# Squirt bottle question



## lawry76 (Jul 3, 2005)

Happy 4th!

Do any of you have a source for squirt bottles, with lids/tops, in which I could keep liquids, such as DNA, BLO, etc.  I see them at Woodcraft but am sure you have discovered another (cheaper?) source.
Thanks in advance.


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## vick (Jul 3, 2005)

DNA in a plastic bottle sounds like a bad idea to me.  DNA is a solvent that I would expect to start breaking down the plastic.


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## Fred in NC (Jul 3, 2005)

Beauty supply stores SOMETIMES have cheap bottles.  I bought some at the WalMart crafts dept.


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## wdcav1952 (Jul 3, 2005)

Buy some CA from Daniel's group buy.  He also sells 2 ounce bottles that are great for any use.  I keep my DNA in one of those hand soap dispenser bottles.  I have used the same one for 6 months and don't notice any change of properties.  However many bottles you think you need at the group buy, double the number.  They are inexpensive and always handy.


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## JimGo (Jul 3, 2005)

I got a bunch of bottles from Target in their travel section.  I got the ones with the "sport" type lids on them, so I can open and close them easily with one hand.  I keep a supply of DNA, H2O, Acetone, and BLO handy in those; MUCH easier than having to constantly open and close the bigger containers that those chemicals usually come in.


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## dwstevens (Jul 3, 2005)

My wife answered this question for me some months ago. She uses Nice & Easy Hair Color and always saves the bottles for me. They hold about 4 ounces and have held up under all the finishing liquids that I use in the shop.


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## DCBluesman (Jul 3, 2005)

Here's a link to a large variety of specialty plastic bottles with all manner of closures and caps.  FYI, I store homemade shellac (shellac flakes, BLO and DNA) in plastic without problem.  http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=20869&Page=1


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## Czarcastic (Jul 3, 2005)

I got a bunch pretty cheap at a beauty supply store.  several different sizes with caps, and graduated markings on the sides, plus one with a pump sprayer for CA Accelerant.


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## scooter413 (Jul 4, 2005)

I use contact solution bottles for my BLO, and other types of finishes.  The lid is attached so I don't loose it.


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## jwoodwright (Jul 4, 2005)

I figured DNA comes in a plastic bottle, so I used the small travel containers you get at Longs Drugs, Rite Aid, et all.


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## ctEaglesc (Jul 4, 2005)

Wally World has small squirt bottles 4/$2.00 or less.travel size.
I keep my Mylands finishes in them,BLO and alcohol. Haven't tried aceatone.For acetone I keep the small can I originally bought (32 oz) and refill from a gallon can.


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## lawry76 (Jul 4, 2005)

Thank you.  What a marvelous selection of ideas.  My goal in life, or at least a short-term goal, is to one day have an answer to someone's question.  You all have been a wealth of ideas for me.


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## Rifleman1776 (Jul 4, 2005)

The beauty supply idea is a good one. I have had trouble fining bottles that have caps on the squirter. And, as suggested, keeping alcohol or other solvents in plastic bottles can be problematic. Not all plastics are created the same. I have been keeping Anchorseal in an empty plastic Folger coffee can and just found out the plastic is softening, will have to put in metal. For containers that won't react to solvents, look up 'nalgene' in a search. That plastic is inert and impervious to just about everything. Expensive but one bottle should last a lifetime.


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## scalawagtoo (Jul 4, 2005)

Have you thought of going to your local diner or restaurant and trying to buy some catsup squeeze bottles.


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## Rifleman1776 (Jul 4, 2005)

> _Originally posted by scalawagtoo_
> <br />Have you thought of going to your local diner or restaurant and trying to buy some catsup squeeze bottles.



Those don't have caps to close them up with. I went to a wholesale supplier to buy some and found out that way, sans caps.


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## scalawagtoo (Jul 4, 2005)

my bicycle mechanic keeps the little bands to close cable ends in a ketchup squeeze bottle, tips them out one at a time.


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## scalawagtoo (Jul 4, 2005)

Since people are turning honeydrippers, might I suggest the little squeeze bottles that honey comes in. 

i have a 12 oz. bottle in my hand. A litle bear, a screw on cover with a nice cap on top.

Pure Grade A Honey
Bywater Farm
Amery, WI
715-268-2389

They will probably ship you all the honey bottles you want but you'll have use up the honey first.

Did I break a rule by putting in a plug for local honey?


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## scalawagtoo (Jul 4, 2005)

Honey comes in a little bottle with a snap cap on top.
Have your honey buy some honey, "bee" sweet and have a bottle.


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## Leather Man (Jul 4, 2005)

Robert,
I picked up some bottels from a veterinarian. They have 2oz bottles that they put medicine in for animals. The 2oz bottles work better for me than the 4oz bottles I was going to get. Hope this helps some.
Ben


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## Fred in NC (Jul 4, 2005)

From my experience, the best plastic is regular polyethylene. It is kind of frosted like a milk jug. The crystal clear plastic can be polypropylene or other kinds, and might not take some solvents.  The best caps are the ones made from the same material, they usually have a little snap on cap.

The only ones I can get around here are from WalMart, and are about $1.80 for 2, 6 oz size.  I would really like to get some smaller ones too.


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## MDWine (Jul 5, 2005)

I keep my DN-Alchol in a plastic spray bottle from Home Depot.. one of the "good" bottles, abut 3.00!

The BLO is in one of those small "Daniel-CA-Bottles", and the acetone is in the original container, I don't use it very often at all. (yet!)

That spray bottle is great, and so are those little "Daniel-CA-Bottles".  You can use a bunch of those!


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## mrcook4570 (Jul 5, 2005)

Another possibility is your local high school's chemistry deptartment.  Small plastic bottles and glass bottles with droppers are usually plentiful.  You could even offer a trade and perhaps open up a door for selling your pens.


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## fritzmccorkle (Jul 14, 2005)

we have nice 2 oz bottles here at woodturningz.  they are $2.00 for two of them.


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## Rifleman1776 (Jul 14, 2005)

> _Originally posted by fritzmccorkle_
> <br />we have nice 2 oz bottles here at woodturningz.  they are $2.00 for two of them.



Can't beat that price. Do they have caps? And do they hold up with solvents and other nasties in them?


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## fritzmccorkle (Jul 14, 2005)

they have the caps with the little flip tops that dispense a drop at a time.  havn't tried them with solvents, but they do hold the mylands.  i've seen the mylands just take some bottles and turn them to jelly (it was some bottle ryan had bought at walmart in the health and beauty section).


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## arioux (Jul 19, 2005)

> we have nice 2 oz bottles here at woodturningz. they are $2.00 for two of them



Just to let you kno that those bottle are in your weekly special at 2 for $1.50 []

Alfred


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## fritzmccorkle (Jul 21, 2005)

true, the sale came out while i was off.  that price ends next tuesday.
fritz


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## ctEaglesc (Jul 21, 2005)

> _Originally posted by fritzmccorkle_
> <br />they have the caps with the little flip tops that dispense a drop at a time.  havn't tried them with solvents, but they do hold the mylands.  i've seen the mylands just take some bottles and turn them to jelly (it was some bottle ryan had bought at walmart in the health and beauty section).


I have my Mylands in bottles bought at Wally world and haven't had any problems.
The Mylands has been in them and refilled since last December.
The bottles were 4/$1.87 a blue flip cap frosted plastic.
Possibly from different supliers?
I also experimented with acetone in a soda bottle and the bottle diffent dissolve.
(that was just a test to see if I could use the plastic in my stabilizing solution.)


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## Dario (Jul 21, 2005)

Anyone tried using Tide liquid detergent (travel size) bottles?  It has a sport type push/pull lid that holds 5 fl. oz. I have been storing my Mylands in there for more than a year and it is still good!  Had to clean it once since Mylands started building on the tip.

Got mine at my local Big Lots store for $0.49 each...and I had some soap to use too!!! [][]


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## Fred in NC (Jul 21, 2005)

Most of the small bottles in the market are made from polyethylene. They are usually white frosty plastic, although some come in colors.  Polyethylene is impervious to most chemicals. (There are other plastics, but they are more expensive and not as commonly used in commercial packaging)

The problem is the cap.  Some of the caps that come with poly bottles are made of a different plastic.  That is especially true of fip-tops, pull-outs, and similar.  If the plastic is rigid, it probably is not poly.  It could then be affected by some of our solvents.

If in doubt, test and be sure !!!


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## jbyrd24 (Jul 22, 2005)

Hi Robert
Just bought 3 eight ounce bottles at Rockler. $1.99 each.
Fairly heavy duty.[]


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## RussFairfield (Jul 22, 2005)

The 4-oz plastic bottles from the beauty supply store or Wally World  work fine for all finishes. Don't worry about the finish harming the plastic. The stuff we put on wood ain't nuthin' compared to what women use on their hair.

Need a secure cap?? Go to the electrical section of Home Depot and get a little bag of wire-nuts. The yellow ones should be the right size. They are a better seal than the originals.


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## Rifleman1776 (Jul 23, 2005)

Our local Wal-Mart is having a special on capped plastic bottles, three for 75 cents and in different colors. I bought some, they look handy.


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## ctEaglesc (Jul 23, 2005)

IF you don't refill your CA glue bottles,soak with acetone and after a few days fill them with what you want.


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## GregD (Jul 24, 2005)

Where are you guys finding these squirt bottles at Wal Mart??? I've been all over our local Wal Mart looking for them. I can't find them.


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## Fred in NC (Jul 24, 2005)

Greg, I found them in the crafts section.  I vaguely remember they were close to cake decorating supplies. They were in bags of two, hanging from a rack.


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## GregD (Jul 24, 2005)

Thanks Fred. I'll have to look there next time I'm there.


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## RussFairfield (Jul 24, 2005)

The bottles should be in the section with all of the hair coloring and dyes.


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## Fred in NC (Jul 24, 2005)

EDITED:

The answer below refers to a question of where to find the plastic bottles in WALMART. I have only found them in the crafts section.
------------------------------------------------------------------

(Referring to WalMart) Not anymore, Russ.  This is the disposable age, and most people are too lazy to even measure stuff.  Each box of hair color has its own bottles with premeasured chemicals. I guess the bottles are thrown away after use. 

I have only found the empty hair color bottles at beauty supply stores.  They were bigger, marked for volume outside, and more expensive.


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## Rifleman1776 (Jul 24, 2005)

> _Originally posted by GregD_
> <br />Where are you guys finding these squirt bottles at Wal Mart??? I've been all over our local Wal Mart looking for them. I can't find them.




The ones I found this week were in a special center-asile display near the photo department. Not a logical spot but it was a special promo deal. Of course, that was the store in my town, can't guranatee all will do the same.


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## GregD (Jul 24, 2005)

> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />The bottles should be in the section with all of the hair coloring and dyes.



Well I definately wouldn't think to look there. I mean I only dye my hair once every hundred years.

At least I've got an idea where to look now.


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## RussFairfield (Jul 24, 2005)

I can't believe that we have filled three (3) pages and still can't find a plastic squirt bottle.

I'll let everyone in on a little secret. Any bottle that won't melt when filled with acetone will work.


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## Fred in NC (Jul 24, 2005)

Greg, since it looks like you are heading to Wally's store, if you happen to find the bottles in WalMart, please let us know in what department and section. 

I assume you will be looking for the all-poly bottles with a little removable cap on top.  And Russ is very right, the little caps they simply disappear.  The electrical wire nut is easier to handle, and easier to FIND !!!


Thank you.


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## RussFairfield (Jul 24, 2005)

Since nobody can find the squirt bottles, here's a way to get them for free. 

There are 2 bottles in a box of hair coloring. Buy two boxes, take them home, remove the bottles,  take them back to WalMart, complain that the bottles are missing, and get your money back. Four (4) free bottles. [][][}]


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## Fred in NC (Jul 24, 2005)

Find somebody who colors her hair, and ask her for the empties... [8D]


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## Ken Massingale (Jul 25, 2005)

I picked up some from the hair coloring section at Walmart a few months ago. The ones with friction polish and Behlens finish twisted into pretzels the first night. Didn't leak, but sure did look strange.
ken


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## GregD (Jul 25, 2005)

Yeah! I made the trip to Wal Mart this morning. I found a 2 pack of squirt bottles in the cake decorating isle and some snap cap bottles in the hair color isle. I'm not sure about the bottles from the cake decorating isles though. They are awfuly thin but I'll give them a try.


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## Fred in NC (Jul 25, 2005)

Greg, the ones in the cake decorating department are the ones I mentioned earlier.  They are thin but made from the rigth material, and work fine for me.


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## GregD (Jul 25, 2005)

I guess I'll pick some up one day when I'm out there again.


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## lawry76 (Jul 25, 2005)

I'm the one who started this thread and I wanted you to know where I ended up.  DCBluesman pointed me to U.S. Plastics.  I bought half a dozen bottles of various sizes.  Also a couple of spray bottles.  I received them in about 4 days.  Love them, especially because the caps fit and don't crack/split.  I also received a personal phone call wanting to know if all is well, and an e-mail with a 10% off on my next order.  I also received a thick catagloue just filled with different bottles, etc.  This will be my source for bottles.  But thank you for all the marvelous ideas and tips.


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## Fred in NC (Jul 25, 2005)

Robert, I am glad you got your bottles and are happy with them. Thank you for posting about your experience.  How expensive was the shipping?

Next time I will try US Plastics. They carry a few other items that I can use.


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## lawry76 (Jul 27, 2005)

Hi Fred,

I bought about $19.00 worth of odds and ends and the shipping was $6.40.  Kind of pricey but I'm set for life.  Har Har.


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## Fred in NC (Jul 27, 2005)

Robert, that is not too bad, actually.  At the current price of gas it is probably a good deal.  I have been ordering more stuff to be shipped to me rather than driving 50 miles to get it.


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## DCBluesman (Jul 27, 2005)

When I have ordered from USP I have combined orders with a few friends.  When you split the shipping it ends up being a bargain...particularly since you can get just about anything imaginable from these folks.


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## Ken Massingale (Jul 28, 2005)

Here's a link to good info on what different 'plastics' can handle. Interesting stuff.
ken
Physical Properties & Chemical Resistance of Plastics
http://www.bibby-sterilin.co.uk/internet/download.nsf/7abdce199749fe9880256b1f0050d088/460009338fcede8280256ce100569d39/$FILE/_7a1k7isr9cdgmo82ge9nn0pbiehkmasp04og46q35dlkm6obc4196asr9edq62rj3ckg6uph0a1m62srkd5hn6_.pdf


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## GregD (Jul 28, 2005)

That must be a good site. The URL is long enough.


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## Ken Massingale (Jul 28, 2005)

> _Originally posted by GregD_
> <br />That must be a good site. The URL is long enough.


[][]
Almost as long as the reg code for a shareware program I bought this week:
iDFb7&zEVoUvUNHwTO5vPfzH1Y029JhIAUBYNCFCSMrI9a6csg1zQ_OfNHAzroA4r_3t0aJ4oXTmifs8vG0xeixylr6DsFCB2gBZ7ZZj3jRnlPNEvfn26vI7ckzgApcgqJquXQDq7g74sLsBMu8C2lfNthzbixlWpQs4uwEzegp

Thank goodness for Copy/Paste!


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