Comments on: My favorite finishes, part 1 – shellac https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2022/11/30/my-favorite-finishes-part-1-shellac/ inside the woodshop Fri, 09 Dec 2022 21:07:03 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 By: Rob https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2022/11/30/my-favorite-finishes-part-1-shellac/#comment-517080 Fri, 09 Dec 2022 21:07:03 +0000 https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=7474#comment-517080 Yes, methanol is very toxic. Particularly, ingesting even small amounts can severely damage the optic nerves and thus your eyesight.
A small percentage of methanol and other toxic compounds are added to ethanol to make it sellable for only finishing and fuel purposes. That way, people will not drink it and it is not subject to alcohol taxes.
Of course, many other finishing products that we use are also toxic. Knowledge and appropriate precautions are always in order.

Rob

]]> By: Chris https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2022/11/30/my-favorite-finishes-part-1-shellac/#comment-517023 Fri, 09 Dec 2022 05:45:46 +0000 https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=7474#comment-517023 Methanol is pretty toxic stuff, so best to find something with as little of it as possible

]]> By: Rob https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2022/11/30/my-favorite-finishes-part-1-shellac/#comment-516421 Sun, 04 Dec 2022 03:41:40 +0000 https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=7474#comment-516421 Thanks for the info, Peter!

I bought a few cans of the Klean-Strip Green Denatured alcohol from my local hardware store just a few months ago. The ethanol content, price, and convenience were good, so it is disappointing that this product is discontinued.

I see some reasonably priced denatured alcohol products available on Amazon that are nearly pure ethanol.

The main thing is to get a product with a high percentage of ethanol and minimal water content. Longer carbon chain compounds such as propanol will slow the drying, though some users like that.

Rob

]]> By: Peter Oster https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2022/11/30/my-favorite-finishes-part-1-shellac/#comment-516364 Sat, 03 Dec 2022 04:24:55 +0000 https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=7474#comment-516364 Unfortunately Kleen-Strip Green has been manufacture discontinued. Jasco, still lists Green alcohol on their website and is listed as 80-100% ethanol on the SDS sheet. However, you can’t find it for sale in Lowes or HD or anywhere on the web. What is being sold in the the same green can labelled “Fuel” rather then “Denatured Alcohol” is 30-60% ethanol, 30-60% methanol per thee SDS sheet.

]]> By: Rob https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2022/11/30/my-favorite-finishes-part-1-shellac/#comment-516282 Thu, 01 Dec 2022 21:37:01 +0000 https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=7474#comment-516282 Thanks, Joe. I think shellac is underappreciated.

My aim in these posts is to give readers straightforward systems that they can immediately employ in the shop.

]]> By: Joe https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2022/11/30/my-favorite-finishes-part-1-shellac/#comment-516268 Thu, 01 Dec 2022 17:02:20 +0000 https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=7474#comment-516268 Well written. I’ve mostly been using shellac on my projects. I like it for all the reasons you mention.

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