Any chemists around here? Isopropanyl alcohol

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Methanol, Ethanol and Iso-propyl Alcohol (IPA) have fairly similar cleaning performance. IPA is preferred because it evaporates more slowly than methanol and ethanol and doesn’t have the regulatory issues of ethanol. It’s available in high purity for a relatively low cost.

Acetone is a stronger solvent, in that it will dissolve a wider range of organics. The issue with cleaning with acetone (and any strong solvent for that matter) is that whatever you dissolve is left behind when the solvent evaporates. This is why acetone usually leaves a film. Even more frustrating is that those films are sometimes not easy to dissolve again.

I have always taught that solvent cleaning should be a progression from weakest to strongest back to weakest. The idea is to first rinse away as much as possible with IPA or water (eg you don’t want to be trying to dissolve chunks of dust), then dissolve what remains with acetone, (or toluene, or heptane) but DON’T LET THAT SOLVENT DRY as it will leave behind a film of everything you dissolved. Instead, you want to displace the acetone (or whatever) with IPA, then blow the IPA off with compressed air. It’s generally not possible to blow off fast evaporating solvents, so that’s why we displace them first with slow evaporating solvents (or water).

Personally, I wouldn’t want to use anything stronger than IPA on a leather strop. I have a spray bottle of IPA/DI water that I use to wet the surface and then wipe it with a paper towel.

A good option for degreasing is to use an electronic cleaning spray.

 

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Hi Mark,

Here are some links for buying Isopropyl alcohol in the Netherlands

https://www.degros.nl/product/pedicure-groothandel/desinfectie-en-reiniging/isopropyl-alcohol-999-procent-1-liter/

https://www.evac.nl/Praktijkinrichting-en-meubilair/handdesinfectie-en-reiniging/Handdesinfectie-zonder-water/Isopropyl-alcohol-99-5-Can-5-liter/

Frans

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I’m late to this party, just having received my WE a couple of days ago. As a pharmacist let me chime in. Ethanol, probably the least toxic of alcohol, is the one found in all the various beverages, and can be bought as a straight alcohol under the name Everclear in 151 or 190 proof which is 75.5 and 95% alcohol by volume. It is what chemists and pharmacists refer to as hydroscopic, meaning that it will absorb moisture out of the air when opened and gradually dilute to about 70%. To avoid federal tax on ethanol, it has various compounds added to make it unpalatable, or bad tasting. These compounds are chosen to be extremely hard to remove, ie, normal distillation will not remove them as the will vaporize and recondense at about the same temperatures.

It is available for special purposes in various other forms, such as absolute alcohol which is 200 proof or 100%, and again it will not remain that concentration for long after opening a sealed container. It is also very expensive. Then perhaps Organic can add his two cents worth as a chemist. I suspect chemically pure and reagent grades are available although I have never seen them.

Normally 70% ethanol of the non denatured variety is used medically in preparing some liquid forms of medications for oral use, although that use has decreased dramatically over the last 20 or so years, as many “elixirs” which are defined as iso alcoholic or water alcohol mixtures and been reformulated to simply syrups, so that mostly pediatric patients will not be exposed to alcohol. Denatured alcohol can be used for skin cleaning and sterilization, and is often found in the little disposable alcohol swabs.

Isopropyl alcohol is most commonly found as 70% and sometimes as 99%, and can be used externally for the same applications as denatured ethanol

Generally both are good , mild solvents, sometimes one or the other will be better for a specific purpose.

Acetone is another class of chemicals altogether, ketones, and is much stronger and aggressive, dissolving or damaging many plastics and paints, and I think one of the things that will dissolve and remove cured superglue(cyanoacrylate or methylacrylate)

If you have a stone glued to a glass or metal surface one of the various alcohols would probably be ok for cleaning, acetone would probably soften and weaken the bond.

 

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Not the same stuff but for cleaning out sharpening stones (have not tried on diamond yet) I use pleasured brake cleaner in a can, spray it on, the pressure helps to push the metal out and it dries quickly too…stinks but.

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Shelley my concern is for the adhesive that adheres the stone to the plastic handles and the plastic itself. I don’t know if the brake cleaner will soften the plastic but I would think it may break the adhesive down and let the stones come loose. One forum member cleaned his diamond stones with “Simple Green” degreaser / cleaner and it dissolved the adhesive and the stones came loose. I would believe that Simple Green is a less aggressive cleaner than brake cleaner. I’d look for something tried and true to use like Isopropyl alcohol.

I seldom if ever clean my diamond stones other then to wipe them with a dry paper towel.

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I use a VERY light scrubbing with a nail brush and bar keepers friend and water. No soaking. Just rinse and stand on end to dry. The “stones”are adhered to the handles with a strong double sided sticky “tape” . 2¢

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I don’t clean my diamond stones more than once or twice per year, but I clean my diamond film every other usage, using a few drops of isopropyl alcohol and an electric scrubber, as recommended by one of our forum members stationed in the middle east. It really works well, doesn’t seem to affect the abrasive matrix.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EBTOM6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Hi Shelley! I’ll chime with support for the basic sentiments expressed since your post here…nix the idea of brake cleaner entirely…I know for a fact it will affect the polyethylene plastic in the handle and more than likely dissolve the adhesive used on affixing the platen to the handle.

Simple Green, and other citrus oil based cleaners going to have the same effect on the adhesive. I recall some folks in the EU and/or Commonwealth weren’t able to get isopropyl alcohol but not sure if thats the case for you folks.

One of the other guys mentioned BarKeepers friend which is mild water soluble and surface friendly abrasive. Thumbs up on that stuff! You might see if you can get some through your New Zealand Amazon store. I’ve used it on multiple surfaces with very satisfactory results including some large diamond stones I have for hand sharpening (which I’ll probably never use again now that I have a WE on the way! lol) At any rate Shelley best wishes and good luck with your new WE!

Edit: Bar Keeper’s Friend …Shelley, Amazon really reams us for this product online (as is typical these days) but I posted the link for your visual reference. It’s so highly thought of that it may be available for less than $5USD on the shelves of your local grocery store or whatever store you might have like a Walmart or Target. Best George

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I can warn against Simple Green, it will make your stones fall off.

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In some English-speaking country(s?) the term “stones” is a euphemism for testicles. Example usage: “Boy, he’s got a pair of stones!”

You really don’t want your stones to fall off. So stay away from Simple Green.

LOL

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Thanks for the chuckle! :slight_smile: