Mineral Spirits vs Low Odor Mineral Spirits

[Packard]

I mix my own wipe on poly and get good results.  I mix oil based poly with mineral spirits, which I have purchased in the past from Home Depot.  It appears that they no longer carry the regular mineral spirits.

I have some of the low odor version in the house.  It seems to evaporate more slowly and it seems slightly more viscous.  It also does not seem to have the same clarity.

I already have laid down two coats on a project.  I am a bit leery of switching to the low odor in the middle.

1.  Does the low odor stuff work the same for wipe on poly?
2.  Will I have any issue switching in the middle of finishing a project.  I plan on 4 - 5 coats. 
3.  I’ve checked two Home Depot stores for the regular mineral spirits. 
4.  Can I use paint thinner instead?

 

[Vtshopdog]

I mix my own wiping varnish too and have noticed erratic stocking at big box stores. I’ve also had variable results with different thinners, the only suboptimal outcome was with a more volatile “hot” thinner (high odor??) that evaporated very fast.  Still looked good but my work open time was short.

You could make a test batch with the low odor and try on scrap.
You could try a couple specialty paint stores to see if they have the type of M.S. you have used previously.

 

[Packard]

I’m going to test the next batch on a sample.  The low odor stuff evaporates slower. I just hate to change a process that has worked well for years.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[semenza]

Do other stores sell regular mineral spirits?

Seth

 

[Packard]

I looked on line.  All I’m seeing is the low odor stuff.  But when I checked on line on how to make your own wipe on poly, the photos always show the low odor stuff.

The regular mineral spirits always comes in metal cans.  The low odor stuff is available in metal or plastic cans, so it is different.

 

[rvieceli]

[member=74278]Packard[/member] Rustoleum still lists regular mineral spirits as part of their automotive division. You might try looking at an auto parts place that caters to body shops. If not in stock they may be able to order it

Ron

 

[semenza]

Found this little blurb while searching. Not sure of it's accuracy. But certainly sounds plausible. From Highland Woodworking / Alan Noel

  Regular mineral spirits will never separate, have a much better and predictable solvent strength and have an indefinite shelf life. But you do have to put up with the odor. Odorless mineral spirits have much less solvent strength which may hinder the thinning of some paints and varnishes.

Seth

 

[Packard]

I will check with other vendors to see if I can find reular mineral spirits.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[semenza]

I just looked at the plastic jug of Kleenstrip "Mineral Spirits" that I have been using for several years. Turns out the label says 'Paint Thinner ,made with mineral spirits'. It is not low odor or no odor.

I have used it to thin poly (minwax). I haven't noticed any issues. Although what it is going on / on top of could matter.

Seth

 

[Vtshopdog]

I just looked at the plastic jug of Kleenstrip "Mineral Spirits" that I have been using for several years. Turns out the label says 'Paint Thinner ,made with mineral spirits'. It is not low odor or no odor.

I have used it to thin poly (minwax). I haven't noticed any issues. Although what it is going on / on top of could matter.
Seth

My current jug of thinner has the same labeling and I’m using with Minwax as well.  Have been getting great results

 

[Packard]

I found out the reason that I cannot find the regular stuff.  Kleenstrip no longer produces it.  Their website lists all their products.  The regular mineral spirits is not shown.

I checked Jasco’s and Sunnyside’s corporate sites and they do not produce it anymore either.  Looking for a vendor of the old stuff sounds like a fool’s errand. 

 

[Bob D.]

Check local Mom and Pop hardware stores, they may have old stock on the shelf. If yes buy it all.

Also, try a real paint store. S-W lists it on their site in 1 gallon, 5 gallon, and 55 gallon sizes.

Also contact the manufacturer of the finish you are using and see what their recommendation is. If good old mineral spirits is really going away then they will be getting swamped with questions.

 

[rst]

SW sells it as paint thinner under Crown name...contents list says 100% mineral spirits.  I'm not sure if there is a more refined version, SW sells Crown acetone but has a more refined (more $) version sold to industrial and commercial customers.  I've been a SW customer for close to 50 years, my favorite customer service guy had retired and was working part time...found out that he just died a 52...covid.  He had given me great advise and guidance over the years

 

[Packard]

I will have to start reading labels more carefully. The spirit I got was low odor and "green".  This afternoon I got the regular  mineral  spirits (not green). This stuff  seems fine.

 

[leakyroof]

I found out the reason that I cannot find the regular stuff.  Kleenstrip no longer produces it.  Their website lists all their products.  The regular mineral spirits is not shown.

I checked Jasco’s and Sunnyside’s corporate sites and they do not produce it anymore either.  Looking for a vendor of the old stuff sounds like a fool’s errand.

Sunnyside stopped making it?? !!!! Geez... [blink] [blink]
I know the battle of VOCs is getting more and more widespread. I dread the day that Varnishes like Epifanes Regular High Gloss aren't easily obtainable due to its VOC content. I believe you can't get it in Calif from what I've read, but someone from that State will have to confirm that.
Regular Mineral Spirits still seems fairly easy to get here in Chicago. But I have seen the Low Odor version for sale for a number of years now as well.  I also buy Wax and Grease Remover[ not a related item I know], rarely Acetone, and only recently, after years of never needed it, Lacquer Thinner.
I'll have to check whose Label is on my Can of Mineral Spirits that I still have from like a year or two ago. I just added 2 gallons recently to my old Parts Washer. Was not hard to find for it...But I don't remember whose brand that was.. [scratch chin]

  Update- I just checked on Mc-Master Carrs website. They can't ship it to the following States- CA[ naturally] CO CT DE MD NH NY RI UT . Voc regs.  That's more States than I would have thought...

 

[Packard]

The non-“green” version, seems fine.  The green version was slightly milky and slow to evaporate. 

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Similar story over the pond. 'Low odor/odour' means that it's had all of the volatile aromatic hydrocarbon compounds distilled out of it = exactly the compounds which make it a great solvent. The near-obsessive drive for everything to become waterbased and VOC-free is 100% super in principle - as long as the new-generation waterbased or low-VOC products perform as well as the solvent-based ones they're supposed to be replacing.

But as of mid-2022 - they don't. They just don't come anywhere near close - with the sole exception of new-gen acrylic adhesives, sealants and paints which are all absolutely stellar.

All of the really nasty and dangerous stuff was outlawed decades ago, and for good reason. Benzene, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, xylene, cyclohexane, methylethylketone, diethyl ether and dozens of others ...... all either toxic, carcinogenic or insanely flammable. But because of the type of work I do, I've been forced to go totally under the radar to source what I need to earn a living. I get my acetone from the (rather lovely) girl at the nail parlour who buys it as branded nail polish remover in 5-litre bottles. My methylene chloride paint stripper comes from a friend in the Chemistry department at the local high school who orders it in for me, dressed up as a 99.98% pure laboratory solvent reagent. My methanol comes from a guy who does taxidermy and who has a license to buy it as an insect/butterfly dehydration agent. Methanol is literally the only thing which will dissolve shellac flakes to make French polish. I could list another half-dozen things, but you get the picture.

 

 

[semenza]

Back to the topic ....................................

        Looks like the Home Depot still has the Kleestrip Paint Thinner  made with mineral spirits. Searched for Mineral Spirits and only Low odor came up. Searched for Paint Thinner and ........................

        Of course the paint thinner could be made with low odor, but it doesn't say that on the container.

Seth