Lacquer Thinner

Tom Endy

Tom Endy

Well-known member
Has anyone else in California recently purchased lacquer thinner and noticed that it is not the same as it used to be? For years I have used lacquer thinner as a degreaser and paint remover. I keep a large covered coffee can on the work bench and put all the nuts and bolts and other small hardware I remove in the can and let it sit overnight. In the past the parts would come out with grease and paint removed.

The new lacquer thinner I purchased from Home Depot (two gallon cans about a month apart) seem to have no affect on grease and does not remove paint as well as before.

I asked at Home Depot if there has been a change. They knew of none. The new gallon containers have exactly the same wording on them as the old.

Tom Endy
 
I was cleaning a paint brush with a new can of lacquer thinner and I thought I grabbed the wrong can because it smelled like acetone, I looked and nope it said lacquer thinner. When I was at the paint store getting some paint remover the guy told me they have reformulated the lacquer thinner and it is mostly acetone.

Bob
 
A few years ago, mineral spirits was also changed. Something to do with the flash point to make it safer to protect us from outselves.
 
I believe I read/ was told that since acetone vapor is heavier than air so it does not count towards the VOC numbers.

Of course, even the acetone does not smell the same.
 
I used to use paint thinner as a degreaser but you can't buy that in CA anymore. Home Depot has removed it from the shelves and replaced it with mineral spirits.
 
My experience has been that two versions of lacquer thinner have always been sold. The stuff sold for retail which is like you describe and the good stuff sold by auto paint suppliers. The good stuff has always been marked "for use by professionally trained personnel" and not available in regular retail paint stores. I did get the weak stuff at an auto parts store recently, but they were not a paint auto paint dealer.
 
Yes, the Lacquer thinners is mostly Acetone. VOC's rule. Even In Canada. And yes it's junk even from the jobber. It will hardly clean the spray guns.

The Old Tinbasher
 
Up here in Washington Ace Hardware sells what they call high strength lacquer thinner and the label says it removes oil, tar, ink, glue, marker, crayon, grease.

What it contains is methanol, toluene, acetone, glycol ether, petroleum distillates, ketones, and esters. Labels usually list the contents in order of the proportion with highest first.

I'll be paying more attention to label reading being surprised at what an unexpected concoction this stuff is.

I can buy straight methanol, straight toluene, straight naptha and straight acetone.

Ray
 
Granted I'm in FL, but I have had no problems with any of the various brands of lacquer thinner I've bought from my local automotive paint jobbers.

I haven't bought lacquer thinner from the hardware store so I'm wondering if there are different formulations for the 'do it yourselfer' and the thinners you get from the automotive paint supply store.
 
I buy lacquer thinner in 5 gallon cans at my paint supply. I pay about $35 I think, you may pay more. Still its a good deal and its "real" lacquer thinner. However, I can't say for sure the area better known as "California" will still have it.Check with your auto paint supply stores.
 
I have also noticed it dependingon where it is purchased. Lacquer thinner has become more of an acetate.
 
The paint store I use sells two grades of lacquer thinner.They have a quality,or I think they call it finish grade,and they also have utility grade.The good stuff is about $90.for a 5 gallon pail.The utility grade is about $35.for a bucket,and about every three months they have a special on it.$39.95 for two buckets.There is a big difference in the smell of the two grades.I have no use for the good stuff,I just use it to clean with mostly.I did find out though the cheap stuff will dissolve gas tank sealers(it takes a lot of time)and the good stuff just sits there.
 
The state of California SCAQMD South coast Air Quality Management district outlawed MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) several years ago because of the emiisions and claimed that it was causing problems with our o-zone layer. MEK was the largest component in lacquer thinner and can also be purchased seperately except in California. This rule expanded to other states (Oregon and Washington) and eventually crossed the country and Canada and even Europe (ripple effect).
Acetone was claimed to be HAPS free (Hazardous Air Pollutants) and became a popular replacement for MEK. Unfortunately it is not nearly the same and now you know the rest of the story. In most of the USA and the rest of the world you can still buy MEK.
Ken
 
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