Stuck-Together Mud Buckets
Use the jet setting on your hose and point it at the crevice between the stuck buckets.
My mud buckets occasionally get stuck together — I mean really stuck. Once when cleaning up after some painting, I decided to spray the stuck-together mud buckets with some water to see what would happen. As shown, I put the hose attachment on the jet setting and pointed it at the crevice between the two buckets. In about 20 seconds, the buckets had separated. I’ve tried this repeatedly, and it always works.
— Charles Miller, Gualala, Calif.
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #264
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Thanks Chuck, I like this.
A variation on this idea is to use a pair of identical wood blocks that are cut to just a hair less than the gap between the 2 ribs adjoining both sides of the stuck joint; then one can insert a gradual series of coins (or wedge shims) alternating block-to-block, thusly walking the top bucket out of the bottom bucket. A painter's 5-in-1 tool works nicely for this too.
Another one that I've used is to use my heat gun to quickly heat up the outer bucket enough to expand it free from the inner.
Great tip! Thanks! I've destroyed buckets trying to get them apart.
A blast of compressed air can work quite well also.
In drought stricken CA I especially like your idea! Thanks.