Glenn,

You seem pretty knowledgeable about solvents and paints.

I've got this bee In my bonnet about the fact that so many very cheap
solvents (acetone, methyl alcohol, 'white spirits' - a UK name, xylene) have
been given disguised names by branded paint manufacturers (thinners #1, #2
etc, or #506, #527 etc).

This is a right pain when you're cruising internationally, when a request
for Noggin's thinner 'C' makes the paint retailer burst out laughing.
..
I take your point that certain paint solvents are mixes carefully designed
to give easy application and appropriate drying times. In my (fairly
ignorant) experience these seem to be xylene/benzene/other petrochemical
mixes. However, for cleaning up (as apart from paint thinning) it wouldn't
seem to matter too much if you just used one of the appropriate matching
components.

And for overpainting, it's essential to know that your new paint's solvent
matches that of the coat underneath.

I'm getting quite good at sniffing out which paint uses which thinner now,
if a little high on the experience. But I'd certainly appreciate a guide to
solvents and brand names, and I wish all manufacturers said what class of
solvent they used in neutral language (rather than invented code). Do you
know any source for such information? Can you translate 'MSDS sheets' for
me?
--
Jim B, Yacht RAPAZ,
Summers in the Med, winters in UK
jim[dot]baerselman[at]ntlworld[dot]com

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
...
The MSDS sheets will give you a hint of what is in them but not
necessarily how much of each.

Bill wrote:
"Ilv2sl" wrote in message
...