verktyg 

I used to know a lot about various solvents etc. but environmental and safety rules keep changing and producers/marketers seem to play foot loose and fancy free with technical info and descriptions.

Here's one comparison between paint thinner and mineral spirits:

"Mineral spirits or paint thinner… which is better? For cleaning brushes, paint thinner is best since it’s half the cost of mineral spirits and basically works the same. Other than the price, the differences between the two solvents are subtle. Both are petroleum products.
Both can be used to thin oil-based paints and varnishes and to clean paintbrushes.
Paint thinner is mineral spirits, but in a less refined form. It contains other types of solvents, which makes it a lot smellier and more volatile.
Mineral spirits is not as stinky. Because it’s more refined, it’s slightly more effective in smaller quantities than paint thinner."

Kleen Strip Odorless Mineral Spirits should work fine. I don't know who is smell testing low odor/odorless solvents - too much cocaine I guess - blown out olfactory senses???

Commercial degreasing solvents like Safety-Kleen and Stoddard solvent have chemicals added to increase the "flash point", raising the temperature at which they will catch fire and also acting as fire ******ants.

Anything sold in California "should" be relatively safe if recommendations are strictly adhered to but that's no guarantee of performance.

Lighter fluid was always naphtha AFAIK.

Coleman Camp Fuel is naphtha too. It's also known as white gas because there are no additives like lead, nickel and so on. If you shop around you can find it for $15 to $20+ a gallon (3.78L). A gallon should last for a long time. NOTE: Naphtha is highly flammable!



I like naphtha because it's great for degreasing stuff, it evaporates fast and doesn't leave much residue. It doesn't seem to affect most paint when applied to a surface for cleaning purposes.

Getting back on topic, many adhesives are susceptible to petroleum based solvents. I've found that some bar tape grunge comes off easier with 91% isopropyl alcohol. It may be polymer based stuff.

91% alcohol is great for removing hardened "latex" paint too. There's no latex rubber in latex paint which contain plastic resins made of acrylic or polyvinyl rather than rubber.

SAFETY NOTE!
Having survived Stage IV Lymphoma caused by exposure to benzene and other VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), I'm hyper cautious about any future exposure. I always wear a respirator mask with organic vapor chemical cartridges plus rubber gloves whenever I'm working with any kind of volatile chemicals. Also I work with the stuff outdoors or in a well ventilated area.


$50 bucks may seem like a lot to pay for a "dust mask" but if it can protect your health it's worth it. Laying in a hospital bed with half dozen lines running into you for 6 months is a great time to ponder the "HEY WATCH THIS" "IT CAN'T HAPPEN TO ME" attitude.

Health problems can take years to develop. Fortunately I recovered.

DON'T volunteer for the Darwin Award!

BTW, I was exposed to chemicals in drinking water, not by breathing fumes.

verktyg