Thread: 100% IMS metho

In Melbourne there's a place called "The Paint Drop" (or something similar), just pff North Rd on the left heading north just after Ormond. They also sell such stuff.

This is the MSDS for Haymes Meths

Look at the section on ingredients - 90%-100% ethanol.

So you may not be able to be 100% sure that its 100% pure.

Damm. screwed again, and it even said on the label suitable for french polishing.

Sorry to bring bad news.

I checked and even Diggers 100% meths has up to 4.2% water - Diggers 100% MSDS

But ISTR that ethanol is hydroscopic, so even if you bought 100% meths, it will pick up water from the atmosphere once you have opened the bottle.

And put it this way, the 100% from haymes or Diggers is going to be much less likely to have significant amounts of water in it than the stuff from bunnies (or Coles or Woolies!!!).

Originally Posted by jmk89

Sorry to bring bad news.

I checked and even Diggers 100% meths has up to 4.2% water - Diggers 100% MSDS

But ISTR that ethanol is hydroscopic, so even if you bought 100% meths, it will pick up water from the atmosphere once you have opened the bottle.

And put it this way, the 100% from haymes or Diggers is going to be much less likely to have significant amounts of water in it than the stuff from bunnies (or Coles or Woolies!!!).

As far as I am aware there is only one manufacturer of metho (industrial aclohol) in Australia, CSR.
So wherever you buy yours, it will all come from the same source. So buy it on price.

What is so important about 100% for shellac use anyway? Puzzled.

Have to agree Sheddie, in my limited experience with french polish, ordinary "off the shelf" metho from the local hardware mixed with shellac flakes seems to work for me - I am however eager to find out if better results can be had with the so-called purer stuff

Cheers,

Ned

i had a hard time finding 100% meth, so in a post i read it said about hames.i googled hames found a distributor here in brisbane near me..(paddington hardware).i gave them a call spoke to a guy named rod.he was actually surprised that anyone knows the difference,but was well versed in the product,said they dont stock it any more as it costs a couple of $ more than ordinary product.so i ordered some & am picking it up saturday,he assures me it is 100% .good guy to deal with, for all local to brisbane he can get it in within a week.

In Vic the Sceney's line includes 100% meths, so called.

I usually come across it at the bigger Mitre 10's.

Our Ethanol (100%IMS) contains 0.5% denaturant to make it unpalatable. Other than that it is pure alcohol. However if left in an open drum or other container it will pick up water from the atmosphere but at such a minute amount as to make little or no difference.

The big problem with metho off the shelf is that there is no real regulation of whet is sold other than the 100%IMS and 95%IMS which are supposed to carry the amount of alcohol stated.

Other than that the only stipulation for Methylated Spirits is that it should be Over Proof (OP) which means it should be able to burn if set alight. Metho is OP when it has as much as 48% water in it. Try mixing your Shellac Flakes down with that stuff.

Believe me cheaper isn't always better. It is what happens to it after it leaves CSR that is the problem. It goes to distribution centres all over the country where it is re bottled etc by a variety businesses under their names and to their specs. Don't be fooled Oils ain't oils and metho's ain't metho's there really is a difference.

Most off the shelf meths contain between 10 - 40% water. If you use these for shellac you will firstly have a problem dissolving the flakes (shellac is basically a wax and wax doesn't mix with water) and if there is even the slightest moisture in the air when using the shellac it will bloom (make the surface look milky).

Using 100%IMS virtually alleviates bloom unless the weather is really, really bad with 95%IMS will bloom a little easier but is far more preferable to the common garden variety stuff.

Shellac should dissolve completely in 100%IMS within an hour at the outside (under occasional agitation), 95%IMS may tale a little longer. Anything more than a couple of hours and the flakes have not completely dissolved means there is a problem usually with the meths. To check if there is water in the metho put a little into a bottle and add a few drops of turpentine, give it a shake and if it goes slightly milky then it has more water than it should. If it goes milky white it is rubbish and probably only good for using to wash your windows.

Hope this is of some help and interest.

Cheers - Neil

PS We use 100%IMS in all our shellac because it has to mix with waxes to make our Shellawax friction polishes. Even the most minute amount of water will stop the mixing process. We were given 95%IMS by mistake once and it ruined a $12,000 batch of Shellawax.