What is DNA?

[Steve Vaughan]

I keep seeing the references to DNA. What exactly is that stuff, how is it used, and where do you get some? I'm thinking that I'm missing out on something here. Thanks!

[John Keeton]

Steve, it is denatured alcohol.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Steve DNA is Denatured Alcohol and can be bought at the big borgs, lumber yards in the paint supplies. I use it to soak bowls, lidded boxes, etc. then wrap them so they will dry faster. Most of the bowls I soak for 2 to 5 days are dry in 3 to 4 weeks instead of months to a year. Here is a site you can read and learn about it. Hope this helps.

http://alcoholsoaking.blogspot.com/

[Bill Sherman]

DNA is Denatured alcohol. It is used to speed the drying of green wood. I am experimenting with it right now and it looks like it is wooking well - green wood is drying in about three weeks with no splitting. You can get it at the home centers for about $15.00 a gallon. .

Bill

[MIKE E BEE]

Thanks Bernie, great info!!

[Grant Wilkinson]

Steve: Are you in the US or Canada - or neither? In Canada, there are over 40 different formulations for DNA. (One of them is 10% ethanol from the gas pumps.)

[Chris Hayes]

Denatured Alcohol is also one of the primary solvents in finishing. Not only do I use it for speed drying wood, but I use it for shellac and dying pieces. If you're into restoring antiques it's a great way to help clean pieces (if that piece is finished with Lacquer) as it won't get into the wood or dissolve lacquer -- if it's shellac it'll strip that right off. If you're wanting to undo anything with hide-glue, DNA will force that glue to crystallize and become brittle (which makes for easy removal).

Both Jeff Jewitt and Bob Flexner have good discussions on the wonders of Alcohol in their respective books.

[Steve Vaughan]

Thanks for all the replies! Makes sense now...I kept seeing the references to soaking in dna but wasn't sure...but I knew that alcohol removes water.

With all this snow yesterday, I rough-turned 4 green bowls and so this will be a great experiment. Thanks for the links and the comments!

[Wayne Hendrix]

DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid, the carrier of genetic information in eukaryotes and many prokaryotes. You use it by transcribing it to RNA that is then in turn translated to proteins and you already have all that you need. You can get more via some retro viruses but I would avoid that if I were you.

Sorry, I am a biology major and couldnt help it.

[Jon Lanier]

To make Wayne' a little simpler: DNA; a long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix; associated with the transmission of genetic information.

[Keith Westfall]

Well, that cleared it right up... !!:eek:

[Jerome Hanby]

The most important part of that substance left behind on tools and materials after doing something silly.

[Steve Vaughan]

that's actually all I could think of as to what dna is...couldn't get that out of my brain. In fact, I left a little dna right on the chuck on the lathe while trying to sand a piece...just pushed my finger right into the chuck, caught an edge, and there you go! Now, 'scuse me while I go change the band aid.

Went ahead and picked up a gallon of the liquid variety today to try out. Thanks again for the help!

[Jason Roehl]

The "de-natured" part means that it is made poisonous by various means so that the hardware stores doesn't have to carry a liquor license or charge (and be charged) excise taxes to sell it. In other words, it's ethanol that you can't drink (most of it I've seen has about 3-5% methanol added).