Solvents in the shop (I hope not too geeky)

[Frank Pratt]

Boy I hope that latter comment is incorrect. I am in the middle of refinishing some plantation teak outdoor chairs with a sludge caviar called Epifanes. I have been using Odorless Mineral Spirits to thin it. Just applied coat #2, haven't really noticed a problem. I wonder if I should be using Naptha instead.

I suppose it depends on the particular formulation. There have been a couple of discussions on other forums and some of the well experienced guys have had bad experiences with it. The paint thinner labeled as 'green' mineral spirits was reported as being problematic as well.

[Carl Beckett]

Oh! I was given a quart of 'mineral oil' a while back. Got it out to use it and it was NOT mineral oil at all. Some type of water based product. Now wish I had a picture of it... I just threw it out, nearly caused me a huge mess. (so much for 'green'! - when it just gets dumped)

[Thomas L Carpenter]

I'm a retired analytical chemist and have used most if not all of the solvents listed above and many more. I'm not too concerned with any of them but that's because i have always avoided excess (whatever that is) exposure to any of them. What is safe today may be considered hazardous many years from now. I keep IPA, mineral spirits, and water in wash bottles on my bench. Carbon tet, chloroform, and benzene were used frequently when I first started in the 60s and 70s and look where they are now.

[Mike Cutler]

I have the usual suspects, as does everyone else. My "favorites" would have to be Acetone and Lacquer thinner. I'm not a 100%, but probably 95%+ always wearing nitril, or latex gloves, handling chemicals. It's usually when I'm working on a car, or garden equipment, that I lapse.
I do keep them in a "Fire Locker". Yep an official one. I got it free because the auto door closure did not work 100% of the time. Not a problem for me, as I open and shut it manually.

Gasoline is not stored in the garage. I keep it stored in Shelter Logic building, out of the sun, and on a cool concrete pad. All of the mowers and such are in there also.

[Andrew Seemann]

I worked for a while in a tape factory in the early 90s. Naturally those of us on the production line got adhesive on ourselves day in and day out. Pretty much everyone washed their hands in MEK at the end of the day, even though it was theoretically against the rules. Nothing else took it off.

Between that, 5 years in a machine shop, and being a gear head and doing my own car and mechanical repairs until I was about 40, I have developed a sensitivity to most petroleum based solvents. For some reason, kerosene and diesel seem to be the worst, but mineral spirits, naphtha, motor oil, and grease irritate my skin as well.

[Mark Daily]

Buy it as "odorless mineral spirits" or "pure mineral spirits".

Ok, thanks. I always use odorless.

[Scott T Smith]

D limonene, contrary to popular belief, is not particularly safe simply by virtue of its citrus source. In concentration, it can be allergenic. In fact, it is required to be labeled when used in consumer cosmetic products in the EU.

Mineral oil and mineral spirits are - in some dimensions - arguably safer than limonene.

Don’t go by unqualified me, but do research it more before trusting it without precaution.

Thanks Prashun for the info; I was unaware of this. Fortunately I don't seem to be allergic to it.

[Jim Barstow]

I chuckle when I talk to someone who thinks that because something is from a natural source it is safer. Forty years ago (probably couldn’t have this situation today), I worked in a university research lab where we had enough tetrodotoxin (isolated from frogs among others) to (theoretically) kill millions of people. (The LD50 is less than 350 MICRO grams / kg much more toxic than cyanide.)

In some cases, a synthetic product may be more pure and safer than the natural product.

[Andrew Seemann]

In some cases, a synthetic product may be more pure and safer than the natural product.

The family biz is a small retail greenhouse, and we always have people coming in wanting organic everything. We try to explain to them that "organic" doesn't mean pesticide-free, it just means that pesticides, if used, have to be certified organic. And some organics (though not most) are nastier than the non-organic ones.

And then there is "organic" fertilizer discussion For some reason, many of the organic folks aren't warm to the idea of putting rotted cow sh!t next to their vegetables they are going to eat. Especially after I tell them that back in the 1930s when my great grandfather ran the large greenhouse next door, they would put manure and water in a barrel and let it "season" and then use the liquid that came off it for fertilizer. One of the folks working there accidentally drank some and got typhoid fever from it.

[Jacob Reverb]

I chuckle when I talk to someone who thinks that because something is from a natural source it is safer. Forty years ago (probably couldn’t have this situation today), I worked in a university research lab where we had enough tetrodotoxin (isolated from frogs among others) to (theoretically) kill millions of people. (The LD50 is less than 350 MICRO grams / kg much more toxic than cyanide.)

In some cases, a synthetic product may be more pure and safer than the natural product.

Yeah, I had to laugh when my brother (from California) started spouting about how acetone is harmless because it's produced by the human body.

The human body also produces formaldehyde, as well as something very similar to formaldehyde when it metabolizes ethanol.

[David Utterback]

I learned a lot from your comments on my posting. Several mentioned fire and toxic hazards. Both are very important, obviously, and could be topics for future posts.

My intent was that when using solvents for clean up and general purposes, many similar products will do the job. Yet, when thinning oil based finishes, I follow the label instructions for which solvent.
Their physical properties could affect the way the finish dries and/or hardens. Why chance it. I avoid applying oil-based finishes with brushes so no cleanup waste. I generally apply with a cloth, paper towel or foam brush and discard. Using high grade isopropyl alcohol for shellac sounds good although the odor still reminds me of getting shots when I was a kid.


My total mineral solvent usage is likely less than a quart a year, primarily dna and mineral spirits or naphtha, with maybe 12 events per year. I will break out the lacquer thinner for a particularly tough job. But I do not like using it and my quart container is probably at least 10 years old.

Applying oil based finishes, a likely equivalent exposure risk, would add probably another 2 dozen events. Then add in the solvent -based waxes, cleaners and lubricants, and the number of exposures increases. I really should be more careful about skin contact and inhalation.