EPA strikes solvents!

metalman

metalman

Oldtimer
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Local hardware store can’t sell mineral spirits or naphtha anymore!
I use either for general purposes, degreasing off oil etc.
Recently I wanted to remove WD40 and aluminum chips from some powder coated aluminum fence posts that I machined for a fence contractor. I know naphtha would do that and I didn’t need to waste SPI710.
That painters solvent was all they had. Tested it on the end of the pole that goes into the ground and it was hot, bit into the powder coat. Resorted to washing with dawn and simple green.
No way knowing what that solvent is, but the dominant smell is acetone. Thus the reason it’s hot.
I don’t know if this is a problem in other parts of the country? I hope not and hope this doesn’t affect SPI w&gr. Sad situation.
 
You called it Metalman, according to the SDS its mostly acetone,
Acetone {2-Propanone} 60.0 -95.0 %
Methyl acetate (Methyl ester of acetic acid} 5.0 -25.0 %
Hydrotreated light distillate (petroleum) 2.0 -5.0 %
Additional Chemical Specific percentage of composition is being withheld as a trade secret
 
As somebody who works in the pharmaceutical industry, I can tell you that you most definitely want the FDA.
 
metalman said:
View attachment 27055
Local hardware store can’t sell mineral spirits or naphtha anymore!
I use either for general purposes, degreasing off oil etc.
Recently I wanted to remove WD40 and aluminum chips from some powder coated aluminum fence posts that I machined for a fence contractor. I know naphtha would do that and I didn’t need to waste SPI710.
That painters solvent was all they had. Tested it on the end of the pole that goes into the ground and it was hot, bit into the powder coat. Resorted to washing with dawn and simple green.
No way knowing what that solvent is, but the dominant smell is acetone. Thus the reason it’s hot.
I don’t know if this is a problem in other parts of the country? I hope not and hope this doesn’t affect SPI w&gr. Sad situation.
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There is little left over money in profit for the effort of stocking gallons of differing solvents for a franchised hardware store chain that no one really buys much of month over month. It benefits them going this route selling one stocking item--that's why it is done now. Just "nickle-dime" sales volumes in the scheme of things for them at the end of the month. Same idea for them selling and stocking V-drive belts and oven elements as money losers.
 
Barry said:
 It's not EPA, but local.
Kingsford lighting fluid will replace and legal
Because it is called, of all things, lighting fluid.
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Kingsford trivia: it was a business venture of Henry Ford and another guy (Kings?) who used saw dust from manufacture of Ford vehicles to compress into brickettes to make charcoal.
 
Barry said:
 It's not EPA, but local.
Kingsford lighting fluid will replace and legal
Because it is called, of all things, lighting fluid.
Click to expand...
Average people look at me funny when I tell them to use that to remove adhesives, etc. It probably has to be pretty pure to be certified for lighting cooking fires.

P.S. Could I use #710 for that in a pinch? :D
 
crashtech said:
Average people look at me funny when I tell them to use that to remove adhesives, etc. It probably has to be pretty pure to be certified for lighting cooking fires.

P.S. Could I use #710 for that in a pinch? :D
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Yes I do it all the time. But the general hardware stuff does the same and saves the SPI for where it matters.
 
D.A.T. said:
There is little left over money in profit for the effort of stocking gallons of differing solvents for a franchised hardware store chain that no one really buys much of month over month. It benefits them going this route selling one stocking item--that's why it is done now. Just "nickle-dime" sales volumes in the scheme of things for them at the end of the month. Same idea for them selling and stocking V-drive belts and oven elements as money losers.
Click to expand...
I suspect this is what is happening now that I've looked at availability, online for example. Still not available or out of stock at HD, Lowes, Tractor Supply.
 
Barry said:
 It's not EPA, but local.
Kingsford lighting fluid will replace and legal
Because it is called, of all things, lighting fluid.
Click to expand...
Great tip!
At least we established that "painters solvent" is junk. If I want acetone, I'll buy acetone. I use the hardware store naphtha for general cleaning, so I don't waste SPI 710, which I trust as high-quality solvent wipe for painting. I know the SPI is naphtha but if Barry buys it, I know it's pure.
 
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metalman said:
I suspect this is what is happening now that I've looked at availability, online for example. Still not available or out of stock at HD, Lowes, Tractor Supply.
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Sounds like you might have to go on the occasional road trip to stock up on the right stuff. Maybe across the county line, though I know nothing of your area. I buy mine at a tiny building supply place, they always have xylene, MEK, acetone, and mineral spirits.

I have wondered if some MEK might help my gun washer, it doesn't seem to dissolve epoxy all the way.
 
metalman said:
I suspect this is what is happening now that I've looked at availability, online for example. Still not available or out of stock at HD, Lowes, Tractor Supply.
Click to expand...
Contrary emotional rhetoric, the sale of flammable materials and their packaging volumes with their intended marketing use is strictly a local jurisdictional thing. I can buy all the differing flammable thinners listed on the can in the picture in metal gallon cans where I live at the retail level and 5-gallon cans at some. And I live in a state regarded as having a lot of problems. Do you remember when paint thinner and other like things were all sold in plastic gallon containers and that was the thing being pushed by manufacturers to save shipping weight over metal cans?? You don't see them too much now for the reason below. Federal OSHA has allowed paint thinner to be stored in use in a manufacturer approved plastic can since someone asked about it in 1983 for its storage. If they feel it is fine for the last 40 years...............what's the issue?

Federal EPA or state EPA if they have one is not involved. It is often a town, city or county thing similar to that of regulating the sale of alcohol on Sunday or at all. This is often driven by fire chiefs and fire-marshals after they respond (for free) to too many fires caused by a particular use of an item, its misuse or mis-storage. Too many fires of a certain origin or similar origin drain their budget investigating them and endangers their employees. Its risk mitigation for them. Same with allowing plastic gas cans to be filled at gas stations in some towns--has to be a metal container intended for storing/transporting gas in those cases. I'm starting to see a similar thing now in rural areas with large industrial building structures not intended for occupancy that never were required to have building permits in the past. Now, many rural fire dept. with no real money allocated to them don't want to be possibly called out to fight a fire in something not inspected (by the town or county) during construction and possibly lose half their people with the collapse of the structure scabbed together.
 
crashtech said:
I have wondered if some MEK might help my gun washer, it doesn't seem to dissolve epoxy all the way.
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i would use it sparingly or only by hand if you plan to use it on the guns, it will dissolve the seals. Just a couple passes in the gun washer using mek softened/swelled the air valves in both of our LPH400's to the point they had to be drilled out to be extracted. Both guns suddenly started leaking air through the needle without trigger pull, the orings were cracked in both and in one it had spit into two pieces.
 
BrianK said:
i would use it sparingly or only by hand if you plan to use it on the guns, it will dissolve the seals. Just a couple passes in the gun washer using mek softened/swelled the air valves in both of our LPH400's to the point they had to be drilled out to be extracted. Both guns suddenly started leaking air through the needle without trigger pull, the orings were cracked in both and in one it had spit into two pieces.
Click to expand...
Is there something that would make my gun washer solvent a little stronger, then? I notice that it curdles the epoxy slightly instead of totally dissolving it. My gun wash solvent is almost entirely recycled reducers that I add fresh reducer to as needed.
 
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