Shellac

[Brian Holcombe]

I won't use box-store DNA because I don't want to risk exposure to methanol.

[Pat Barry]

I didn't know much about this so I looked at wikipedia. They are saying that DNA is ethyl alcohol + methanol therefore wouldn't all DNA have methanol? In other words, where would you find DNA without methanol?

[Mel Fulks]

The government doesn't care what you put in it as long as it makes it poisonous. So there are some differences in the brand recipes.

[David Ragan]

I looked up Bekhol. From what I see, only sold in quarts about $15. Shipping probably will end up more than everclear.

The below is from Wikipedia. Bekhol is ethanol, isopropanol (rubbing alcohol), water, and Butanol:

Like many alcohols, butanol is considered toxic. It has shown low order of toxicity in single dose experiments to laboratory animals.^[2][3] and is considered safe enough for use in cosmetics. Brief, repeated overexposure with the skin can result in depression of the central nervous system, as with other short-chain alcohols. Exposure may also cause severe eye irritation and moderate skin irritation. The main dangers are from prolonged exposure to fumes. In extreme cases this includes suppression of the central nervous system and even death. Under most circumstances, butanol is quickly metabolized to carbon dioxide.


So, at this point, from a purely what is safest point of view, looks like Everclear and Bekhol. Cost is probably about the same for these two.

I had no idea that DNA was not all that safe. Who knew?

[Mel Fulks]

Denatured definition is "to be made poisonous ". You'd think they would want to be easily understood ...but that's what happens when regulatory officials are allowed to own a thesaurus !

[Jon Nuckles]

Denatured definition is "to be made poisonous ". You'd think they would want to be easily understood ...but that's what happens when regulatory officials are allowed to own a thesaurus !

Mel,
The regulators may be at fault, but they probably bowed to lobbyists for the manufacturers who objected to putting "Poisoned Alcohol" on their product containers!

[John TenEyck]

I don't understand why people are all that concerned about DNA. You aren't supposed to drink it or bath in it! How much is your exposure as a hobbiest woodworker? Wear an organics respirator and gloves.

John

[Stew Hagerty]

I use shellac quite a lot. I exclusively use Tiger Flakes from Tools for Working Wood. https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/MS-TF.XX

I keep the raw flakes in the refrigerator. To use them, I weigh out the amount I'm going to need then I crush them. I pour the crushed flakes into a Stop Loss Bag. http://www.stoplossbags.com/ I started using these bags about a year ago and absolutely love them.

I pour in the appropriate amount of alcohol for a 2lb cut. I always make shellac using Everclear from the liquor store, it's the purest form of alcohol readily available. Then when I get ready to use it, if I am going to spray it or want to apply just a thin coat, I reduce it with 99% Pure Isopropyl alcohol. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Isopropyl is the slowest drying of the common alcohols and give a little extra time for it to flow out.

I am certainly no expert, and I don't know if what I do is the best method there is. I just know that it it does work great for me and I'm very happy with the results.

[Mel Fulks]

Jon ,you might be on to something ,but Its also possible that the warning is just old fashioned and outdated and needs to be modernized. I think it is entirely possible that some have given up strained Sterno and gone to DNA "for health reasons".

[David Ragan]

I don't understand why people are all that concerned about DNA. You aren't supposed to drink it or bath in it! How much is your exposure as a hobbiest woodworker? Wear an organics respirator and gloves.

John

I agree. Can someone supply even anecdotal evidence that anyone has been harmed by hobby exposure to the adulterants found in any preparation of "alcohols" (as a chemical class) used like we have been talking about.

Having said that, think I'll just go pick me up some Everclear when I run out of DNA.

[Bill White]

CRAP!!!! You mean that all the DNA I've been drinkin' is gonna kill me? I thought that the stuff that the dentist shot into my mouth today was gonna do the same thing.
Oh well.......I guess that the benzene, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, and MEK would kill me before now.
Danged industry. Guess that I did have to make a living, and I did skip agent orange.
Such is life.
Bill

[Jerry Olexa]

Agree with comments above,,SEALCOAT good product and Borg DA is fine..I would not use steel wool though....
Just my thoughts

[Brian Holcombe]

I don't understand why people are all that concerned about DNA. You aren't supposed to drink it or bath in it! How much is your exposure as a hobbiest woodworker? Wear an organics respirator and gloves.

John

Even better than low chance of exposure is no chance of exposure.

[David Ragan]

Anybody ever heard that one reason to use Everclear is that the methanol in DNA can facilitate any traces of wax to be incorporated into the finish.

this makes sense because the methanol would be less polar than ethanol. Of course, wax is non-polar.

[Prashun Patel]

Methanol is more polar than ethanol, isn't it? We in fact use it as a solvent to extract chemicals *from* wax because of its aversion to wax.

I thought it polarity is crudely proportional to the ratio of oxygen to carbon in a molecule, which would make methanol more polar than ethanol. But I'm not a chemist, so I'm talking out of school here.