Replies

1. 
   byhammerandhand | Apr 22, 2007 04:45am | #1

   Methylated spirits

2. 
   jimmar | Apr 22, 2007 09:10pm | #2

   Go to your hardware/building supplies store; they'll have methanol and possibly ethanol. Or your drugstore: rubbing alcohols are either ethanol or propanol- it'll say on the bottle what it is.

1. 
   byhammerandhand | Apr 22, 2007 09:30pm | #3

   Denatured alcohol is typically grain alcohol (ethanol, the kind in booze) to which a toxic substance, typically methanol (wood alcohol) has been added to make it non-potable. In Britain, this is known as methylated spirit, or meths.http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem00/chem00102.htmIsopropyl alcohol (isopropanol, IPA), yet another kind is what is found in rubbing alcohol. The problem with drug store IPA is that it contains about 30% water.Though any of these can work as a shellac solvent, they will provide different results and drying rates. For example, methanol dries (flashes off) very fast, and isopropanol medium slow. Denatured is in between.

3. 
   PeteBradley | Apr 23, 2007 01:32am | #4

   As others said, if you have the queen on your currency, you're looking for methylated spirit. For fine work, I often use Behkol, which is a ridiculously expensive but a shellac solvent that gives very predictable results.

   Pete

4. 
   Al from Unionville | Apr 23, 2007 06:07pm | #5

   I have been using methyl hydrate which is available at Home Depot in Canada

5. 
   blewcrowe | Apr 23, 2007 08:32pm | #6

   I have also purchased it under the trade name, Bekol.