Official Luthiers Forum!

Can't buy Everclear in NY state, so I got a gallon of 190 proof grain alc from a local herbalist who uses it to make tinctures. He has a permit to buy it and gets it in quantities of 20 gal or more. Make friends with your local herbalists and you may have a great source of pure grain alcohol. Less $$$ than Everclear, same stuff.

Though I use all sorts of solvents in my shop when necessary, I still try to limit my inhalation of toxic vapors as much as possible, so I avoid DA (I do have some, and use it occasionally).

If the Brune's assertion of the added solvents in DA dissolving some wax and making a softer finish is correct (sounds plausible to me, and I have no reason to doubt their research on it), there's another good reason for using pure grain alc. Unless you want a softer finish.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

DA's not a problem if you use de-waxed shellac flakes (or ZInser/Liberon pre-mixed).

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=rich altieri] ...then off to find some walnut oil and give this a try.[/QUOTE]
Make sure it contains no additives. Some of the grocery-store varieties do. Lee Valley and, I think, Woodcraft have pure walnut oil.

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] I used the Wood craft walnut oil in my salad tonight........ [/QUOTE]
Well, okay...but don't use hide glue as a skin tightener, or fish glue as a cologne.