Replies

1. 
   Kevin | May 01, 2004 08:17pm | #1

   Well, I get PM Acetate from my local Sherwin Williams commercial finishing outlet. While that division of SW is clearly set up for commerical accounts, I suspect that they'd be happy to take your money. There are, or at least used to be, other local sources as well as I know that former employers in the area purchased PM Acetate from other sources.

   Perhaps the best bet if you can't readily find a local source would be to call a local cabinet shop that is using solvent-based finishes and ask them where you can buy solvents. They might even be willing to act as purchasing agent for you if need be.

   As for IBIB... I don't know what that is. I assume it's some sort of isobutyl acetate? There are actually a number of retarding solvents in the acetate family which can be used in lacquer. I prefer PM Acetate because it's fairly weak, and also because it's a primary solvent for nitrocellulose resin.

   A weaker retarding solvent is easier to work with, IMO, because a splash too much or a splash too little has much less effect than with the stronger retarders, making it much more forgiving. For example, 10% reduction with PM Acetate is a fairly normal reduction schedule recommended by the SW lab guys. Glycol ether EB (this is from memory and might not be exactly the right name) has a reduction schedule of 1-2%. It's much easier to eyeball reduce with PM Acetate because it's weaker. With the glycol ether you'd want to measure accurately because it's so strong of a retarder. One percent too much of the PM isn't a big deal. One percent too much of the glycol is a huge deal.

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1. 
   sneezy | May 02, 2004 08:46am | #2

   Thanks a lot

   jC