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Thread: Stupid question: How do I dispose of denatured alcohol/shellac

  1. #1

    Stupid question: How do I dispose of denatured alcohol/shellac

    So I'm experimenting with shellac for the first time. I used a small glass jar to take some out of the can, and the jar is now sitting there coated in shellac. I know I can clean it with denatured alcohol (DA) or household ammonia, but what do I do with the DA when I'm done?

    Also, I have a small plastic cup with about 50 ml. shellac mixed with DA that I was using for test applications. I don't want to leave the cup out, since I'm working in my garage where the gas furnace is located. But I don't necessarily want to throw away the unused amount. In retrospect, I probably should have used a container with a lid. If I have to throw it away so be it. But how? I can't poor it down the drain, right?

    Sigh.... thanks for your quick replies.

    Yasha
    Last edited by Yasha Renner; 08-09-2019 at 8:09 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    SE Michigan
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    Depending on the amount, I just brush it onto a piece of cardboard or newspaper, let it dry, then toss in the trash.

  3. #3
    Agree. Do not pour it down the drain.

    Can you pour it into a CLEAN glass jar with a lid?
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    The experts call this "air strip". Leave it exposed to the outside air and all the volatiles (ethanol - - pretty benign) evaporate.

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    I mix it with sawdust and then throw in on my mulch pile, so it's pretty much the same as what Brice said.

    John

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
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    Michigan
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    That would go in my "Scrap Solvent" can. It's a 1 quart paint can (properly labeled). It gets half full in about half a year, (I'm parsimonious with solvent), then it gets burned in the fire pit, usually with old bank statements etc.

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