Good article on shellac solvent https://www.finewoodworking.com/2022/03/21/where-to-buy-denatured-alcohol

Thanks!

It is amazing that cali thinks all the good finished pollute the air. Interesting read as a reminder. I use whatever HD or Lowes has and have had no problem

In the basement of a parking garage in Chinatown is a Chinese supermarket. On the shelves one can find clear 195 proof “cooking wine”. Completely drinkable, in a state that regulates alcohol fairly tightly. The 1/40th part water is frowned upon in violin varnish making circles but as a solvent it works in a pinch. 

Sunnyside is what I usually buy for solvent. Behlen makes the really nice Bekhol. I’ve a tin of that for diluting varnish. 

23 minutes ago, Dovetail said:

In the basement of a parking garage in Chinatown is a Chinese supermarket. On the shelves one can find clear 195 proof “cooking wine”. Completely drinkable, 

Many, many moons ago, when I was a young pup, off on my own attending technical college in Nashville, TN and working park time in a filling station, a co-worker, who had "connections" off in the mountains, brought in a quart canning jar filled with a crystal clear liquid.

 

"Take a sip", he said. Being a naive country kid from Indiana, I did. Well folks, that was the first and LAST time I ever drank Tennesse's finest, Mountain grown and brewed "moonshine." I had tasted Everclear, 195 proof before...that was kid's stuff compared to the rocket fuel in that quart jar. It would have removed or dissolved any finish known to man. Worse yet, the co-worker sipped on that quart jar all evening until closing time, drove away for his other part-time job as a taxi driver.

Way back, when I worked for a living, one of my contracts as a speech and language pathologist was with a primary school. There was a sweet, mellow guy of Mexican heritage working there as a janitor. Been there for many years. Great guy. He could often be seen with a jar of home made salsa from which he and, his cohort, often partook. Turns out, that his mellowness came from that jar as it was liberally laced with Tequila. Apparently he got by with it for many years....until a new principal arrived. He was eventually terminated. Picky, picky, picky. 

On 4/12/2022 at 12:16 AM, Grandpadave52 said:

Many, many moons ago, when I was a young pup, off on my own attending technical college in Nashville, TN and working park time in a filling station, a co-worker, who had "connections" off in the mountains, brought in a quart canning jar filled with a crystal clear liquid.

 

"Take a sip", he said. Being a naive country kid from Indiana, I did. Well folks, that was the first and LAST time I ever drank Tennesse's finest, Mountain grown and brewed "moonshine." I had tasted Everclear, 195 proof before...that was kid's stuff compared to the rocket fuel in that quart jar. It would have removed or dissolved any finish known to man. Worse yet, the co-worker sipped on that quart jar all evening until closing time, drove away for his other part-time job as a taxi driver.

Many years ago, I lived in northern Wisconsin.  Some of the people from the church did a mission trip to Kentucky.  One guy said he talked to a local and asked if he could get him some "bootleg."   The guy agreed and came back the next day with a grocery bag containing the goods.   When the WI guy got home he finally opened the bag and found Budweiser.  It was a dry county and he really should have asked for "moonshine" not just "bootleg" that meant prohibited alcohol.  Carrying beer to Wisconsin?  Like "carrying coal to Newcastle."