Acetone

[woodstalker]

Needed some acetone to clean off a grp roof I am redoing. Bought a kit to do the roof that included “everything” needed for 10m2 but when it arrived it did not include the acetone which the company sold but to get it would be £31 delivery. Been all over Salisbury looking for some at builders merchants, car repair places, etc. no one had it in stock.

Eventually found a salon supply place and was able to buy 2 litres there. Wasn’t my first thought to go there! Got my nails done too

 

[Raymedullary]

Brings back memories of my yacht joinery days, I worked for Jeremy Rogers for a spell who famously pioneered certain GRP production methods and produced the famous Contessa range of yachts. I can still smell the acetone... and my forearms itch every time I cast my mind back!

 

[Mike G]

.......I can still smell the acetone... and my forearms itch every time I cast my mind back!

I have it in mind that acetone penetrates the skin. I think one needs a suit of armour to use the stuff......but of course, I may well be wrong.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

Acetone dissolves the natural oil on your skin, thus removing a layer of protection - albeit a minor one. This can then allow easy access for further acetone exposure to seep into the skin. But, as the skin is multi-layer, including a cornified layer, penetration to reach a blood vessel in any quantity will take time. You would need to be immersed in a vat of the stuff for some time to absorb medically dangerous quantities.

Your body's natural heat will also evaporate a sizeable fraction of the solvent, so lessening potential penetration.

All that said, cumulative exposure/loading is not to be recommended. Whilst this is a 'light' solvent and therefore does not have the impact of say, benzene, each splash of acetone absorbed does something. Removing nail polish by soaking in acetone is a slightly different case; nails are keratin and more impervious than plain skin. The small skin area of the finger tip in the dish with the acetone is probably the one of the most cornified skin surfaces on the body (behind the soles of the feet) and the absorption is therefore impeded.

Again, this is an organic solvent and gloves are to be recommended at all times. Cumulative exposure/contact is just not a sensible thing. This particularly applies to those of use susceptible to eczema - acetone dries out the skin and can bring about the symptoms.

 

[John Brown]

Over 5 decades ago, I had a short term job at AC cars. There was a lot of acetone around. I found that if you cut yourself, dipping the affected area in a tub of acetone hurt stung like crazy, but seemed to accelerate the healing dramatically. There was also a lot of styrene (?) about, and that was even more effective, at both stinging and healing cuts.

 

[wallace]

I didnt realise that how good proper acetone is. I've used the stuff my wife has for her nails in the past and found it a bit useless. It wasnt until I had a spray gun that I'd used polyester spray filler which I couldnt clean properly. Synthetic thinners would barely touch it. Someone suggested real acetone, not the pink stuff sold for nails. Anyway it cleaned the spray gun easily and even removed old enamel.

 

[Old.bodger]

For information. Foam gun cleaner - spray cans from Screwfix (and others) is acetone.

 

[Eric the Viking]

Didn't it get used in lemon/pear drops?

I've always thought of it as smelly but not extremely poisonous - happy to be corrected...

I bought my last 5 litre container on Amazon, which at the time was the cheapest that included shipping. I use it a lot.

E.

PS: It's an excellent solvent for certain types of plastic weld, as it flashes off really fast. I used it years ago to mend snapped-off corners of plastic Swatch watches (remember them?). It also works as a thinner for cyanoacrylates ("super glue"), BUT it's also hygroscopic, so will make the glue set pretty much immediately if you use acetone that's absorbed water.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's acetates that give pear drops their smell/taste. Ketoacidosis from diabetes smells similar - if you ever get taken to hospiat wand ketoacidosis is suspected the first thing they'll do is smell your breath and/or ask if you've been to the loo does your urine smell of pear drops.

 

[woodstalker]

Importantly my first grp roof appears to have gone ok so I have stripped the roof off the bay window that was leaking. Pics of the lead in my other thread on the issue I had with it.

 

[vaj]

Most glass fibre supplies places will carry acetone by the way...

 

[woodstalker]

Most glass fibre supplies places will carry acetone by the way...

Hi Vaj, yes thanks, there are none local to me and the mail order places wanted £30 postage so I was trying to avoid that.

 

[Dr.Al]

I get acetone (and a few other similar things) from Hexeal. Fairly cheap & free delivery:

Acetone

Designed for fast, efficient removal, saving you time while ensuring nails are left clean, oil free and ready for your next manicure or pedicure. Trusted by salons and perfect for at home use, it provides professional quality results every time. Hexeal 99.5% Acetone works by breaking down the...

hexeal.co.uk

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Funny, I posted a link to Hexeal for IPA in the other place.
Good firm to deal with.

 

[Raymedullary]

I have it in mind that acetone penetrates the skin. I think one needs a suit of armour to use the stuff......but of course, I may well be wrong.

I have no idea about that either, however I was referring to the awful itching from the fibreglass dust, not the effect of acetone.
Supposedly, washing in cold water helps as it closes the pores preventing fine dust from becoming lodged. But of course I may well be wrong on that!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, if using glass fibre insulation the advice was always to have a cold shower before having a hot one.