I went up to B&Q yesterday to buy some Nitromors to find that all the paint strippers are now "free" of methylene chloride - as if this was an advantage. The resulting milky alternative (I won't say exactly what it looks like) is no use at all.
Can one still buy full strength Nitromors - the kind you can wash off with white spirit so you don't raise the grain of wood?
Geoff
I doubt it. All part of the EU policy of banning anything that works.
Production of the original formulation ended in December 2010, so it is unlikely you will find anyone with any stock left.
Colin Bignell
Its not hard to make chloroform, so I wouldnt be surprised if its not hard to make methylene chloride, or other related solvents. Just bear in mind theyre explosive, narcotic, volatile and toxic.
NT
What should it be mixed with to give a good paint stripper ?
Starch.
Sure that's not some kind of terrorist weapon?
As the ban is only on its use in paint strippers, you can probably just buy it from a chemical supplier.
New formula Nitromors?
Colin Bignell
You can still buy the sort you wash off with white spirit, it comes in a yellow can, BUT not the full strength stuff, for reasons others have said.
I had a similar problem, stripping paint from a metal gate. Ended up mixing up a strong batch of caustic soda, thickening it up with wallpaper paste, slapping it on and leaving it overnight.
Did the trick nicely, had to use a stiff scrubbing brush to agitate the paint a couple of times as it was softening, but it all scraped off nicely next morning.
Not sure how well this mixture would work on wood however.
Hah - what isn't? "You are charged with being in possession of a device likely to be of use to a potential terrorist, to wit, one head/hand/arse."
It's how the old pine doors were stripped by salvage yards, is it not? Some drawbacks to it, iirc, like glued joints falling apart later and the grain never being right, because they got left in too long and /or not rinsed off properly.
I imagine polishing contractors are still able to purchase it in some form. Their job would be hell otherwise
I bought two tins of methylene chloride paint stripper from Wickes just before it was banned. Unfortunately, the tins were poor quality and are slowly corroding. I also have half a tin bought from Wickes several years earlier, and that tin is fine. I need to find something to decant the newer ones into.
The euro legislation refers to 9 industrial deaths, 8 professional deaths and 1 consumer death - yet it's banned as a paint stripper for all consumers and professionals working outside industry, and industry is still allowed to use it ... I suppose there's no point asking where the logic in that is?
or eBay
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required