I have been advised to use denatured alcohol to stop wood cracking and to improve the finish when turning green wood. However, this seems to be an American term for methylated spirit but when I apply the meths to the wood it seems to discolour it because of the added blue dye. What I need to know is, can purchase meths in the UK, that has not had dye added, or is there another product that would do the same job
2007-01-28 07:33:43 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
you can buy denatured ethanol, its pretty much pure alcohol and is clear in colour but has been made undrinkable by adding stuff to make it poisonous and nasty tasting.
2007-01-28 07:38:18 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Denatured alcohol is mainly wood alcohol, if it has anything else in it.
It is most often sold as Shellac Thinner, but is also called "ditto fluid." It is poison.
Just look at the contents on the can and look for Methyl Alcohol. Shellac Thinner is clear, has no coloration, and that is where I would go.
Alcohols are all "hydrophillic" and look for water. You can take the top off a can that is 99% methyl alcohol and it will suck the water from teh air around it or anything that you put it on.
Personally I don't see how alcohols of any sort will stop the wood from cracking as they pull out the water and open pours to where they might crack.
I suggest that you go to a store where they sell wood turning equipment - where you will find bowl turners, and get answers from them.
As one who is often called to help remove trees, when I find one that would be a good turning wood, I coat both ends of the cut piece with a wax type of compound, and I guess white glue would do the same thing, to keep the moisture in. The maple and cherry trees around here seems to have a propensity for spalting and if I see that, I give it to one of several friends who turn bowls, or call a company that sells that type of equipment and tell them that I have it and whoever wants it can come and get it.
I am a wood worker, not a turner, though.
2007-01-29 01:44:24 · answer #2 · answered by Polyhistor 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Buy Denatured Alcohol
2016-11-04 03:32:24 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Meths is mainly ethyl alcohol (as in booze), but because of the way it is made, it is contaminated with methyl alcohol, which is poisonous (can cause permanent blindness, among other things). So, to make it easily recognisable, purple dye is added. Surgical spirit is ethyl alcohol only, apart from about 5% residual water, which cannot easily be removed either from meths or from surgical spirit, but won't do your wood any harm. It is colourless. So, try surgical spirit. If it doesn't work, add tonic to the remainder and console yourself with it.
Happy turning!
2007-01-28 11:05:33 · answer #4 · answered by andrew f 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That alcohol is actually WOOD ALCHOL and poison verses booze which is from corn, potatoes, or rye. What that wood alcohol does is remove the water from the wood and actually "dry" it. That rubbing stuff only has like 20% of the wood alchol in it. so its not much use.
I asked my friend who is a Chair designer and they use a lot of turnings and he said a quick way to have same effect is put that green wood into a microwave oven for a minute and see what effect that has. He does that when rushing a job.
2007-01-28 09:00:23 · answer #5 · answered by James M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dont put wood in the microwave, to dry, like one person mentioned.I have tried, fortunately the other half was out, and Iwas able to air the house before she returned
2007-01-30 07:37:05 · answer #6 · answered by woodworker143 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Surgical spirit is meths without the dye added so try it.
2007-01-28 22:06:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
add a small ammount to linseed oil this should do the trick
2007-01-28 07:50:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋