Unlucky lunch

[eastender]

This picture:

is of my son's lunch jar. He had little lunch today because no one at his school could unscrew the top. We've tried and cannot do it - if I had a large enough vice probably but we can't grip the body and get a purchase on the top. I've tried a rubber jar opener.

Looking at another one (we brought them back from the US) the lid has a large plastic washer/seal which may have got jammed. My wife put the lid on this morning but she is not especially strong.

Any ideas how to get the top off and the lunch out?

E.

[Graham.]

Get the lad one of these

The smell of apple and leather. Ah yes.

[eastender]

My mother gave me one of those for my first day at secondary school. On the way home I got knocked off my bike and beaten up. The next day I took a small rucksack.

E.

[Alan Braggins]

Someone's got to say it - angle grinder.

More seriously, was the lunch warm when it was put in and created a partial vacuum when it cooled? In which case put it in hot water for a while? (Might even help if that wasn't the original problem.)

[eastender]

Yes it is for hot food. Good plan - I'll try that. I can't believe the top is cross-threaded as it's on square.

E.

[Frank Erskine]

Not a left-hand thread, is it?

[ss]

A strong downward pressure while trying to unscrew.

[Brian Gaff]

Heat or cool one part of it?

Brian

[Roger Mills]

Grip the lid with one of these:

or maybe use *two* - one on the body and one on the lid.

[Phil L]

I'd have advised a short cut

[eastender]

Update for those still with the will to live - put it in the diswasher and then wrapped elastic bands round lid and body and got the lid off.

The washer/seal in this one is wider and without a tab - see pic - and so jams the top. I'll email the store in Florida and test their customer service?

E.

[Gazz]

Dunno if it's just the photo, but the thicker washer looks to have a slightly jagged centre, where the thinner one looks nice and smooth,

So suggesting the quality may be different, could it be possible the upper one is a knock off of the origional, and hence the dimensions are out just enough to jam it.