Which denatured?

[ChrisCairns]

Recently I installed Steve's kit.

Today I bought what Steve recommends...denatured alcohol. I simply told the clerk in the paint store I wanted denatured alcohol and this is what he handed me. I paid $6.69 for a gallon and got to reading the complete label after I got it home.

It says on the front "Pure Shellac Thinner" and under that "Solvent Alcohol". Then "Alcohol stove fuel". Further down on the front it says it's a thinner for shellac based finishes, fuel for unpressurized alcohol stoves and water miscible.

On the back it says it contain methanol.

Since this is the first time I'll be trying I want to make sure this is the correct stuff.

Anyone know for sure? Thanks.

 

[ijames]

It sounds like this is pure methanol, not denatured alcohol which is ethanol with a dash of methanol as poison so you can't drink it. If you've opened it, smell it and see if it smells like vodka (kind of sweet) which means it's mostly ethanol, or basically odorless (methanol).

 

[turbojimmy]

Originally posted by ijames
It sounds like this is pure methanol, not denatured alcohol which is ethanol with a dash of methanol as poison so you can't drink it. If you've opened it, smell it and see if it smells like vodka (kind of sweet) which means it's mostly ethanol, or basically odorless (methanol).

Per the recommendation of some others on tb.com, I buy S-L-X brand "Pure Denatured Alcohol". It smells sweet, though. Seems to work okay.

I just bought some more today at Wal*Mart. The register beeped loudly and flashed on the screen "Is customer 18 yrs of age?". Obviously I am, but I thought it was interesting. What are teens doing with the stuff that Wal*Mart has deemed it inappropriate to sell it to them? Surely not drinking it. I don't even like getting it on my skin.

Jim

 

[ChrisCairns]

Thanks Carl. After I read what you wrote I found another store that sold a gallon with the words "Denatured Alcohol" on it in big letters.

Thanks Jim. That's exactly the brand I bought. Glad to hear that it's safe to use in our cars.

Carl....do you think I can still use the methanol one without damaging my engine. I can do enough damage myself...lol.

BTW Jim....when I was buying the first can in the paint store I noticed that there was a gallon of toluene for $20. I commented to the clerk that the price was kinda high. He said that the price was kept high to dissuade druggies from buying it but he would sell it to me for half that...lol. I did buy it but wondered how he knew I wasn't using it for meth. Musta been my halo.

 

[Steve Wood]

strong chance that methanol will cause your pump to seize....helps to have a pump rated for it.

 

[ijames]

Go with Steve on this one. Gas line antifreeze is usually methanol or isopropanol so you can just dump in a pint with each tank of gas until you use it up, or see if you can return it, or, hey, find something to shellac .

 

[WSLN 6]

Just go to the closest chemical supplier, and ask for 2A denatured alcohol. It is about 75-85 percent Ethanol. I bought a 45 gallon drum of it for $300 Canadian, so that should be about $45 US....
It smells like Sunrype apple juice on steroids.
I use it straight, and it works awesome, had no knock with all the stock parts at 20psi, 100 octane chip.
Oh yes, by the way....SMC kicks ass.

 

[ChrisCairns]

Thanks Steve and Carl. I'm glad I asked you smart, yet somewhat ugly, guys about the different alcohol before I used it.

I can't even get out to try the damn stuff today....there's a pile of fresh snow and it's still snowing as I write. I am so pissed at this long crappy winter. I think I'll go outside and make some snow yellow, that'll fix it.

Chris

 

[Steve Wood]

Hello, Pot!

 

[ChrisCairns]

Originally posted by Steve Wood
Hello, Pot!

Ah no thanks. I don't smoke pot.

 

[Steve Wood]

That was not a question, O grammar challenged one!

 

[Steve Hill]

hmmm judging from the description you wrote my guess is that it actually is denatured. The "contains methanol" part is because that is what turns 'natured', or 'natural' (corn, for instance) alcohol into DEnatured alcohol...I.E. something that can't be drunk, and therefore, something that isn't controlled by the ATF bureau. And the "alcohol stoves" part definately points to denatured since this is what an "alcohol stove" uses.
Of course, I could be totally wrong....again

 

[turbojimmy]

This thread got me curious so I went out to the garage to check the S-L-X Denatured Alcohol can. Says methanol added, too.

Jim

 

[Renthorin]

camp stove fuel?

What is the stuff Coleman sells for camp stoves? I use it all the time. About 2.50 a gallong. Clear....don't have a can handy so I can't read it.

Would that stuff work?

 

[Steve Wood]

Denatured alcohol is primarily ethanol. Ethanol is made from corn or other grain and is basically Everclear. Because it would be drinkable, it could not legally be sold over the counter so a percentage of methanol, which is extremely poisonous, is added to it to make it undrinkable. It can then be sold legally. It is used for some camp stoves and as a shellac remover. It may have some other chemicals as well added to it.

It is EXTREMELY poisonous!

 

[Taffy]

Originally posted by Steve Wood

It is EXTREMELY poisonous!

Glad I have good kidneys!!

 

[Steve Wood]

How do you see to type? You must have a good seeing eye dog!

 

[turbojimmy]

Originally posted by Steve Wood
How do you see to type? You must have a good seeing eye dog!

Ya know, I thought that was an old wives tale. But sure as sh*t, one morning after consuming lots of fruit punch mixed with Everclear (still can't drink fruit punch), one of my friends woke up blind in one eye. Got better as the day went on, but we switched to Yukon Jack for future binges. Though we did miss lighting the Everclear bottles when they were empty.

Jim

 

[Steve Wood]

methanol will blind you with just a sip and kill you with a couple of sips...it is deadly poisonous...Everclear/ethanol should not unless you drink a heck of a lot.