Varsol, while less flammable and with a lower flash point than gasoline, is
still highly dangerous to have out in the open creating highly flammable
fumes! And when fumes are allowed to build up in a large container like a
parts washer with the lid down to prevent evaporation, I'd see that as both
a bomb, and a preventable accident! Industrial stores where I shop from
time to time offer specific solvents for this application that are not only
designed with very high flash-points, but also are less toxic, less damaging
to skin, and won't cause your insurance companies to offer to allow you to
pay for the fire damage yourself, rather than chipping in with an insurance
payout!
An explosion occurred in Toronto a few months ago, caused by paint fumes
from old paint cans stored open near a furnace. If that can blow up a
house, what do you think genuine flammable solvents, designed to burn, will
do in a workshop?
When this thread started, I thought, quite honestly, that some of the
reply's were spoofs. I mean, pouring old gasoline, ATF, kerosene, etc, all
in a weird stew, into an open tank! But I decided that at least some of the
replys were serious. You're not recycling, you're creating a toxic waste
dump that corporations get sued over! I think a little sober second thought
might be in order for a few people...
Brian Evans
At 05:17 PM 12/22/97 -0500, you wrote:
>On Mon, 22 Dec 1997, Steve Dillen wrote:
>
>> It's interesting that everyone is having a hard time finding Varsol.
>> Here in Vancouver, BC, you can buy it at any hardware store. I usually
>> buy mine at Home Depot or Revy (used to be Lumberland). It's in 1
>> gallon (well, 4 litre) jugs, and is right next to the acetone, solvent,
>> thinner, kerosene, turpentine, etc. . . It's about the same price as
>> kerosene.
>>
>> I'm not sure if maybe I'm missing something and you guys are looking for
>> that 'stealth' varsol :-)
>
>Varsol is (or used to be) a brand name under which mineral spirits was
>sold. Like "Kleenex", the brand name became the generic name for mineral
>spirits. You can get mineral spirits in any paint or hardware store,
>usually labeled "paint thinner".
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 NEMGTR #2271
>Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO (daily driver)
>fold@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us
>
>
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