Citrus Solvents

[Andrew Joiner]

Anyone use citrus solvents in oil finishes or wiping varnish?

I make my own blend of equal parts varnish, linseed oil and odorless mineral spirits. I like the results and trust the finish. The problem is I can't tolerate the fumes anymore. I wear gloves and a good respirator and don't smell fumes through it. The day after finishing I'm always a little sick.


Would citrus solvent solve this problem?

[Prashun Patel]

I doubt it. Odorless Mineral spirits shouldn't have any fumes that'll make you sick. The main component of citrus solvents is limonene. It's actually 'more' of a skin irritant than OMS. It is also more aggressive than OMS; but I don't know that it'd be aggressive enough to disrupt an oil based varnish from curing.

Last, the evaporation rate of citrus solvents can vary from that of OMS. IMHO, this rate is critical to making a mix that wipes well.

I know a lot of people think bkz citrus solvents are natural that they are somehow safer. I work with both of these solvents regularly in my line of work. My view is that this is not true.

That being said, you just have to try it to see if it works for you - both in performance and 'perfumance'.

[ray hampton]

orange spray degreaser [if this are what you are talking about ] always give me heartburn

[David Keller NC]

Anyone use citrus solvents in oil finishes or wiping varnish?

I make my own blend of equal parts varnish, linseed oil and odorless mineral spirits. I like the results and trust the finish. The problem is I can't tolerate the fumes anymore. I wear gloves and a good respirator and don't smell fumes through it. The day after finishing I'm always a little sick.


Would citrus solvent solve this problem?

Andrew - what do you mean by "a little sick"? If you're getting long-lasting headaches or sinus trouble, this is serious and you need to make some changes, pronto. The components in OMS don't typically result in an allergic reaction, but some of the constituents in varnish and even BLO can cause problems in some individuals. What is also possible is that you're suffering from a slight oxygen deprivation if the ventilation in your finishing area isn't good. While slight, this deprivation can cause headaches and other issues - this is the principal toxicity effect from saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, which is the principal class of chemicals in OMS, Laquer thinner, and other common hydrocarbon solvents.

I would at least consider moving this operation outside, if not switching to shellac (which has about the lowest toxicity reaction from both the solvent and the finish that you can get).

[Rich Engelhardt]

+1 to needing a better description of "feeling sick".

Ray - eat a dill pickle or drink a couple tablespoons of pickle juice or anything else that has vinegar in it.
Green olives, pepperochinis, jalopeanos,,,,even tobasco!
Surest cure on the planet for heartburn.

[Zach Callum]

I have used the citrus solvent from the real milk paint co. It smells like citrus.

[Andrew Joiner]

Thanks for the replies.

I used Watco from 1970 to 1987 about once a week. Never wore a respirator or opened windows, none of the guys in the shop did in those days. I'd get groggy while finishing a big job, I guess you'd say slightly"high". I'd get very tired the next day. I was young and just thought it was part of the job.

I'm a hobbyist now. I wear a respirator for any fume producing thing I use . Really only contact cement and mineral spirits. I switched to odorless mineral spirits in my home brew danish oil and wiping varnish a year ago. The first time I finished a small job with odorless brew I had no symptoms and I kept the windows closed . 3 days ago I finished my new workbench with 50/50 mix of varnish and odorless ms to make wiping varnish. I opened the windows too. No "high" feeling during the finish process.

The next day I felt sick. By sick I mean slightly groggy, and real tired. The tired and sore could easily be from some intense sanding.The groggy feeling must be from the fumes. Not as sick as from full odor mineral spirits like the old days, but still noticeable.

I may have developed a sensitivity to fumes because of all the years with no precautions.

I'll try a water based mix next, or citrus. I tried water base contact cement in 1980 on a few jobs, but it didn't stick as good as solvent base. The reviews on water soluble varnish are mixed, but worth a try on samples.

[Jamie Buxton]

.... The main component of citrus solvents is limonene.. .

Hunh! I'd always figured that all those citrus-smelling products out there were bogus -- containing standard petroleum-based solvents with a big dose of citrus perfume to claim green-ness. They really are plant-based?

[phil harold]

I may have developed a sensitivity to fumes because of all the years with no precautions.


just let me smell turpentine and I get a sinus infection

Sensitivity to other solvents too

It sucks but there has been a some good development in the waterborne finishes over the years I like Varathane's waterbase floor finish for my projects

[Prashun Patel]

The cheapest way to a citrus smelling perfume is to use real, natural orange, lemon, or other citrus peel oils.
They may very well be a blend of citrus and petroleum products, though, for a variety of reasons.

[ray hampton]

+1 to needing a better description of "feeling sick".

Ray - eat a dill pickle or drink a couple tablespoons of pickle juice or anything else that has vinegar in it.
Green olives, pepperochinis, jalopeanos,,,,even tobasco!
Surest cure on the planet for heartburn.

my beverage of choice is a cold Coke which will cause a belch which usual relief the pressure

[Scott Holmes]

Citrus solvent and mineral spirits are different. Some of the citrus solvents are strippers; adding a stripper to your oil varnsih blend will be trouble.

Mineral spirits is a solvent for WAX, not for varnish, it is a THINNER for varnish. Oderless MS is not a strong as regular MS but to use it a a thinner for an oil/varnish blend it's just fine.

Andrew use a better resporator; try a P100 filter. Another option is to use a fan behind you blowing the fumes away from you and the project.

[Howard Acheson]

Let me say that with the possible exception of milk paint, all finishes contain thinners and solvents. The water in waterborne finishes is a carrier, not a thinner or solvent. Other chemicals sort of "bob" around in the water. When the water evaporates, these other chemicals come into contact and form a film finish. One of the chemicals "bobbing" around is a solvent.

"Citrus" finishes or paint removers contain a number of dangerous chemicals.

I would suggest you go to a doctor who specializes in industrial medicine. It sounds like you have an abnormal situation with with your sensitivity of fumes. It also sounds like you do not have a proper respirator or it's not fitted properly. Finally, chemicals may be entering your body through exposed skin. In a boat yard I worked in, one of the finishes required full body tyvek suits and forced fresh air respirators.

[Andrew Joiner]

Thanks for the replies.
Scott you mentioned storing a respirator in a plastic bag to prolong the life a while back. That could be it. My respirator is 6 years old and I store it in a drawer to keep the dust off , but not in plastic. I thought if I can't smell fumes when it's on it's still working.

So I'm getting a new respirator and cartridges.

Also I assume boiled linseed oil alone or minwax waterbased finishes( brushed on) wouldn't require a respirator. Oil alone seems to have no ill effects on me.