Christy,

Those of us in objects conservation have long experience with this issue.

You can buy a product called Parafilm from any of the lab supply
companies (Lab Safety supply, Fisher Scientific, etc.). It is a
stretchy film, sort of like a saran wrap concept. You can cut off a
square and then wrap that around the threads of the jar (always clean
off the threads with a disposable paper towel dampened with acetone
first), then tighten the lid. Parafilm will keep a seal on the jar in
addition to being a gasket that will allow you to reopen it easily.

If the lid sticks then you can also soak the lid under hot water and
tap the edges of the top with the handle of a dinner knife or a small
hammer - this will often help break the lid free - and it is a much
safer approach then soaking everything in acetone.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California

On 5/28/07, Christy Jones <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
> Dear List Members,
>
>  I work with Acryloid (or paraloid, whichever you prefer) on a fairly
> regular basis, and opening those little jars has put me at my wits end. No
> matter how scrupously clean I try to keep the jar threads, or the different
> ways I try to get them open, I always have to struggle to unstick them,
> usually resorting to turning the jar upside down in a shallow pan of acetone
> or pouring acetone into the tiny space between the glass and the jar lid to
> dissolve the dried acryloid that is causing the problem. I hate having to do
> this, because I think its diluting my acryloid, especially the opaque
> version.
>
>  Does anyone have an easier way for me to solve this problem of opening
> these stuck jars?
>
>  Thank you for your help,
>
>  Christy
>
>  Christy Jones
>  Archivist
>  MS Armed Forces Museum
>  Camp Shelby, MS
>
>
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