Tin openers

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

I've bought fancy ones in the past but always end up buying the cheapo ones and throwing them away as none of them seem to last five minutes. The 'engineering' of these cheap ones is very simple (no, 'crude' is the word) and it seems to me I could make one at least as bad.

But how to make the toothed wheel and what material to use?

Paul

PS I've only just noticed that even these cheap ones are 'handed' – being a southpaw you get so used to the discomfort of all sorts of tools and utensils that you never think to question it.

Remember the 60's and 70's wall-mounted and motorised versions – ah, the future never looked so good!

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Why are they so poor?

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Electric ones are readily available everywhere. For example **LINK**

A boon for those with arthritic hands.

[Bob StevensonParticipant @bobstevenson13909]

When I was a boy my Gran had a very clever can opener that worked very well,…this was in the late 50's and she told me it was the first thing she had when she married in 1910, so it was 'knocking on' even then…..

My best, oldest, easiest, neatest, most efficient can opener is the one on my Swiss Army knife which has been in my pocket for 34 years and works well every time with no moving parts other than my hand……..

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I think that in the 70s tin cans were made with thicker steel so the seam was wider and can openers could get a better grip.

The only reliable ones I have seen in the last 20 years cut the lid off horizontally, but left a nasty sharp edge.

We have an electric can opener that is 100% reliable and I dread it failing!

Neil

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Bob,

Was that a can opener on the end with a cork screw folded into the handle? Worked perfectly but left jagged edges – no problem for people in those days.

The kenwood chef attachment worked well, but it was more trouble to keep fitting it to the machine! We have the cheapy one which my wife uses for the dog food wcans without ring pull, and I have to open other cans with the decent tool (because every time she puts it through a dish washer cycle, it needs a little lubrication!)

Brabantia, made Holland years ago, a little stiffer than the cheapies but works on all but the poorest of cans.

Almost everything was 'right-handed' a century ago. People were not allowed to be lefties! Perhaps it was the left and right hand drive automobiles that ushered in the steady change?

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

There's always this method I suppose, but I can't see it being very popular with the other half…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH2NahLjx-Y

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

When I was a digger the Australian Army gave me plenty of these **LINK** although my versions have a small spoon on the flat end.

I have one in all of my fishing/hunting kits for when the 'ring-pull' rips away from the can without removing the lid.

Another way to remove the lid of a tin of baked beans is to sit the can on the exhaust manifold of a Series 2a Landrover and drive about 50 km until the bang and the smell of baked beans reminds one that dinner is ready. Scrape it off the inside of the bonnet! This actually happened to me many years ago.

* Danny M *

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Posted by Danny M2Z on 26/02/2017 09:45:36:

When I was a digger the Australian Army gave me plenty of these **LINK** although my versions have a small spoon on the flat end.

I have one in all of my fishing/hunting kits for when the 'ring-pull' rips away from the can without removing the lid.

Another way to remove the lid of a tin of baked beans is to sit the can on the exhaust manifold of a Series 2a Landrover and drive about 50 km until the bang and the smell of baked beans reminds one that dinner is ready. Scrape it off the inside of the bonnet! This actually happened to me many years ago.

* Danny M *

LOL. I guess you could lick the underside then switch back to the top of the bonnet for your fried egg!

I'd forgotten all about those US Army can openers, even easier to make I'd guess.

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Handy links:

http://www.georgia-outfitters.com/images/p38plans.jpg

http://patentpending.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/p38_p51_can_opener_2.jpg

Edited By PaulR on 26/02/2017 10:29:58

Edited By PaulR on 26/02/2017 10:31:19

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Been using a cheap side cutting one from WL Housewares for many, many more years than I care to admit. Apparently this :- **LINK** is the reincarnated version. Excellent for southpaws as turnkey is on the top. Mum showed it to a left handed friend and had a job getting it back. Probably wouldn't have if we hadn't kept the receipt and sent her off to buy her own! Edge isn't blunt but not razor sharp like some.

Wasn't there one that was supposed to take the top off cleanly in a manner that let you push it back on as a lid?

Back to the OP query I guess that stripping the wheel and cutter out of the latest cheapie before you bin it would work.

Clive.

[Anonymous]

Posted by Clive Foster on 26/02/2017 10:43:45:

Apparently this :- **LINK** is the reincarnated version.

I use something similar, must be at least 20 years old and still going, although I don't open cans every day of the week.

Andrew

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Posted by Clive Foster on 26/02/2017 10:43:45:

Been using a cheap side cutting one from WL Housewares for many, many more years than I care to admit. Apparently this :- **LINK** is the reincarnated version.

We've had two like that in recent years – one cost a few quid and the other was about a tenner; both kicked the can (rather than opened it) in no time at all.

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

Three Men In A Boat by J K Jerome. Trying to open a tin of corned beef without a tin opener. Very funny indeed!

Dave

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Posted by daveb on 26/02/2017 11:25:51:

Three Men In A Boat by J K Jerome. Trying to open a tin of corned beef without a tin opener. Very funny indeed!

Dave

Almost as funny as the pre-trip packing and the fish at the inn – probably my most read book and no doubt will read it again.

EDIT Never read the follow up, must do that too one day.

EDIT Er, maybe I've read 'Red For Danger' as many times.

Edited By PaulR on 26/02/2017 11:50:01

Edited By PaulR on 26/02/2017 11:51:17

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

You can't beat one of these. Made with good steel, at least 20 years old and will probably outlast me unless the wooden handle fails.

Unfortunately, my grand daughter can't use a "stabby" tin opener and prefers a "windey" one. I've tried them in the past but they are generally so badly made that they only last a few weeks.

Alternatively, you can buy tins like this and you don't need an opener at all.

[vintagengineerParticipant @vintagengineer]

When I lived in Africa we had can openers for taking the top off of 45 gallon oil drums. Never seen them over here.

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Posted by Anthony Knights on 26/02/2017 15:32:53:

You can't beat one of these. Made with good steel, at least 20 years old and will probably outlast me unless the wooden handle fails.

My wife won't have one of those in the house since she sliced her thumb open on one 25 years ago! Must confess I always found that type difficult to use anyway.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by PaulR on 26/02/2017 20:02:54:

Posted by Anthony Knights on 26/02/2017 15:32:53:

You can't beat one of these. Made with good steel, at least 20 years old and will probably outlast me unless the wooden handle fails.

My wife won't have one of those in the house since she sliced her thumb open on one 25 years ago! Must confess I always found that type difficult to use anyway.

Worse are the ones like that but with a metal handle with a corkscrew in it, whoever invented those obviously never used it!

Neil

[Cyril BonnettParticipant @cyrilbonnett24790]

I still have attached to my key ring the army issued tin opener, same as Danny M2Z's, from the early 70's. In the house though we have worked our way through a multitude of different ones, from powered to the current hand turned one.

If you are really desperate then pop over to **LINK**

But mind your fingers.

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

Posted by PaulR on 26/02/2017 20:02:54:

Posted by Anthony Knights on 26/02/2017 15:32:53:

 

 

You can't beat one of these. Made with good steel, at least 20 years old and will probably outlast me unless the wooden handle fails.

My wife won't have one of those in the house since she sliced her thumb open on one 25 years ago! Must confess I always found that type difficult to use anyway.

Do you have any sharp knives in your kitchen or are they banned as well ?

Edited By Anthony Knights on 26/02/2017 22:58:55

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I remember about 50 years ago my boss telling us a story about one meal time during his apprenticeship. He usually made the evening meal, but he was late this particular evening, so his flat mate decided to do it, can't be too hard to heat a can of spaghetti, so put the tin in a pot, put pot on stove, go into the next room, sometime later "BOOM", it opened the can, it split the aluminium pot flat, Spaghetti in places you wouldn't think, like inside the three pin plugs among other things.

ps You should put some water in the pot if your going to use that method.

Ian S C

[Jon GibbsParticipant @jongibbs59756]

The Swiss Army, Victorinox or Wenger, pocket knife openers are my fall-back solution when others fail.

I slightly prefer the Wenger design because it's just a can opener but both are quick and effective. I find them almost as quick as the turn handle type.

Only downside is perhaps that the hygeine might not be 100% since you don't quite know what the pocket knife's been

Jon

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

If you have no clean pans then boil your tin of beans un-opened. Should be OK because the tins are sealed at boiling point ? A standard Scottish sweety is made by boiling a sealed tin of condensed milk for a long time. Note- do not blame me if it goes wrong.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Going back to the original question – I'm curious if anyone agrees with my suggestion that the reduced thickness of tinplate is the issue?

Neil

[Author]

Posts