doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Why alcohol?

"We used to wash glasses with it" Well that's an improvement over what you'll see here. Make sure you don't watch this before dinner!!!
Jim



http://www.bestviral.com/video/6629/dont_ever_drink_from_hotel_glasses dinner!

As for acetone being hygroscopic, I believe that' true. We used to mix 50/50% water with acetone for anti-knock water injection on supercharged engines. It would mix thoroughly into a solution.

But, I thought methyl alcohol was also hygroscopic?

I'm of the same thought about acetone as Shotgunjones, acetone being highly volatile and leaving no residue of consequence. But I still like to leave an acetone soaked stock dry a while for dispersing the acetone out.

I used to put out my cigarettes and cigars with acetone. It evaporates without fouling the taste of the tobacco. Leaves the smoke infinitely relightable. Quite handy when popping in and out of the laboratory.

As far as alcohol, just be reminded that it is used to remove/dissolve/thin shellac. A common component in vintage woodworking.

ClapperZapper posted:
"As far as alcohol, just be reminded that it is used to remove/dissolve/thin shellac. A common component in vintage woodworking."

This is the answer. The acetone will dissolve and remove the oils and lacquers but not the shellac.
We have to assume that there is shellac in the finish.The alcohol will dissolve and remove it.
If one wishes, a solution of both alcohol and acetone can be used and it will do it all at once.
Best,
John

I'm with John, acetone will not dissolve shellac....but the Wonko process was for all finishes and if there is no shellac shy use alcohol.

I find that:

1) alcohol is slower to boil off from wood than acetone which is much more volitile, so acetone dries faster.

2) I think that the readily available alcohol I buy has water in it and takes in water from the air in a hurry, reducing it's useful life.

3) In my experience wood soaked in acetone then alcohol swells much more and is much slower to return to it's original dimensions than with just an acetone soak. I suspect this results from water in the alcohol.

4) alcohol does not seem to help extract petroleum oils from the wood.

I've pretty much stopped using alcohol unless I working on a stock that I know was shellac'ed like my Parkers.

Jeff

Although acetone may be hygroscopic, it evaporates so fast that any applied to a stock should not have much time to absorb water.

Alcohol exibits the same property and the driest alcohol easily found is 99% isopropyl. Most common concentrations sold commercially to consumers is 70% isopropyl or denatured(ethanol).

Absolute alcohol is available, at least in the ethanol variety.

Acetone is an excellent solvent for most organics, other ketones and xylene are also good.

Be careful when handling Acetone. I almost lost an eye to it. It was an industrial acident many years ago. Painters use alcohol because they claim it has a neutralizing effect on acetone. In most cases the alcohol is followed by soapy water.

Pete

I had the impression Wonko's concoction was a broad acting solution based on simple chemistry. There are times when faster is not better.