Charlie. I was also pleased to see I wasn’t the only one with the glass jar malady. I do have to report that the wear life of the BLO treated untertrousen was increased by approx. 30%.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

LOL, Douglas.

I wasn’t going to bring it up, but I was wondering if an immediate cleanup with that nail polish remover you are so fond of woiuld have been useful. :-)

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"