Question about shellac solvent

Most of the directions I have seen for shellac flakes call to dissolve them in denatured alcohol. Is there a problem with using methyl hydrate. It is certainly cheaper and easier to find around here. I've tried it on some small stuff and don't see any difference immediately.

Rick

Reply to
RKG
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Hi Rick - don't know the real answer to your question because being the chemistry genius that I am, I have no idea what methyl hydrate is. Though... you really shouldn't have any trouble finding denatured alcohol just about anywhere. Ace Hardware carries it, as do just about all of the chain hardware and home centers. It's really not that expensive to buy a gallon of the stuff and keep it around. You might want to also try automotive refinishing supply houses. Those guys often sell chemicals like that a lot cheaper than the home centers.

Reply to
Mike Marlow

Around here (Southern Ontario) all the places I have checked carry methyl hydrate (basically methyl alcohol) instead of denatured alcohol (ethyl alcohol with a poison added so you can't drink it). I'ts labelled as a shellac thinner.

Rick

Reply to
RKG

You're not the only person to have reported difficulty in finding denatured ethanol in Canada. Google-search this group on "denatured alcohol Canada" for more information -- it's been discussed here more than once.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com You must use your REAL email address to get a response.

Reply to
Doug Miller

Mon, Dec 13, 2004, 10:42am snipped-for-privacy@gibs-web.ca (RKG) wants to know: Most of the directions I have seen for shellac flakes call to dissolve them in denatured alcohol. Is there a problem with using methyl hydrate. It is certainly cheaper and easier to find around here. I've tried it on some small stuff and don't see any difference immediately.

Comparing, I think I'd prefer to go with denatured alcohol.

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If, and when, I switch to using shellac tho, I'm going to do some experimenting using ever-clear, instead.

JOAT We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.

- unknown

Reply to
J T

Reply to
nospambob

I too am in Souther Ontario and don't know what to use. When your certain either way, please speak up and let us know what you think. I can't find denatured alcohol anywhere. But I seem to recall that LV sells something called shellac thinner?

John

RKG wrote:

Reply to
Eddie Munster

Reply to
Robert Galloway

I'm trying both right now, as far as dissolving the flakes I see no difference and both dry equally fast. The methyl hydrate appears to be a little more toxic but compared to some of the other finishes we use it's not bad. The LV website lists their shellac thinner as a mixture of ethenol methenol - basically denatured alcohol. A 32 oz can

-slightly less than 1 L is 10.95 a 4 L jug of methyl hydrate at my local home hardware is 7. less then 1/4 the price.

Rick

Reply to
RKG

Shellac thinner will be some sort of alcohol or mixture of alcohols. I should think that you can ask LV what's in theirs and they'd tell you.

Ethanol is the least toxic of the alcohols.

Methylated Spirits, methyl alcohol, methanol, and wood alcohol, are all the same thing.

They will all disolve shellac, so will propyl and isopropyl alcohol but that usually has too much water in it to be a good shellac thinner.

Reply to
fredfighter

Look for a good pharmacy and ask for "rubbing alcohol compound".

Here in Saskatoon, Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs sell it in teeny little 100 ml bottles at outrageous prices (about $4). I get 500 ml bottles at a local independent pharmacy for about $5.

"United Pharmacists" brand, 95% Ethanol Anhydrous. DIN 00167630.

djb

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

The LV stuff is denatured ethyl. I buy it when I can combine the shipping costs with other stuff, but by itself it's too expensive.

As I posted earlier:

Rubbing Alcohol Compound, United Pharmacists brand, packaged by RW Packaging (in Manitoba... No address but postal code is R2R 1V7). 95% ethyl.

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

No problem with using methanol. Depending on your needs you might find it a better solvent than ethanol due to it's lower boiling point (evaporates faster). I'm not 100 % sure, but the solubility of the shellac flakes in methanol might be better than in ethanol.

Reply to
stoutman

In my small basement shop I prefer the smell of ethanol over methanol...

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

Not to mention, if the shop's small enough, you can learn the true meaning of "blind drunk."

Reply to
George

Hi Doug, If you know of anyone who might be interested in distributing denatured ethanol in the GTA or other parts of southern Ontario have them email me at woodpdg at sympaticodotca. JG

Doug Miller wrote:

Reply to
JGS

Might want to first find out why denatured isn't sold regularly. Here the denaturing is to avoid excise tax on booze. Might come up against your "revenuers" if you tried. Given the deadl(ier) nature of methanol, I have to believe that there's some legal reason why it's what's available rather than ethanol.

ethanol in the GTA or other

Reply to
George

It's a little amusing the responses contained in this thread regarding the toxicity of methanol.

I am willing to bet that if the op was about using mineral spirits or lacquer thinner, toxicity would nerver be mentioned.

Just dont drink your solvents or bath in them and you will be ok. :)

Reply to
stoutman

Relative toxicity, and there are a lot of other things he's _not_ using, I'm sure, which of course is not worthy of comment.

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Check that bit about the odor threshold, and the ability to get a lethal dose from mucosa and through the skin.

This is some truly bad sh*t, which does the same job as its less toxic cousin(s), one of which is even available in "food grade."

Reply to
George

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