Separating Buckets
Mark SimpsonIf you’ve spent any time working in a classic car garage, you know how handy 5-gallon plastic buckets are. They serve a dozen purposes — storing hardware, soaking parts, carrying cleaning supplies, or catching fluids. But as useful as they are, few things are more frustrating than when those buckets get stuck tightly together. No matter how hard you pull or twist, they just won’t separate.
In this video, Mark Simpson demonstrates a simple, effective trick using compressed air to break them free instantly. By directing a quick burst of air from a blow gun between the bucket walls, you create just enough pressure to pop them apart — no prying, no wrestling, no damage. The same technique works great on larger containers too, like 30-gallon plastic trash cans that can be even tougher to separate by hand.
Watch how a little air pressure and the right angle can save time, frustration, and a few choice words in the shop.
We all love the 5 gallon bucket, you know, it's a useful tool in the shop whether you're gonna use it to store all those extra nuts and bolts or whether you're gonna use it to wash your car or use it for waste oil, hundreds of different uses. The biggest problem is these things get stuck together and they can be a real problem to get apart. Now there's a little quick tip that'll work for you even on those big 30 gallon plastic garbage cans too, just grab a high volume air gun, place it at the seam. The air pressure will separate your cans for you.
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