'Pro',
Got the 'plastic wrap' trick from my wife, the chemist. When she worked in
the lab they used something called PlySeal {?? not sure of the name}. It was
a soft, pliable plastic they would wrap around a stopper, or lid, to get an
air-tight seal. She used to 'liberate' the stuff for me.

Since then I've used a lot of different plastic materials. For short time
storage, a plastic bag {from HD, Lowes, the supermarket} will do. For
anything 'long term' it's worth the trouble to get something a bit more
substantial. If you can't get the industrial 'Visqueen', a roll of the stuff
sold for sealing exterior windows, air conditioners, etc. is a good
substitute.

Another trick I typically use in conjunction is . . . storing the partially
filled cans upside down. That way if any 'skin' does form, it will be on the
bottom of the contents and the usable portion can be easily decanted.

For containers I've used everything from babyfood jars, to gallon paint
cans. The handiest, for me, tend to be the instant coffee, spaghetti sauce,
and mayonnaise sized jars - with SCREW-ON lids.

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 19:59:45 -0500, "bent" wrote:


I have (gallons/liters/other) cans of various things that get to be less
than half full and then even when sealed they end up drying out.
SNIP

Here's the obvious suggestion, though I've been guilty of not doing it
myself. When you get doing painting, staining, etc., take a damp rag
and wipe all the excess drips and splashes off the rim. If you do
that, you'll get something very close to a factory seal on a can, and
it should last almost indefinately.

If there is already a little junk on the inside channel of the rim,
scrape out as much as you can without dropping any dry chunks of
whatever into your paint, and then lay a piece of plastic wrap over
the top of the can before putting the top on.

SNIP