Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'alcohol'.
Found 9 results
-
Recently, I decided to check into shellac as a finish. I watched a few YouTube videos to get an idea of the process, and, after a quick Amazon search and purchase, a variety pack was on the way. I then mixed up a two pound cut of the blonde flakes and looked about for a project. As luck would have it, the parts for my Benjamin 392PA air rifle arrived and after changing the valve and some o-rings, I decided to refinish it as well. So, I removes the stock and began to sand......and sand.........and sand. Progressed from 80 grit to 120 grit and finally liked the results. A big difference from the varnished version. During the process of applying eight coats of shellac, I learned quite a few tidbits: 1) Shellac dries quickly, 2) The first coat of shellac raised the grain more than I thought it would. 3) Layer the shellac to get the desired type of finish (matte, shiny, etc.) instead of trying to do one or two thick coats. 4) Paste wax really helps to bring out the shine and should provide a little more protection. The shellac finish feels really good in the hands and gives a warmth to the wood that the varnish just covers up.
- 11 replies
-
- 7
-
-
- denatured alcohol
- alcohol
- (and 3 more)
-
Bowl blanks can be dried using "chemistry". Submerging the blanks in various liquids can actually facilitate the loss of moisture. Before the pandemic, denatured alcohol was readily and turners would soak their blanks in it. Several sources of information on this- From the AAW- https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/is-the-alcohol-drying-method-food-safe.9682/ From Mr. David Reed Smith- http://alcoholsoaking.blogspot.com/ and- http://alcoholsoaking.blogspot.com/2005/12/alcohol-soaking-q-and.html From David J. Marks- https://djmarks.com/drying-olive-wood-for-turning/ Alcohol should become more readily as the pandemic wanes. Another soaking method is using soap and water. As near as I can determine, this method was developed by Ron Kent- a Hawaii based turner. Even though he passed away several years ago, his website is still up and his original process is listed there. https://www.ronkent.com/techniques.php Using pretty much the same process, Ernie Conover discusses this in a Woodcraft blog- https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entries/soap-in-your-bowl The AAW also has a discussion on this method- https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/soaking-in-dishwashing-liquid.9087/ As well as the folks over at Sawmill Creek- https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?33726-Drying-green-wood-using-dish-soap I have personally adopted this method and find it works extremely well. At this time, none of my bowls have cracked and show very little deformation. This method is also very inexpensive. One final "chemical" drying is to immerse the bowl blanks in a desiccant material. These materials absorb moisture from the wood. This video, from Ernie Conover and The Woodworker's Journal demonstrates the procedure- Although initially expensive, desiccant can be reused by heating the crystals in the oven to "re-activate" them. A discussion from the AAW- https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/drying-green-wood-turned-bowls-in-silica-desiccant-beads.16924/ Although not as popular as some of the other methods, Some turners have tried to boil the bowl blanks. This PDF, from the Arizona Woodturner's Association and written by Bill Noble has some details- boiling.pdf In the final entry, we will look at sources that have lists of multiple methods of drying.
-
I have always kept small plastic bottles of mineral spirits and alcohol for quick use. I always thought it would be nice to have one for acetone and lacquer thinner but knew they ate some plastic. Looked into it today and found plastic bottles made with HDPE plastic would do fine but the better choice would be bottles made with PTFE plastic for the acetone but no information was given for lacquer thinner. Ant plastic experts out there?
-
First off, there is a difference between a thinner and a solvent. A solvent dissolves things. A thinner thins things DUH (reduces the solids and alters the viscosity). What makes thins even more confusing is they way they name things. Lacquer thinner both dissolves and thins (because it contains both solvents, co-solvents, and thinners). Paint Thinner thins varnishes, but dissolves waxes. But anyway, (chemistry lesson) 1. Distillates generally of petroleum. Common ones are mineral spirits and naphtha. Less commonly used ones are kerosene, xylene (xylol), toluene (tolulol), benzene (a carcinogen), and benzine, and even turpentine (a distillate of pine sap). These have different evaporation rates, oiliness, and smells. These generally thin (oil-based) varnishes and are in some lacquer thinners. Xylene will soften cured water-borne finishes. Most of these will dissolve waxes, oils, and some adhesives. d-Limonene is a distillate of citrus rinds; it's found in some cleaners/polishes/degreasers/adhesive removers. 2. Alcohols and Ketones. Alcohols include ethanol, methanol, and isopropyl. "Denatured alcohol" is ethanol (grain alcohol - everclear booze) with enough methanol (wood alcohol) added to make it poisonous to drink (and so it does not need to be taxed as booze). Chemically, a ketone is an oxidized alcohol. Common ones are acetone and MEK. Alcohol is a solvent for shellac and alcohols and ketones are often part of lacquer thinners. 3. Glycol Ethers are a large class of chemicals and are in water-borne finishes. Two major classes are ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. They soften and make sticky the large resin molecules. As the glycol ethers evaporate the resin molecules bond together. Cellosolve is a trademark for a glycol ether.
-
I had an ornament with a plain look and decided to try dye. The piece had been finished with lacquer . I applied Chestnut stains dye over the lacquer. This dye has shellac about 5% in it. After the dye was dried with heat gun I applied lacquer. Now for the question will this treatment lead to finish failure?
-
If you've got a "dirty" solvent, one used to clean brushes or spray guns, how do you get rid of it? First option is to re-use it. If you are using a paint thinner to clean brushes, just put a cap on it and let the solids settle out. I use a "toucan" system. Can 2 (that I mark as jar II) is the dirty jar, and the first rinse of the brush. Jar I is the cleaner jar and used for the second rinse. When jar II gets so full of solids, it's not effective, I let it settle and pour off the clear to jar I. Then I mark jar I to jar II (just add an I) and it becomes the first rinse jar. Then I get a clean jar and fill with fresh paint thinner and it becomes jar I. Similar process to clean spray guns used for lacquer or shellac. Except the gunk does not settle out to the bottom, so proceed to next step after a number of uses. Second is to discard it. Local laws vary a lot here, so check to see what is legal and illegal. If your community has a hazardous waste collection day, that's a good choice. You can put the solvent/thinner/gunk in a jar and let the volatiles evaporate away. Put it somewhere where it will be protected from weather, away from kids and animals, but gets some fresh air. It can help to add in a bunch of sawdust to increase the surface area. Once turned to a solid, you can dispose of in the trash. You can use this technique to discard old, expired, or unused finishes, too. If you have a spray gun, you might spray the solvent to let it evaporate away. Really no different than spraying the finish and having the solvent flash off. Don't just pour down the drain. (short and simple this week -- I was away all last week)
