Denatured alcohol, a staple in most woodworking shops, is changing. Due to new regulations—particularly those in California—it’s nearly impossible for some woodworkers to buy denatured alcohol. I haven’t had a problem finding it here in Connecticut, but I did notice the addition of “fuel” to the label. Knowing that many backpackers and boaters use denatured alcohol for cooking purposes, I figured that was a marketing ploy. While that may or may not be the case, there’s probably more to it than that, and in this post we’ll dive deeper into the changes behind that label. We’ll also share some sources and alternatives for those who aren’t able to buy denatured alcohol locally anymore.
Denatured alcohol vs. “fuel”
“Natural” alcohol is ethanol, the active ingredient in your favorite alcoholic beverages. Drinking alcohol is regulated, and more importantly taxed, by the government. As woodworkers, we’re not interested in drinking the stuff, most often we want to use it as a solvent for shellac. So manufacturers denature it, or add poison, so we can’t drink it. There are various ways of doing this, but most often this is done by adding methanol, otherwise known as wood alcohol. For what it’s worth, the top search result for “wood alcohol” brings you to a page on cancer.gov—rarely a comforting sign.
I’m not known for my cautious nature, but if I am going to be breathing in fumes from my finish, and getting it on my hands, and have the option of doing it with less poison, I want that one! Both ethanol and methanol are inherently volatile and evaporate completely in a fully cured finish. There is little evidence that a shellac finish suffers when more methanol is added to our denatured alcohol. However, there is no reason to take methanol lightly with regard to safety during use.
The version found most often in your local hardware store is labeled “fuel.” There are two brands of solvent commonly found in local hardware stores, Klean Strip and Sunnyside. Klean Strip lists the denatured alcohol on their website as a heating fuel, and according to the material safety data sheet (MSDS) it contains 30%-60% ethanol and 30%-60% methanol. The same mix applies to Sunnyside. In other words, the product in the can is either mostly ethanol, or mostly methanol—your guess is as good as mine. Thankfully, Klean Strip has a “Green” line of solvents. Their “Green” denatured alcohol is 80%-100% ethanol, and 3%-7% methanol, a major reason Klean Strip Green is often recommended as the best solvent for shellac.*
*As of July of 2020, Klean Strip now has their “Green” denatured alcohol listed as discontinued. Stock up if you find some.
Where can’t you buy denatured alcohol?
While this question might seem silly, we posted a survey and received over 200 responses from all over the United States and Canada. Around 40% of respondents reported difficulty buying denatured alcohol—over half of those responses were from woodworkers in California. Many in Canada, particularly in Ontario and Quebec, aren’t able to buy it locally. There seems to be a few sources and loopholes though, and we’ll share them below.
California
We’re not going to get into the why of it—or for that matter, if the why even makes sense—but the California Air Resource board banned the sale of denatured alcohol around two years ago. Since then, many woodworkers have had to get creative in sourcing their favorite shellac solvent. I reached out to a few highly regarded woodworkers and asked them where they source their denatured alcohol. I have chosen to redact the names of those I deem awesome.
Woodworker #1 replied:
“I am not a lawyer, I just want to clean my shellac brush. Fortunately for me, I have a son who lives in [redacted] Arizona. From time to time he buys the environmentally clean denatured alcohol at the local Home Depot. That is all I can say on the matter. However, my shellac brushes are clean.”
Woodworker #3 reported that they are still able to get it at a hardwood dealer that sells a lot of high-end and tough-to-find finishing supplies. I confirmed that this is because some of the regulations are more relaxed in San Diego county than in the rest of the California.
For what it’s worth, one respondent from the survey told me that they get denatured alcohol from their cannabis growing supply store.
Let’s be clear, it is illegal to cross state lines with banned products, and it would also be illegal for me to buy a can of denatured alcohol and send it to my friend in Los Angeles.
Canada
I was surprised to see that denatured alcohol has become hard to get in some (all?) parts of Canada. Respondents in Ontario and Quebec reported that they can only get it at Lee Valley, Motion Canada, Juneau Peinture, and La Maison du peintre. Online, Lee Valley’s version is listed as “Shellac/Lacquer Thinner” (more on that below). Motion has denatured alcohol listed on their website, but only as a factory order item.
Specialty supply stores in other regions
Respondents in Colorado, Georgia, and Pennsylvania have reported it isn’t available on the shelves of their local home center, but they were able find it at a painting supply or woodworking supply store.
Some have said that they find denatured alcohol sold as “fuel” from camping suppliers such as REI and from boating suppliers. That said, check the MSDS sheet because that type of mixture will likely have high amounts of methanol.
Methyl Hydrate – Commonly found in Canada
Mike Mascelli discusses Methyl Hydrate, and if it’s a usable substitute in the shop.
Online suppliers
Currently there are a few places selling denatured alcohol online and shipping to many places we’ve mentioned that won’t allow local sales. You’re likely to pay a premium, but considering most woodworkers rarely use more than a gallon of denatured alcohol a year, it may be worth the added costs, even with shipping.
For many woodworkers, the alternatives to denatured alcohol are actually their preferred shellac solvent, and for good reason.
Grain alcohol – Grain alcohols, such as Everclear and Graves, are often found in your local liquor store. The higher the proof, the more pure it is, so many woodworkers prefer 190-proof grain alcohol. Some have had success with 151-proof, but it’s probably best to avoid 120-proof because at that point you’re introducing more water into your finishing solution than you probably want. Unfortunately, higher-proof grain alcohol is not available in California and many other regions.
Culinary solvent– Until recently, I hadn’t known of the existence of culinary solvent—which for all intents and purposes, is just pure 200-proof ethanol, manufactured and packaged for use as an ingredient in perfumes, cosmetics, mouthwash, and other products. You’ll pay a premium for it, but currently, CulinarySolvent.com states that they ship to 39 states, including California. Some states require a permit before shipping.
Director of The Krenov School Laura Mays told me:
“At the school we bought a 5-gallon can of food-grade alcohol, which is 200-proof ethanol. It’s about $350 for the 5 gallons because of a massive tax on it. $350 seems like a lot but it works out at $17.50 a quart, which isn’t so so bad. And I never had any problems using the hardware stuff for shellac but the food-grade stuff is, in theory at least, perfect!”
Shellac reducer – Lee Valley and Mohawk both sell a product labeled as “Shellac reducer” or “Shellac/Lacquer reducer.” Lee Valley states that their version is a mix of ethanol and isobutyl alcohol. Mohawk’s Shellac reducer MSDS declares it is ethanol, butanol, and isopropanol.
Both isobutyl alcohol and butanol are otherwise known as Isobutanol or 2-Methyl-1-propanol, and isa synthesized alcohol. Isopropanol is commonly found in rubbing alcohol. Both are likely used as a denaturant, and at first glance shouldn’t affect shellac solubility and may be marginally safer than methanol.
Lee Valley does not have an MSDS sheet on their site for their shellac reducer, but Mohawk’s consists of 75%-100% ethanol and 2.5%-10% butanol, and isopropanol, a ratio reminiscent to Klean-Strip Green denatured alcohol.
Looking forward
I think I’ll head down to the local liquor store next time I need shellac solvent. It just seems simpler and given the amount of denatured alcohol I go through, I won’t go broke doing it. It is likely that many woodworkers will be forced to do the same, or switch to shellac reducer. Time will tell how shellac reducer acts when mixed with our favorite shellac flakes, but I know that woodworkers are industrious and creative, and I doubt that simple chemistry will ever get between us and a perfect French polished finish!
*Thank you to William Hoffman, a materials scientist, for the help on this article.
Shellac Solvent: Grain Alcohol vs. Denatured Alcohol
Bob Miller explains why you should head to the local liquor store before applying your next shellac finish
All About Thinning Finishes
You don’t need a chemistry degree to understand which solvents work with each kind of finish
Mix Your Own Shellac
How to make a batch of shellac from fresh flakes.
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Just about any hardware store will carry Denatured Alcohol. Walmart carries it – usually in the paint section. Also, the fuel additive found in auto parts stores in the yellow bottle called, HEET, is denatured alcohol.
Similar to mineral spirits, denatured alcohol is an effective method for picking up fine dust particles. Also called methylated spirit or wood alcohol, it cleanses wood without discoloring the grain. Denatured alcohol also evaporates quickly, making it a quick way to cleanse your surfaces.
There are a few substitutes for denatured alcohol, including methanol and isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Keep in mind that these substitutes may not work as well as denatured alcohol, and they may not be compatible with all finishes or products.
Apparently the California Air Resources Board has determined it to be a toxic air pollutant. It probably is when burned as fuel, but it is far less toxic that a lot of degreasers and paint thinners that are still on the market.
As regulations evolve, finding this solvent is going to require some creativity. Denatured alcohol, a staple in most woodworking shops, is changing. Due to new regulations—particularly those in California—it's nearly impossible for some woodworkers to buy denatured alcohol.
Use isopropyl alcohol in most of the same applications as denatured alcohol. It is safe for cleaning plastics, metals, anodized windshield repair injectors; as well as all other Delta Kits windshield repair equipment.
Denatured alcohol can be applied with a soft cloth to remove sawdust, smooth the wood's surface, and give the wood a professional and glossy finish. Finally, in industrial settings, denatured alcohol is often used as a solvent in products such as shellac and paint thinner.
If the wood is covered in shellac, denatured alcohol will dissolve it right away; if it is covered in varnish, the alcohol will dissolve it more slowly; if the item is covered in lacquer, apply a commercial chemical stripper instead.
Denatured alcohol (also called methylated spirits or meths in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom; wood spirit; and denatured rectified spirit) is ethanol that has additives to make it poisonous, bad-tasting, foul-smelling, or nauseating to discourage its recreational ...
Isopropyl alcohol and denatured alcohol can be alternated in some applications. Both can be used as cleaning agents, and as solvents in a variety of industries.
1. Don't Mix Rubbing Alcohol With Bleach. There are some chemical combinations you should avoid at all costs, and bleach and alcohol is one of them. Rubbing alcohol contains ethanol and isopropyl, which when mixed with bleach creates chloroform, a toxic compound that emits toxic and corrosive fumes.
Methanol (methyl alcohol) is the most common chemical used as a denaturant. Other common additives include isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol), acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl isobutyl ketone.
Drying out wood slices is actually really easy. All you need to do is grab some denatured alcohol, and allow the slices to soak for 24 hours for each inch of thickness. Take the slices out, and let them dry. Dry time varies based on slice thickness.
Denatured alcohol assists in cleaning the wood after sanding it to prepare it for other projects. Wear protective gloves and treat the wood outside in a dry area. Use a lint-free cloth and wipe the wood with undiluted denatured alcohol. The denatured alcohol will dry quickly and clean the wood.
So, let's just agree that when it comes to cleaning wood or laminate floors, no vinegar. Alcohol is also a fantastic cleaning product — rubbing alcohol (70% is most common, but 91% works is great, too), denatured alcohol, even gin or plain vodka.
One of the biggest differences between acetone and denatured alcohol is that acetone is a non-toxic, organic, naturally occurring chemical compound, while denatured alcohol is ethanol based and has denaturants added to it, making it poisonous if consumed.
Denatured alcohol and isopropyl alcohol have similar uses, but they differ chemically. Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol with toxic or bad tasting additives that make it unsuitable for consumption. The chemical formula of ethyl is C2H6O and the formula for isopropyl alcohol is C3H8O.
Everclear is non-denatured mixture of ethyl alcohol (ethanol, grain alcohol) product derived from 100% corn. Everclear 190 proof is designed and sold in some states for use as a beverage. Everclear is available in two different strengths including the popular 190 proof (95% ABV) as well as 151 proof (75.5% ABV).
Rubbing alcohol can help remove sticky gunk and also acts as a disinfectant—a big reason why we have it in our medicine cabinet. It is cheap, effective, and multi-purpose, making it very attractive to use. But whatever you do, never use it on your wood furniture.
Mineral spirits and denatured alcohol are organic solvents, and their compositions and applications are different from each other. The key difference between mineral spirits and denatured alcohol is that mineral spirits appear as clear liquids, whereas denatured alcohol appears in violet colour.
Shellac can be removed with denatured alcohol. If alcohol doesn't work, try lacquer thinner. If your piece was manufactured by a quality furniture maker after 1930, a thinning product is the best place to start, since your furniture is likely finished with shellac or lacquer.
You can correct this problem by cleaning again with a 50/50 mix of denatured alcohol and water. Let your project dry 24 hours before applying water-based products.
The term 'denatured alcohol' refers to alcohol products adulterated with toxic and/or bad tasting additives (e.g., methanol, benzene, pyridine, castor oil, gasoline, isopropyl alcohol, and acetone), making it unsuitable for human consumption.
In summary, isopropyl alcohol is a secondary alcohol that has not been treated with additives (with the exception of water). Denatured alcohol is primary alcohol mixed with additives to make it unpalatable and, in some cases, even more toxic.
Denatured alcohol is used for thinning shellac and cleaning brushes used to apply shellac. It can also be used to remove light pencil marks on wood. Lacquer thinner is a blended mixture of two or more solvents. Acetone, amyl or ethyl acetate, keotone and toluene are common ingredients in lacquer thinners.
Denatured alcohol can be used to disinfectant, sterilise medical equipment, as a window cleaner, and there are many more uses. Methylated spirits are also perfect for indoor or outdoor methylated heaters. It is an effective solvent in the paints, lacquers and varnish industry.
Yes, Vinegar and rubbing alcohol can be mixed together to make a great glass cleaner. Yes. Vinegar and Alcohol mixed together makes a great glass cleaner.
Acetone and alcohol do react together to form new products. The product of mixing acetone and alcohol is hemiacetal, which is an organic compound with the general formula RR′COR′′ R R ′ C O R ″ , where R is an alkyl group.
Denatured alcohol is commonly legally available in three forms depending on the concentration of alcohol: industrial denatured alcohol (IDA) (wood naphtha is added); completely denatured alcohol (CDA) (isopropyl alcohol, methyl ethyl ketone and denatonium benzoate are added); and trade-specific denatured alcohol (TSDA) ...
Decon's Reagent Alcohol (SDA 3A and IPA, 200 Proof,) is a specially denatured ethanol product primarily used in the clinical histology lab. Denatured according to formula 3A, this ethanol product is available without the licensure needed for pure alcohol formulations.
The cost for Denatured Alcohol topical liquid 70% is around $16 for a supply of 480 milliliters, depending on the pharmacy you visit. ... Topical Liquid.
Denatured alcohol (also called methylated spirits or meths in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom; wood spirit; and denatured rectified spirit) is ethanol that has additives to make it poisonous, bad-tasting, foul-smelling, or nauseating to discourage its recreational ...
Denatured alcohol and isopropyl alcohol have similar uses, but they differ chemically. Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol with toxic or bad tasting additives that make it unsuitable for consumption. The chemical formula of ethyl is C2H6O and the formula for isopropyl alcohol is C3H8O.
Both can be used as cleaning agents, and as solvents in a variety of industries. The main difference is that IPA shouldn't be used in certain applications because it won't be as effective as denatured alcohol, whereas the latter shouldn't be used to replace IPA because it is highly toxic and could be dangerous.
Denatured alcohol can be used to disinfectant, sterilise medical equipment, as a window cleaner, and there are many more uses. Methylated spirits are also perfect for indoor or outdoor methylated heaters. It is an effective solvent in the paints, lacquers and varnish industry.
The term 'denatured alcohol' refers to alcohol products adulterated with toxic and/or bad tasting additives (e.g., methanol, benzene, pyridine, castor oil, gasoline, isopropyl alcohol, and acetone), making it unsuitable for human consumption.
Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is an acceptable cooking fuel. It may be purchased in 70 percent, 91 percent, and 99 percent strengths. The higher the percentage of alcohol, the better the alcohol will burn. Isopropyl alcohol produces a yellow flame and does not burn as cleanly denatured alcohol or ethanol.
While acetone is not the same as denatured alcohol, they are used in some of the same processes. Both solvents can be used in the production of plastics, cleaning, degreasing, and as an additive for fuel. While there is overlap some, there are industries or uses exclusive to either acetone or denatured alcohol.
Denatured alcohol can be applied with a soft cloth to remove sawdust, smooth the wood's surface, and give the wood a professional and glossy finish. Finally, in industrial settings, denatured alcohol is often used as a solvent in products such as shellac and paint thinner.
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