In other words, Isopropyl alcohol

[bruce fielding]

I've been advised that Isopropyl alcohol (aka rubbing alcohol in the US) is the stuff I need to remove some trim glue. What brand name should I look for in the UK? Is this something you can buy in Boots?

[docevi1]

Yep, but it also comes in many forms such as Carb Cleaner...

[DJFish]

And nail varnish remover
I'm not gay, I used to work with chemicals



Oh, and tape head cleaner!

>> Edited by DJFish on Tuesday 26th October 09:53

[jimbro1000]

I might add that it is also very useful for getting through emissions tests when you've tuned things up a bit.

Add a litre into the fuel tank and let it mix for a while before visiting the MOT station.

[ohopkins]

Errrrr......Isnt alcohol a complete bastard to your pumps and seals ?

I was doing some research on alcohol injection, and you need some fancy kit to do it properly.

[kingr seven]

Carb cleaner is primarily Celulose thinners (toluene/xylene). Nail varnish remover is primarily acetone. Surgical spirit is definitely alcohol, but I'm not sure whether it's Isopropyl. There's a company that makes computer cleaning consumeables that makes a product called Isoclean that I believe (as the name suggests) is pretty well pure isopropyl alcohol.

Kingr

[FunkyGibbon]

your local Maplin store will have some IPA

[L81]

If you know somebody with a Farnell or RS account just get them to order a 1L tin of it. Great stuff for all sorts of things.

[motco]

Try meths

[love machine]

kingr seven said:

Carb cleaner is primarily Celulose thinners (toluene/xylene). Nail varnish remover is primarily acetone. Surgical spirit is definitely alcohol, but I'm not sure whether it's Isopropyl. There's a company that makes computer cleaning consumeables that makes a product called Isoclean that I believe (as the name suggests) is pretty well pure isopropyl alcohol. Kingr

Gunsons carb cleaner is pretty much pure acetone. Which isn't a good idea to clean anything of painted surfaces. I would use cellulose thinners myself. I think surgical spirit is 95:5 Ethanol/methanol. Non-mineralised methylated spirit.

[g_attrill]

L81 said:

If you know somebody with a Farnell or RS account just get them to order a 1L tin of it. Great stuff for all sorts of things.

Cheaper to buy the 400ml spray cans from CPC (SA01477, £1.63 each), just keep it upright when spraying so you use up all the liquid.

The 1L tins are £6.11, quite a bit more dosh.

Gareth

>> Edited by g_attrill on Tuesday 26th October 13:48

[ErnestM]

bruce fielding said:

I've been advised that Isopropyl alcohol (aka rubbing alcohol in the US) is the stuff I need to remove some trim glue. What brand name should I look for in the UK? Is this something you can buy in Boots?

Bruce, I don't know if you can get it in the UK, but 3M make some adhesive and trim remover stuff that is probably easier to use and safer than regular isopropyl alcohol...

If they have it in the UK, I'd say maybe Halford's as they sell it in Wal Mart over here...

ErnestM

[z_chromozone]

FunkyGibbon said:

your local Maplin store will have some IPA

My local sells Greenking IPA, £2.30 / pint

[Apache]

IPA is pretty safe but to be safer still just buy 'label remover' from RS smells of oranges and is really effective.

[Fatboy]

DJFish said:

And nail varnish remover I'm not gay, I used to work with chemicals Oh, and tape head cleaner!

Nai Varnish remover is acetone IIRC, not isopropyl alcohol...

[DJFish]

Yes, you are right, my mistake.....

I'm pretty sure tape head cleaner is IPA though, whatever, both are good for lighting barbeques...

[Pigeon]

Tape head cleaner and things like that usually dilute it with water to further add to the scandalous profits they make on the stuff.

IPA is available from the chemists. I got half a litre from Boots once for about a fiver IIRC.

Surgical spirit has some other stuff in it which accounts for the weird smell (oil of wintergreen?)

[JonRB]

Apache said:

IPA is pretty safe but to be safer still just buy 'label remover' from RS smells of oranges and is really effective.

I bought some of that from Maplin. Trouble is that it REALLY smells of oranges to the extent that the smell doesn't dissipate for several days!

[love machine]

Propyl acetate?

I worked with some (forget the names now) low chain esters. Pear, apple smell, etc. They smell lovely and then after a while, you feel a bit sick.

[D_Mike]

Isopropyl alcohol is (properly) called propan-2-ol. (as opposed to propan-1-ol which is different).

Nail varnish remover is mostly acetone which is completely different.

They will probably have it in a chemists.

Yes, short chain esters are a bastard, they smell kind of nice but don't half give you a headache (same goes for cyclohexanone, lovely almond smell but you get a whopping headache. I suppose the same also goes for hydrogen cyanide... smells nicely of almonds but then you die).