Denatured Alcohol Suppliers and Substitutes

[Thomas McCurnin]

The State of California has joined a couple other states and Canada in banning Denatured Alcohol this year. It is no longer available in any hardware store, big box or woodworking supply houses.

That said, I still like to use shellac and went on a mission this week to find suppliers and substitutes.

--Isopropyl Alcohol. Most drug stores contain the 95% pure variety, with the remaining 5% being water. It works, but flakes need to be thoroughly ground up and allowed to sit for a day or two. It also doesn't dry as fast as DNA.
--Camping Stove Alcohol. I'm not sure why this is being sold, but it is. It is nearly 100% pure and can be found in surplus stores and camp supply stores.
--Ethanol. Food grade ethanol is still available, but one must pay excise taxes on it. It is pretty expensive, but the good news is you can make a batch of shellac in the morning and get wasted in the afternoon. A true dual purpose win-win.
--Everclear. I've been unable to find any strength more than 151 proof. I haven't tried this yet.

Does anyone else have any experience with this issue? Please do not turn this into a political discussion as to the merits of the law, it is what it is.

[John TenEyck]

Can you buy Behkol?

John

[Ted Phillips]

For years, I've used the nearly 100% ethanol found in camp stove fuels and "indoor fireplace" fuel. They are not denatured with methanol (which is toxic) and instead rely on a bitterant which tastes nasty, but is not poison.

This stuff is great and is easy to get on Amazon or at a local fireplace/stove store.

[David Bassett]

... Everclear. I've been unable to find any strength more than 151 proof. I haven't tried this yet. ...

First, Everclear is a brand (or product) name for ethanol. Second I doubt 151 would work as it's 25% water. (California hasn't allowed 191, nearly pure, Everclear for as long as I remember. It's a beverage regulation, not one of the new solvent regulations.)

[Art Mann]

Hardly a day goes by that I am not thankful for where I live.

[Edward Dyas]

Hardly a day goes by that I am not thankful for where I live.Problem is what is going on in California is slowly spreading across the country.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Thank you David, that's very good advice.

[Bill Jobe]

Here in Illinois I've always used 91%, but they sell 70%.
Here we can still buy gallon cans in the paint department at Lowe's, Menards and such. I prefer the little plastic (pints). The stuff in gallon cans has a strong odor that I don't care for.

When I was a kid my dad told me when he was young, poor and homeless people with a drinking habit would strain automotive antifreeze through a loaf of bread and drink it.
I'm guessing not many of them lived a long life.
And, it could have just been my dad telling me something he knew was pure (200 proof) BS.

[Jery Madigan]

For 95% pure, this looks like a good deal. They also have a 4-gallon pack for $82.

DNA 95% (https://www.amazon.com/Denatured-Alcohol-190-1-Gallon-128/dp/B07XSLD2XF/ref=sr_1_29?keywords=alcohol+fuel&qid=1570488531&sr=8-29)

I usually use the Kleanstrip Green that is 91%. It costs about $8.50 a qt.

[John K Jordan]

Some suppliers have started using methnol mixed with or instead of ethanol. Methanol is toxic. I can't see the whole label on that product but the "c.a.s 17-64-5" visible indicates ethanol. Maybe someone can verify what is actually in that brand, specifcally, if it contains any methanol. I'm down to my last gallon.

JKJ


For 95% pure, this looks like a good deal. They also have a 4-gallon pack for $82.

DNA 95% (https://www.amazon.com/Denatured-Alcohol-190-1-Gallon-128/dp/B07XSLD2XF/ref=sr_1_29?keywords=alcohol+fuel&qid=1570488531&sr=8-29)

I usually use the Kleanstrip Green that is 91%. It costs about $8.50 a qt.

[roger wiegand]

As of today many companies appear to be still shipping Mohawk shellac reducer (same product as Bekhol) to California. Their DNA products show the CA restriction, the shellac reducer does not. Several suppliers on Amazon sell 99% (anhydrous) isopropyl, which ships to CA and should also work fine. I've always used Bekohl/Mohawk products without difficulty.

[Stan Calow]

Anybody have a good link to info on the ban? I cant find anything from the state by Googling. I want to know if its banned because of the denaturing agents or what.

[Mel Fulks]

Anybody have a good link to info on the ban? I cant find anything from the state by Googling. I want to know if its banned because of the denaturing agents or what.
They have so many living on the street , could be its to make sure they don't have access to drinking it. Etiquette requires
that when the can is passed to you ....you don't read the label.

[Thomas McCurnin]

It was banned for the same reason that Canada bans the substance--greenhouse gases. Along with DNA the ban includes mineral spirits. What is odd is that most hardware stores still sell oil based stains, and the directions suggest clean up with mineral spirits, which we all know is banned.

I foresee water based stains and finished as the future, and oil based finishes will go away like the Dodo Bird. It is certainly inconvenient and left me with the same feeling when some states banned high oil content paint about 10 years ago. That said, manufacturers were quick to adapt water as a base for most stains, paints and finishes.

On a certain level it makes more sense--water based stains, paints and finishes are easier to use and clean up and used oils, solvents, oil based paints and stains will no longer pollute the air and ground. I can't tell you how many times I've dumped a bucket of used mineral spirits onto the ground. Water based products decompose quicker and are safer. The same law has forced auto paint shops to reconfigure their paints and solvents, and dry cleaners to reconfigure hexane. Historically, California had an extreme problem with auto exhaust and manufacturing pollution in the late 50's and 60s. While the air is much cleaner now, if you've ever gone to Pasadena on a hot August day, and looked West, you would understand that there is more work to be done.

The law stems from the California Air Resources Board, an agency which enacts regulations affecting air quality. I could not find an exact legal citation for you, but this is close:

https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/I3828EED0705311E3BE6EF3DED7F4D5DB?viewType=FullTex t&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)&bhcp=1


(https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/I3828EED0705311E3BE6EF3DED7F4D5DB?viewType=FullTex t&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)&bhcp=1)

[Jim Becker]

Fortunately, there are alternatives to mineral spirits like naphtha but many solvents are quickly becoming restricted.

I'm not sure I fully understand the issue with alcohol, but it is what it is. I do use some shellac which includes the need for alcohol or similar for reducing and cleanup. Otherwise, I've pretty much standardized on water borne and water soluble products for finishing with an occasional use of an oil-based wipe on product like Watco if a client requires it, such as to match existing. Water borne and water soluble finishing products have come a LONG way over the years fortunately.

[Stan Calow]

Hmmm. Reading the citation that Tom provided

"(1) Standards for denatured ethanol. Starting December 31, 2003, no person shall sell, offer for sale, supply or offer for supply denatured ethanol intended for blending with CARBOB or California gasoline that fails to comply with any of the following standards: . . . "

That says 2003, and it applies to DNA for use in blended gasoline. The next paragraph refers to the standards which are all about the composition of the denaturing agents, not the ethanol itself. That would imply that other denaturing agents are available. So I'm still confused about what changed here recently.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Jim, you are right on. Manufacturers have and will adapt to water as a carrier for stains. I can re-use rags (machine wash with bleach), no smell, and disposing of cleaning water is user and environmental friendly. What surprises me is that many hardware stores still carry oil based stains, but without any way to clean brushes.

[Bill Jobe]

At least you can still buy small plastic bottles of various proof. I like using it as it dries so quickly and no odor left behind. Even wet sand with it.:p

[carey mitchell]

I did a cursory search re CA and methanol and found little. It is on the CA Prop 65 list, which only requires a warning that the product contains... blah, blah. They did ban methanol as a component of windshield washer fluid years ago ( "....Before it was regulated in 1993, automotive windshield washer fluid (AWWF) was a very large source of pollution in California's cities") a large source, are you kidding? How much washer fluid did they use ?

Having dealt with the CA environmental people, I can say that little they do makes sense. In one situation they wanted to regulate a chemical that is not toxic in any manner. It is an eye irritant in dust form, but consumers cannot be exposed to the dust, as it is not in that form even during manufacturing. They ignored human exposure studies based on the gas phase and relied on a very old study based on the dust. They wanted to regulate to a level that was so low that instruments at the time could not even measure it. The level was 1/10 as much as formaldehyde, a carcinogen - and its not even irritating - go figure. Don't know the outcome, I retired, no more dealing with such insanity!

[Edwin Santos]

I think you should be able to easily find 99% anhydrous isopropyl alcohol which would only be 1% water, if that. I used to buy it locally at printing supply places (they use IPA for cleaning print rollers). But you can also get it on Amazon for decent prices. Probably not a lot more than DNA.

I like using it better than DNA anyway, simply because it doesn't smell as bad, and it retards the shellac drying time a little bit, which helps flow out and working time.

By the way you can use a mix of regular old grocery store bought ammonia and water for cleaning up shellac or other alcohol based finishes like BIN primer. I haven't heard that ammonia is going away, but one never knows.

[Daniel Berlin]

Fortunately, there are alternatives to mineral spirits like naphtha but many solvents are quickly becoming restricted.

I'm not sure I fully understand the issue with alcohol, but it is what it is. I do use some shellac which includes the need for alcohol or similar for reducing and cleanup. Otherwise, I've pretty much standardized on water borne and water soluble products for finishing with an occasional use of an oil-based wipe on product like Watco if a client requires it, such as to match existing. Water borne and water soluble finishing products have come a LONG way over the years fortunately.

The issue is actually simple: It's 100% VOC.

It was historically exempt.
It is no longer exempt.

Onwards in the march for california to replace all chemicals with ones that are better for the environment and worse for people.
Almost all being replaced are not HAPS.