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Everclear
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Everclear
I have a friend who lives in Georgia and has offered to bring me some Everclear grain alcohol so I can start to explore French polishing. What proof should they get for me? I’m planning on upping my membership to Ding King status, but it’s not in the current budget. I’m sure it’ll be an enlightening experience once I do. Thanks in the meantime…
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9 Replies
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Does it come in something other than 190?
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There was a 151 proof option online.
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Wow, I thought it only came in the Get You Really Freaking Drunk Fast proof. 190
I guess there are a few different grades, but for shellac purposes I think you want the highest grade possible (or allowable in your state) When I lived near the border the nylon string guru’s would go to Tijuana and get 200 proof stuff…
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I think 200 is not possible without a lab environment, due to it sucking moisture out of the air once the container is open. Chemistry class was nearly 30 years ago, though…
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Yeah the 151 stuff has too much water in it and will cause cloudiness in your finish. Even some brands of 190 have more h2o than others. The one pictured above is good; the guys at Northfield mandolins say they get a brand called “Diesel” from Indiana that they like.
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I bought this stuff, I haven’t used it a ton yet but it seems pretty good. I tasted a bit and it definitely burned.
Everclear 190 is not available in many states, most of the Northeast doesn’t have it (I think just CT).
They occasionally offer free shipping.
If you buy the 1L bottles, there is no hazmat fee. So I bought 4x1L.
https://www.laballey.com/products/food-grade-ethanol-200-proof?variant=41773203619995
laballey.com
Lab Alley offers lab grade and small business 200 proof food grade ethanol. Our ethyl alcohol is food safe with no additives. A pint is $30 to pallets for $9,504. Buy at laballey.com.
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Anything 190 proof or above is fine. I use Everclear for most all my shellac and resin mixing and find it easy to procure in NY. By definition, if it’s 190 proof it has no more than a 5%water content. The 5% water content is not a problem. 200 proof, which is pure ethanol would theoretically have a 0% water content, until you open the bottle. Moisture from the air would immediately degrade the alcohol level and introduce some measures of water hygroscopically. 150 proof everclear does not contain enough alcohol content to sufficiently dissolve shellac into solution.
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Thanks Doug and everyone! 190 proof it is.
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FWIW, azeotrope for ethanol is 95.6%, that’s the theoretical limit of distillation, so regardless of marketing its pretty hard (specialized lab processes) to get anything above 191 proof. The chemical supply stuff uses non distillation methods, which is also why it’s a lot more expensive.
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