Everclear Alcohol UK Equivalent

[segovia]

Hi

Does anyone know of a UK equivalent brand of Everclear Grain Alcohol

Everclear - Wikipedia

It's for diluting Shellac for French polishing

 

[mwinfrance]

As a drink ( like Everclear ) "Polish Pure Spirit" ..it is expensive..
You could also try your local pharmacy or some industrial chemical suppliers, you want alcohol over 90% but without the usual "denaturing", it is used by restorers. When I was in the UK I was able to get it , but I was registered as ( amongst other things ) a professional picture and artwork restorer. Available in up to 30 litre containers for my use, bigger for certain industrial processes. Cheap when bought that way..

Expensive when bought in the little bottles in pharmacies.Because you can drink it, or dilute it and drink it.

You could make your own,very easily, but that would be illegal.
It and it's vapours are highly inflammable..be very careful around it, also with your shellac when it is diluted with it.
If you are buying "flake shellac" your supplier may have alcohol at this grade, or be able to tell you who to get it from.
At this degree of alcohol, ingestion is poisonous.. and can be fatal.

 

[Luke Barnard]

Search for "clear methylated spirits" or "clear denatured alcohol" to avoid getting the stuff with the purple dye in. I last got a few litres of the stuff from J C Penny Restoration in Southampton, but their website seems to be down. But you can also get it from Amazon and others.

 

[mwinfrance]

Search for "clear methylated spirits" or "clear denatured alcohol" to avoid getting the stuff with the purple dye in. I last got a few litres of the stuff from J C Penny Restoration in Southampton, but their website seems to be down. But you can also get it from Amazon and others.

That just means that the purple dye is not in there, doesn't mean it is "a UK equivalent brand of Everclear Grain Alcohol" it still has "impurities" added so as to render it unfit for consumption, which may ( or may not ) affect how it combines ( and in particular dries out ) with shellac. I've got around 50 litres of the "clear denatured alcohol" here, ( you can buy it in supermarkets here, about €1.50 per litre* ) but it leaves a slightly greasy residue when it evaporates.If that is all you can get, do a test mix first and let it evaporate on what you are using it for ( guitars ? ) it would be a shame to spoil an instrument.

*It is about 90% alcohol, 4% " whatever"..rest water ( almost impossible to get all the water out in manufacture, at a reasonable price )..can get purer, ( higher alcohol % ) but the price is waaaay higher. still smells a bit , different to iso, but there is still a smell.

 

[Jacob]

I've always understood that ordinary meths, available everywhere including Screwfix, is what is used for french polishing. Not drinkable though.

 

[John Brown]

I've always understood that ordinary meths, available everywhere including Screwfix, is what is used for french polishing. Not drinkable though.

Certainly what my father used.

 

[mwinfrance]

It used to be, but to be certain, picture and artwork restorers ( such as myself ) always used "pure"..not "drugstore alcohol" or "hardware store alcohol", so as to avoid any adulterants that might leave residues.A bit like using "pharma grade bicarb" instead of "store bicarb".The OP will probably be perfectly OK using hardware store meths 9 times out of 10*, but that is not "the equivalent" of what he asked about.

Does anyone know of a UK equivalent brand of Everclear Grain Alcohol

*I always recommend testing anything, manufacturers and retailers can change their precise formulations from batch to batch without always mentioning it. Sometimes it won't affect your proposed use, sometimes it will, testing avoids nasty surprises that could cost you time and or money.

 

[profchris]

If it's any help, I finish instruments in shellac using meths (Bird Brand) from the local hardware store. Leaves no greasy residue, and I can't detect any of the dye (the dye fades to clear with light over time in any event).

I've read that isopropyl alcohol works and is obtainable without additives, but dissolves the shellac a bit slower. However, never tried it myself.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hexeal-LITRE-Isopropyl-Alcohol-Isopropanol/dp/B082XQ4W4R/
You'll find plenty of other uses for it. Good firm to buy from. Good for Dead Sea salt, Himalayan pink salt etc. and other things.

 

[thetyreman]

I use isopropyl for it, you can also use industrial meths but you need some kind of license to buy it, basically it's meths without the purple colour.

 

[segovia]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hexeal-LITRE-Isopropyl-Alcohol-Isopropanol/dp/B082XQ4W4R
You'll find plenty of other uses for it. Good firm to buy from. Good for Dead Sea salt, Himalayan pink salt etc. and other things.

Thanks, what is the name of the supplier ?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Does the link not take you there?

Actually it's better direct Isopropyl Alcohol

 

[segovia]

Thanks, t is the name of the supplier ?

If it's any help, I finish instruments in shellac using meths (Bird Brand) from the local hardware store. Leaves no greasy residue, and I can't detect any of the dye (the dye fades to clear with light over time in any event).

I've read that isopropyl alcohol works and is obtainable without additives, but dissolves the shellac a bit slower. However, never tried it myself.

I belive i need https:/

Does the link not take you there?

Actually it's better direct Isopropyl Alcohol

yes, I found them and have emailed thanks

 

[Grandad455]

Filtering through aquarium grade activated charcoal using a coffee filter to hold the charcoal is an effective way of removing the dye and other impurities, but will not remove the methyl alcohol content.
Have used that for French polishing and other jobs needing clear alcohol. You may have to put it through more than once, can't remember now, long time back.

 

[BearTricks]

I have a load of bottles of the hexeal stuff. I use it for everything from cleaning cuts, to diluting alcohol based dyes, to smoothing the fingerprints out of certain types of sculpting clay.

 

[--Tom--]

As said it’s available but expensive- in part due to alcohol duty
E.g.

https://www.gerrys.uk.com/polish-spirit-95-10cl-copy

https://www.gerrys.uk.com/polish-spirit-50cl

 

[Richard_C]

The hierarchy of alcohols begins with methanol, the most volatile and poisonous, C H3 OH, ethanol C2 H5 OH, then Isopropyl alcohol C3 H7 OH.

Methylated spirits sounds like it's methanol but is ethanol adulterated with methanol plus an emetic and in the UK some dye. In France you can buy it in supermarkets in 1 litre bottles, 90%, as alcohol a bruler, they don't add the dye. Used in Meths stoves and the like. I normally get a bottle or 2 if I go (by car) for general woodwork and cleaning use. Cheaper than Meths in the UK but the main reason I get it is the un-purpleness.

You can easily buy Isopropanol in the UK, as others have said. The pharmaceutical stuff often used the old name Surgical Spirit, I think you can get some horse rubbing stuff as well but I've never needed to rub a horse. The main marketing is as an electrical contact cleaner. I think the retail stuff is about 95%, no dye so very similar to the evergreen strength. It won't be quite as volatile as ethanol but I suspect it will be fine. During covid, DIY hand sanitiser with a mix of Isopropanol, water and a detergent served me well, and I use a 30/70 mix in a little bottle as a screen cleaner.

So maybe try Isopropanol?

 

[XTiffy]

I have never had a problem using the "purple" stuff with shellac, over the past 46 years in Antique Restoration. Including picture frame and mirror frame resoration.

 

[trvlr]

During covid, DIY hand sanitiser with a mix of Isopropanol, water and a detergent served me well, and I use a 30/70 mix in a little bottle as a screen cleaner.

Is that 30 Isopropyl to 70 water with a dash of detergent - and safe as a screen cleaner (thinking of typical computer LED displays etc.)?