Doesn't really take much, I spray it on a cloth and wipe the wood down. Here is Kleen strip DNA ingredients, with 50-55% methanol:. If it gets sticky, then you’re dealing with shellac. Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol, or ethane (a two carbon molecule, as you surely know with some toxins added … If nothing happens, then the surface is probably lacquer and you will need to use a thinner to remove it. Shellac cut with this solvent gives a smooth film of high gloss and good color, and is a good primer for floors, furniture, wood, and plaster. "Denatured" alcohol is ethyl alcohol that has had methyl alcohol mixed with it to make it poisonous to drink. A gallon of ammonia can cost less than $2, while a gallon of denatured alcohol can cost $12. Try a couple different cuts to see what works best for you. DENATURED Alcohol, Mohawk Shellac Reducer / (Behlen Behkol B650-2816), is formulated specifically to dissolve shellac flakes, and dilute or 'cut' liquid Shellacs. It’s also cheaper than denatured alcohol. Need to carefully check the MSDS/SDS on denatured alcohol (DNA) when you buy it. That's just not an option for me. Crown Denatured Alcohol is an excellent shellac thinner. It is usually sold in drug stores in a concentration of 70% by volume because it is antiseptic at that concentration. Methanol alcohol is cheaper, and many home store brands use 40%+ methanol. It’s widely available in the USA as Denatured Alcohol (additives make it unfit to drink), but difficult to obtain in Canada. And please don't say drive to a neighboring state and buy some there. Re: Thinning Shellac Mike, If my memory of some rather long-ago chemistry classes has not totally failed me, methyl hydrate is a common name for methyl alcohol It is methane (natural gas) with one hydrogen replaced by a "hydrate" group, or simply, an -OH group. Here is the green low VOC ingredient list, with 3-7% methanol:. Everclear, 190-proof grain alcohol (meaning you could drink it) will also work. And if you do that, then you may want to thin the 3lb cut Bulls Eye (check the can for the exact cut) with your alcohol of choice down to a 2lb cut or thinner for sealing. Simply dab the surface with some denatured alcohol. Thins shellac, lacquers, resins and certain inks. I don't know whether isopropyl alcohol will thin shellac or not. How are Californians thinning shellac nowadays seeing as how denatured alcohol is now a banned substance here? I have lots of Lacquer thinner, Naptha and denatured alcohol from when I was experimenting with shellac and lacquer on some veneered loudspeakers. Will they cut … The exact ratio of alcohol to flakes (referred to as the pound-cut) isn’t critical. I generally use paint thinner/MS. Here is Crown DNA, it shows 70-75% methanol alcohol:.. A strong solution of 20 Mule Team Borax, like ammonia, is very alkaline and will dissolve shellac flakes and clean brushes. Fortunately, denatured alcohol dissolves shellac, but not lacquer. If I want to preview the finish, I'll spray it on the wood. It can leave behind a residue but it shouldn't be a problem if your finish is otherwise MS compatible. The term "cut" is used when referring to the amount of alcohol added to dry shellac flakes to dissolve them (one pound of shellac flakes dissolved in one gallon of alcohol gives a well-thinned one-pound cut). You also thin liquid shellac with alcohol. The preferred alcohol to use is ethyl alcohol (ethanol), the same stuff booze is made from. Shellac can be redissolved in alcohol, so it’s easy to just soak the brush in some alcohol to soften the bristles the next time that I need to use the brush. I would use alcohol because it drys faster, but the MS is cheaper. Is it OK to clean brushes with these after a oil based Alkid paint job. Searching for dewaxing Bulls Eye shellac on google came back with some promising hits. 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