# Stoppers, getting out of



## cowseatmaize (Jan 2, 2006)

Ok, this has to have been asked before but...
 How the heck do you get ground glass stoppers out that are stuck. I have 2 in particular that are troubling. One has a label and conents so I don't want to soak it in anything. The other just has the contents but I'd still like to preseserve them. Both are salts, lavender I know for one of them.
 The one on the right bugs me 'cause it's facing the wrong way.
 WD-40Â® didn't work after 2 days.
 Any other ideas?


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## southern Maine diver (Jan 2, 2006)

Hey Eric...

 Did you try soaking (the one without the label) in the sink with hot water?  I tried this successfully with an amber US NAvy medicine that had the original contents in it. It was full of iodine... The glass stoper loosened up and came right out.  Maybe the hot water expands the mouth opening just enough to free up the stopper?

 I don't know what to suggest for the bottle with the lable on it.  You might just have to keep it that way and just enjoy it the way it is... sure does bug you though when you can't get the stopper out, doesn't it?[]

 Wayne


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## Ye Olde Prospector (Jan 2, 2006)

I think those lavender salt bottles often have stoppers stuck. I have dug several of them over the years and always seems to be either the stopper is nowhere to be found or practically welded in place. I had one I soaked in everything I could think of for days at a time with no luck. Think thats why owners threw them away. I finally resorted to a last attempt  by holding the bottle with tongs in a pan of warm water and gradually heating the water, hoping the air inside would expand enough to force the stopper out. No luck (pop) the bottle burst and still left the stopper in the neck. I broke the rest of the neck away with a hammer and at least salvaged the stopper. After that I just leave them as is. I have broken too many glass stoppers over the years to try forcing them out. Good luck and it would be nice if some one can find a solution to this problem.

 Cliff


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## tazmainiendigger (Jan 2, 2006)

I have freed a couple after a soaking with wd-40 then tapping gently upward with a small hammer on a wooden dowel  back and forth from all sides, it's hit or miss though! No pun intended[sm=lol.gif] Taz


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 2, 2006)

Well, I got the one that was crooked out. I don't know if it was a coincidence or not. I soaked the whole bottle in a zipper bag of hot water and tapped up, down and sideways a few times. The stopper ended up on the floor which luckely was wood and not concrete. It smells like plain ammonia salt, not lavender. I'll try again on my labelled one and get back to you,


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## Caretaker maine (Jan 2, 2006)

I say leave it in, I have a couple of them stuck too, just turn the bottle so it looks good, be happy you got the stopper with the bottle[]


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## atticmint (Jan 2, 2006)

Best way of removing a stuck glass stopper (if heating the bottle does not work) is to tap it with another stopper of the same size and shape. Sounds wierd but this works %90 per cent of the time for me and I use this method 20 - 30 times a week successfully. Put the extra stopper against the stuck one and tap it with the plastic end of a screw driver.
    Kev


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 3, 2006)

Well, I tried it with the labeled one, it worked. I did get the pop when tapping so I highly recomend doing it close to a wood floor. Also I didn't bring it to a boil. I just used the hot water fron the tap. Put the bottle in a good ziplock, suck the air out and submerse. It took less than 2 minutes. No wd40Â® or anything else on this one. That's two in a row, still coinsidence?


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