Thursday, November 04, 2010

Pouring From A One-Gallon Metal Can

Okay, this might seem like a no-brainer: Remove cap and tip liquid out. Wipe up excess from table.

But there is a better way to pour that is non-intuitive but takes the spill out of the equation, even with gallon cans filled to the top, like my Webber's Turpenoid Natural, here, or the new Gamsol cans (each of which has a new, easy-open, pull-out plastic seal).

My dad taught me this as a kid filling the lawnmower. To get the cleanest pour, get the pour-hole diagonally as far from the target as possible, or "pour across the can" as he put it.

What this does is keep as much of the liquid away from the edge of the pour hole until you are just past the tipping point, allowing the top of the can to tip down and under, out of the way, with the added benefit that the level of the liquid will not as-otherwise-likely reach the top of the pour spout, sealing it off, causing the "glugging" that makes a huge mess.

Try it! It just pours straight down, no glugging.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks! Great idea, I now know that I've been pouring wrong all my life.
Steve Moppert

Diana Moses Botkin said...

Thank you for this, David. It never occured to me to try pouring this way.

alex schaefer said...

Awesome! never figured out the trick 'til now! I used to siphon off the top of the gallon can until it was low enough to pour without glugging. Gonna try this next time!

Dean H. said...

I just tried it...It works great! Thanks, David!

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

great advice! I will start using this method for sure :)

Unknown said...

This is just what I was looking for. It worked. Not 100% but I spilled only a small amount instead of a huge amount.

I also found a video which demonstrates the technique:

TIP: Pour Chemicals Without Spilling a Drop