Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 31 to 34 of 34

Thread: Shellac Question(s)

  1. Quote Originally Posted by Stanley Covington View Post
    I assumed the idea was to combine it with shellac flakes to make liquid shellac.

    On the other hand, the OP was talking about Zinsser Bullseye, which is ready to go out of the can or aerosol can. Not much point is adding alcohol of any variety to Zinsser.
    They
    You can use alcohol to adjust the Zinser to the cut strength you need for your specific application. Zinser is a 3 pound cut, which is pretty hefty for a lot of uses. include a dilution formula on the can for the purpose. Sealing wood surfaces to prevent blotching typically wants a 1 pound cut, for example.

    And with Everclear and other brands of beverage grade grain alcohol there are typically two versions, 150 proof and 190 proof. The very best for French polishing and other high end finishing is the 190 proof. Some locations do not permit sale of 190 proof; it is dangerous to drink in undiluted form. The 150 proof does pretty well for most uses, as it contains 25% water. Most denatured alcohol is around 40% water (which is one of its disadvantages by comparison).
    Fair winds and following seas,
    Jim Waldron

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    McKean, PA
    Posts
    15,574
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Chase View Post
    Basically all modern coatings (since lead ceased to be used as a drier) are nontoxic when dried and cured. The health hazards arise almost exclusively during application and drying, when various solvents flash off or otherwise enter the air. Shellac is no exception, though more benign than most. I use high-purity ethanol as you suggest, such that the only real hazard is that of self-immolation during spraying.
    High purity ethanol can be dangerous: Inhalation of high concentrations may cause central nervous system effects characterized by nausea, headache, dizziness, unconsciousness and coma. Causes respiratory tract irritation. May cause narcotic effects in high concentration. Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation.
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

    My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Silicon Valley, CA
    Posts
    1,048
    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Schierer View Post
    High purity ethanol can be dangerous....
    Ethanol can be dangerous, but it is pretty well understood by most adults. The only effect that may be new to folks is you can get drunk inhaling the vapors, in addition to ingesting it. Way too much at once will kill you out right, too much over time will corrode your liver, make you sick and eventually kill you. But it's basically the same as if you drank it. Methanol, common in the non-drinking alcohol products, seems to do it quicker. (You twitch, go blind, drop into a coma, and then die. Depending on your exposure.) In some parts, those effects used to be pretty well known too: Uncle Daryl got a bad batch of moonshine and went blind.... As an very occasional user, I'm still figuring out my feelings on the risks. I know I'm a lot more comfortable with occasional Ethanol exposure, but not sure if I really inhale enough Methanol with Sealcoat to worry and spend the extra $$$. (I've bookmarked the fuel version to check out as a possible compromise.)

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Dublin, CA
    Posts
    4,119
    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Schierer View Post
    High purity ethanol can be dangerous: Inhalation of high concentrations may cause central nervous system effects characterized by nausea, headache, dizziness, unconsciousness and coma. Causes respiratory tract irritation. May cause narcotic effects in high concentration. Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation.
    I'm guessing that most people don't need an MSDS to understand the biological effects of ethanol :-).

    I particularly like "may cause narcotic effects in high concentration". If nothing else that serves as a useful calibration point between real-world and MSDS-described risks. What the MSDS considers to be "high concentration" is what a lot of folks would deem "comfortably buzzed" (not me, I haven't consumed more than a few units at a sitting in years, bad jokes notwithstanding. I also wear a respirator with an appropriate filter when finishing with shellac).
    Last edited by Patrick Chase; 03-21-2018 at 9:43 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •