I'm a klutz and so are my kids.
July 30, 2011 11:42 AM Subscribe
Is there a clear coating I can put on a glass jar to keep it from shattering if it gets dropped?
I want to make my kids some bug jars using cheese cloth and mason jars but I'm worried about my three year old carrying around something that he could easily drop and get cut on.
We do Civil War era reenactments and volunteer at lots of community events. These bug jars would be for then, so plastic is not appropriate.
I would love to coat the jars in something clear (so it won't show) that would keep the pieces together if (when) they break. Something like the plastic coating on safety glass is what I'm picturing in my head.
It would also be nice to be able to use mason jars as water bottles, so something food safe would be nice but not necessary.
I want to make my kids some bug jars using cheese cloth and mason jars but I'm worried about my three year old carrying around something that he could easily drop and get cut on.
We do Civil War era reenactments and volunteer at lots of community events. These bug jars would be for then, so plastic is not appropriate.
I would love to coat the jars in something clear (so it won't show) that would keep the pieces together if (when) they break. Something like the plastic coating on safety glass is what I'm picturing in my head.
It would also be nice to be able to use mason jars as water bottles, so something food safe would be nice but not necessary.
Polycarbonate mason jars will be shatterproof. You may need to order a case but they have lids, you can use them for canning or for making holiday gifts or the ones with the handles make great beer mugs!
posted by DarlingBri at 11:51 AM on July 30, 2011
posted by DarlingBri at 11:51 AM on July 30, 2011
Response by poster: DarlingBri: Those mug ones are fun but do you have a link for regular looking ones?
posted by TooFewShoes at 11:54 AM on July 30, 2011
posted by TooFewShoes at 11:54 AM on July 30, 2011
No. There appear to be no polycaronate traditional Mason jars; this material appears to be used almost exclusively for blender bodies and in laboratories. There are these or these but the handled ones are the most authentic for your purposes that I could find.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:34 PM on July 30, 2011
posted by DarlingBri at 12:34 PM on July 30, 2011
How about creating a wire handle? Good for hanging from the top of the tent and good for carrying. I haven't heard of anything like what you are asking for that wouldn't look modern.
posted by amanda at 1:23 PM on July 30, 2011
posted by amanda at 1:23 PM on July 30, 2011
Best answer: There's a consumer polymer coating called Plasti-Dip that comes in clear: it's available as a spray or a liquid dip. It's the only consumer accessible, one-part plastic coating product that comes to my mind. I suspect it would be pretty evident and non-civil-war-era wrong-looking, but it's cheap enough that it could be worth fooling around with.
You could probably saw the handles off those "mason jar" mugs with something like a coping saw and smooth them out with a little coarse sandpaper and they might be close enough for your purposes. It's going to be hard to beat plastic for this purpose from the perspective of being shatter resistant and light weight, though I understand your issues with it.
posted by nanojath at 1:25 PM on July 30, 2011
You could probably saw the handles off those "mason jar" mugs with something like a coping saw and smooth them out with a little coarse sandpaper and they might be close enough for your purposes. It's going to be hard to beat plastic for this purpose from the perspective of being shatter resistant and light weight, though I understand your issues with it.
posted by nanojath at 1:25 PM on July 30, 2011
Response by poster: Nanojath: That Plasti-Dip stuff looks like what I need. I'll send Mr. Shoes to the hardware store and see if they have any. I might have to experiment a little but it just might work.
posted by TooFewShoes at 1:31 PM on July 30, 2011
posted by TooFewShoes at 1:31 PM on July 30, 2011
If you go with Plasti-Dip maybe you can use the blue and clear to turn it into one of the old Ball Lightning jars with a zinc lid.
posted by Tchad at 3:12 PM on July 30, 2011
posted by Tchad at 3:12 PM on July 30, 2011
Side-note:
Use plasti dip in a WELL ventilated area. It's almost as bad for you as Bondo
posted by aloiv2 at 7:06 PM on July 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
Use plasti dip in a WELL ventilated area. It's almost as bad for you as Bondo
posted by aloiv2 at 7:06 PM on July 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
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posted by JMOZ at 11:46 AM on July 30, 2011