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working with pure acetone in the home

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blythaust...@gmail.com

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Oct 13, 2012, 12:40:36 AM10/13/12
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question, I own a home and just started renting a room out to a friend. I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is flammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).

thanks

Roy

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Oct 13, 2012, 12:46:03 AM10/13/12
to
On Friday, October 12, 2012 10:40:36 PM UTC-6, blythaust...@gmail.com wrote:
> question, I own a home and just started renting a room out to a friend. I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is flammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
>
>
>
> thanks

From Yahoo answers:

"Acetone is only mildly toxic, but is highly volatile and very flammable. Acetone vapors are heavier than air and will travel along the counter top or floor. If they encounter a source of ignition - flame or spark, for example - the flame will flash back to the source, possibly causing a larger fire or explosion. Acetone should be used indoors only with adequate ventilation."

blythaust...@gmail.com

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Oct 13, 2012, 1:00:58 AM10/13/12
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what do you mean adequate ventilation? does that mean the doors and windows should be open when he's working? it's a fairly large room he's working in (probably 10 feet by 25 feet...it's a kitchen/dining room/family room....but it's all kinda one big room). it's starting to get pretty cold where I live so that may not be an option. I'd like to tell him to take it outside or search for some other chemical that will do that job that isn't flamable. I just don't want to come off as unreasonable as a landlord (and roomate).

Smitty Two

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Oct 13, 2012, 2:00:15 AM10/13/12
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In article <ef93e327-915d-4388...@googlegroups.com>,
blythaust...@gmail.com wrote:

> he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on
> one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle
> of pure acetone

Tell him to get a "Menda" dispenser. That should reduce evaporation
considerable, and eliminate the rather significant chance of a spill.

micky

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Oct 13, 2012, 2:12:11 AM10/13/12
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I have some but not much experience, and no academic knowledge.

I think it depends on the details. How many instances of the stamped
number are on each piece of tubing? If the tubing is one foot long
it might be one or two, but if it's 10 feet long, 10 or 20. How many
pieces of tubing.

I'd guess, guess, that it takes about as much acetone to remove one
finger's worth of nail polish as one instance of the number and girls
do 10 fingers at a time. OTOH do they use Q-tips, which hold a lot
less than a cotton swab? I forget. It's been 30 years since I had a
girlfriend who used to remove her nailpolish, it seemed like every
day, in front of me.

When I use acetone, I close the bottle as soon as I wet the cotton,
because it will evaporate right out of the bottle, and so I won't
spill it. Does he do that? I think I would have him keep his
bottle, esp. when it's open, in something like a dishpan, the kind of
rubber pan as big as two loaves of whiite bread side by side. Then
if he spills it, he can take the whole pan outside, pour as much as he
can back in t he bottle and spill the rest on the ground., I have
used dishpans this way.

Maybe he can put the tubing in there when he's done with it and have
it rest outside too, although there may be no point to that . The
acetone probably has evaporated within a minute, so there is nothing
to dry. .

Maybe for the whole project he could go his bedroom and close the door
and open the window for the 15? minutes it takes to do all this? If
you don't smell it in the rest of the house, you'll know it's not
getting there. He could do it on the bed with a dishpan to hold the
bottle of acetone. Check a part of the pan to see if acetone
dissolves.

Although of course if you do smell it and stop smelling it, it may
well only mean your nose sensor for that smell is tired. How long
does it take until a nose stops sensing a smell, 15 minutes? Isn't
that why a person doesn't know when he has bad breath or body odor?

harry

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Oct 13, 2012, 2:50:25 AM10/13/12
to
On Oct 13, 5:40 am, blythaustinsandr...@gmail.com wrote:
> question,  I own a home and just started renting a room out to a friend.  I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself).  he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing).  he buys the tubing in bulk.  he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing.  he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number.  I think that's great.  however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me.  and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number).  is this safe?  sorta safe? or not safe at all?  and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home.  I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea.  I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is flammable.  my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house.   all responses are much appreciated.  I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
>
> thanks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone

John Grabowski

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Oct 13, 2012, 6:16:38 AM10/13/12
to
*Just read the labeling on the manufacturers container to see how nasty
acetone can be. It is a solvent and it can damage your floor finish.
Newspapers are not adequate protection. Nail polish remover is a diluted
version of acetone. You really do need ventilation when working with this
stuff. It evaporates very quickly into the air, but where does it go after
that. You could be exposing yourself to acetone vapors and not even know
it. A garage would be a healthier choice to work with it.

Frank

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Oct 13, 2012, 6:58:09 AM10/13/12
to
Material safety data sheet may help:

http://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/00140.htm

Main concern with acetone is flammability as with most other organic
solvents.

I would not worry about small amount of vapors as it is not very toxic
and OSHA allowable exposure levels are high.

The concern voiced about its solvent power is true and it could attack
paints and finishes.

Ed Pawlowski

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Oct 13, 2012, 7:44:28 AM10/13/12
to
On Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:40:36 -0700 (PDT),
blythaust...@gmail.com wrote:


> he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number.

> I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is
>flammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house.

All correct. A little on a swab is probably not going to do anything
at all. At a minimum though, I'd have a window open. To avoid
spills, go outside and pour off some into a small container of a few
ounces instead of the quart or gallon he is now using. Be careful
where you store it too.

If you have a pilot light on a heater, be sure to stay far away from
it, don't smoke, etc. Open two windows and have a fan blowing in one
to force the air out the other. Remember, it is the fumes that are
dangerous.

Stormin Mormon

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Oct 13, 2012, 7:46:15 AM10/13/12
to
The situation as you describe, sounds dangerous. I'd not want that going on,
in my home. Yes, acetone is the ingredient in nail polish remover. But, it
only takes one mistake.

When I was a teen, there was a fire call. The pharmacist at the small town
pharmacy had dropped a jug of acetone, next to a space heater. Some how
there was a fire. He tried fire extinguisher, and finally bailed out. The FD
came, but by this time the the pharmacy was heavily involved. They were
carrying out charred stuff to the dumpster, for weeks after that. The place
never reopened.

I had my black and white camera there, but the focuss was off. I took some
pictures, but they didn't come out very well with the focuss set to two
feet. Ah, well.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

<blythaust...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ef93e327-915d-4388...@googlegroups.com...

Norminn

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Oct 13, 2012, 8:17:38 AM10/13/12
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Well..........how much is he using and how long does it take? One
cotton ball dampened with acetone per day? Open container all day long?
If he is constructing something indoors, can he not take the acetone
outdoors, remove the ink from all the tubing, let it dry, then bring it in?

bob haller

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Oct 13, 2012, 8:34:22 AM10/13/12
to
you might suggest he try goof off or goo gone, both are designed to
remove all sorts of nasties. available at places like home depot and
lowes

a friends 3 year old used markers to paint a newly painted room, goo
gone took all the marks off.

right after that her hubby was playing with her son and spilled a can
of contact cement on the kitchens vinyl floor....... a week later i
asked did you try goo gone? she hadnt but did and the you would never
know contact cement had spilled there....

a mild abrasive like a scothchbrite pad normally used to clean pans
may help remove the printing...

my friend now gives a container of goo gone and goof off to every new
baby shower mom. she reports most have thanked her.

that plastic tubing is cheap and may be available without the
printing.....

at least he could do large quanties outdoors on nice days.

so once a month do a big bunch and use as needed

Stormin Mormon

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Oct 13, 2012, 8:34:37 AM10/13/12
to
The OP did mention "pint bottle". Overall, it can be
done safely. But, the news papers on the floor don't
much impress me.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

"Ed Pawlowski" <e...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:emki78hudaolfvbfu...@4ax.com...
On Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:40:36 -0700 (PDT),
blythaust...@gmail.com wrote:


> he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle
> of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot
> out the stamped number.

tra...@optonline.net

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Oct 13, 2012, 8:38:43 AM10/13/12
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On Oct 13, 8:17 am, Norminn <norm...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> outdoors, remove the ink from all the tubing, let it dry, then bring it in?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

That's what I was thinking. If I were doing it in my own
house and used one cotton ball on two feet of tubing twice
a year, I wouldn't worry much about doing it inside.
If it's 20 ft of tubing and once a week, I'd do that outside
for sure, because for one thing, I don't want to be breathing
those vapors for hours later. And that's for me doing it myself.
With a renter wouldn't put up with it because I don't know
how smart, careful, respectful of my property the renter is
going to be. I would have visions of the can of acetone spilling
all over the place.....

Why can't the renter do enough tubing all at once outside
to last for many months?

And is he using anything else in this operation, like plastic
glues, etc? Any of that kind of stuff, I'm OK with a one time
thing, but not with a regular use in support of a business.

Douglas C. Neidermeyer

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Oct 13, 2012, 9:55:07 AM10/13/12
to
It's your house. If you don't want him doing that, tell him to quit...or
move out.

--
"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look
at the men he has around him."
---Niccolo Machiavelli

cl...@snyder.on.ca

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Oct 13, 2012, 10:00:48 AM10/13/12
to
On Sat, 13 Oct 2012 02:12:11 -0400, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:
Also - finger nail polish remover is NOT 100% acetone. Some has no
acetone at all. Most now use ethyl acetate instead.
Cutex regular nail polish remover IS 70% acetone.

On the other hand, a "kinder gentler" remover contains: Butyl Acetate,
Ethyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Dibutyl Adipate, Citrus Aurantium
Amara (Bitter Orange)Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,
Benzophenone-3, Cl 26100 (D&C #17).

All are still extremely flammable.

Stormin Mormon

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Oct 13, 2012, 10:32:29 AM10/13/12
to
Well, that's the simple answer. I agree. I'd not
want a renter who was doing dangerous things.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

"Douglas C. Neidermeyer" <s...@arms.omega.faber.edu> wrote in message
news:k5brrr$k1v$2...@news.albasani.net...

Larry W

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Oct 13, 2012, 10:39:13 AM10/13/12
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http://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/00140.htm


--
When the game is over, the pawn and the king are returned to the same box.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar.org

Larry W

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Oct 13, 2012, 10:45:07 AM10/13/12
to
In article <03cf5b23-cc15-4c8d...@g4g2000yqk.googlegroups.com>,
bob haller <hal...@aol.com> wrote:
>you might suggest he try goof off or goo gone, both are designed to
>remove all sorts of nasties. available at places like home depot and
>lowes
>
>a friends 3 year old used markers to paint a newly painted room, goo
>gone took all the marks off.
<...snipped...>

I wouldn't be overly concerned by either, but Goo Gone is more toxic
than acetone.

Norminn

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Oct 13, 2012, 11:18:48 AM10/13/12
to
It isn't a good idea, in any setting, to keep the main container open
and dip into it....a spill could be a disaster. If the friend is using
more than a tsp or two at a time, I would insist that he take it
outdoors. Sounds like he needs some discipline and education :o)
Better than newspaper on your floor, it might help to put something
solid (at least heavy duty foil) between layers in case there is a spill
so fumes don't get to the floor. Be sure he bundles up if you send him
outdoors :o)

The size of the project would be useful to know....any chance 3M pad and
dish detergent will take off the markings? Might be just as effective
and safer.

blythaust...@gmail.com

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Oct 13, 2012, 11:20:43 AM10/13/12
to
On Saturday, October 13, 2012 8:45:10 AM UTC-6, Larry W wrote:
> In article <03cf5b23-cc15-4c8d...@g4g2000yqk.googlegroups.com>,
>
> bob haller <hal...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >you might suggest he try goof off or goo gone, both are designed to
>
> >remove all sorts of nasties. available at places like home depot and
>
> >lowes
>
> >
>
> >a friends 3 year old used markers to paint a newly painted room, goo
>
> >gone took all the marks off.
>
> <...snipped...>
>
>
>
> I wouldn't be overly concerned by either, but Goo Gone is more toxic
>
> than acetone.
>
>
>
>
> well, I was more concerned with a fire than the toxicity. even if the risks are very, very low, I am still very concerned as I have a lot of equity in my house. does regular home owners insurance cover fire? I'm not concerned with my floor/carpet as I have laid out an old piece of carpet in that room ((I think he figured out why I did it). I really didn't want him laying the tubes out to dry on newspaper. my guess is he probably only uses a few ounces of the stuff at a time (although he does have the entire 1 pint bottle with him when he is working. I've never been able to smell anything. he saws the tubing into 5 or 6 pieces each 18 inches in length and does that many at a time. if he can sell them faster (which he hasn't been able to do), then he may try and do 10 or 15 pieces each time. he'll do them, lay them out to try on the newspapers (on the living room floor) and then go run errands or go relax in the back yard. he already told me he tried to find a non flammable chemical that would work but there isn't any. I actually think scotch brite might work. although he might say it will scratch the tubing. I'm a bit surprised he didn't ask me when he started doing this (especially since the bottle of acetone says flammable right on it). I would like to tell him to blot out the stamped numbers on the back porch, let it dry, and then bring it back in and finish putting the items together. I honestly think it probably only takes him a minute or less to do one batch. I think the bulk of the time is just letting it dry. he still did act like it would be a big hassle to take it outside.

Douglas C. Neidermeyer

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Oct 13, 2012, 11:47:58 AM10/13/12
to
On 10/13/12 10:32 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
> Well, that's the simple answer. I agree. I'd not
> want a renter who was doing dangerous things.
>
> Christopher A. Young
> Learn more about Jesus
> www.lds.org
> .
>
> "Douglas C. Neidermeyer" <s...@arms.omega.faber.edu> wrote in message
> news:k5brrr$k1v$2...@news.albasani.net...
>
> It's your house. If you don't want him doing that,
> tell him to quit...or move out.
>

Yes, the simple solution is generally the best one...except for
top-posting ;-)

nestork

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Oct 13, 2012, 3:31:51 PM10/13/12
to

Blythe:

Acetone is one of the safer industrial solvents. The concentration in
the air needed to make you puke is only 1/10th the amount needed to
start a fire or house explosion. So, with acetone you get dizzy and
light headed long before there's any real risk of a fire or explosion.

I've worked with acetone for years, and my best advice is to get him to
do his work over the kitchen sink. Acetone will not harm stainless
steel nor plastic laminate. It WILL, however dissolve any acrylic gloss
coating put over a marble or granite counter top, and it will dissolve
cultured marble.

Acetone is completely soluble in water, so if you ask him to pour some
water down the kitchen sink every few minutes, you'll get rid of the
acetone dissolved in the water in your p-trap. Tell him to pour a full
gallon down the sink to ensure that any acetone in the p-trap gets past
any garburator you have on the kitchen drain piping.

I'd tell him to do his work in your garage, and if he starts daydreaming
too much, then to take a breather. But, it shouldn't harm a stainless
steel kitchen sink with a plastic laminate counter top.




--
nestork

DestroyThe...@worldwide.com

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Oct 13, 2012, 4:11:14 PM10/13/12
to
On Sat, 13 Oct 2012 08:34:37 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
<cayoung61***spam...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>The OP did mention "pint bottle". Overall, it can be
>done safely. But, the news papers on the floor don't
>much impress me.
>
>Christopher A. Young
>Learn more about Jesus
> www.lds.org

Dont worry about it. Jesus used to drink pure acetone. This is what
caused him to hallucinate and make him believe that he was God. If you
love the Mormon cult Jesus, you MUST drink acetone to be just like him.

---
Destroy The Mormon Cult

Tomsic

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Oct 13, 2012, 5:50:29 PM10/13/12
to

<blythaust...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ef93e327-915d-4388...@googlegroups.com...
Do you have a bathroom with a tub and exhaust fan? If so, clean the tubing
in the tub (acetone won't hurt the porcelain finish), rinse the tub when
finished and let the fan deal with the fumes.

Tomsic


CRNG

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Oct 13, 2012, 6:07:34 PM10/13/12
to
On Sat, 13 Oct 2012 06:16:38 -0400, "John Grabowski"
<jgra...@optonline.net> wrote in <507942ee$0$9837$607e...@cv.net>
Re Re: working with pure acetone in the home:

> is
>this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all?

Not safe at all. I would put a stop to it.

cl...@snyder.on.ca

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Oct 13, 2012, 10:59:22 PM10/13/12
to
You do not want to do that with a fiberglass or acrylic tub. Check
first - if a magnet sticks, go ahead.
Message has been deleted

Ed Pawlowski

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Oct 13, 2012, 11:25:27 PM10/13/12
to
On Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:50:29 -0400, "Tomsic" <N...@no.net> wrote:



>Do you have a bathroom with a tub and exhaust fan? If so, clean the tubing
>in the tub (acetone won't hurt the porcelain finish), rinse the tub when
>finished and let the fan deal with the fumes.
>
>Tomsic
>

So you suggest he draw the flammable fumes over the electric motor?

hr(bob) hofmann@att.net

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Oct 14, 2012, 12:24:24 AM10/14/12
to
Bathroom fans are 100% shaded pole motors that do not have brushes to
spark. The on-off wall switch might spark, but only on turning off,
when the fumes are hopefully gone.

micky

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Oct 14, 2012, 1:08:16 AM10/14/12
to
On Sat, 13 Oct 2012 21:24:24 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) hof...@att.net"
<hrho...@att.net> wrote:

>On Oct 13, 10:25 pm, Ed Pawlowski <e...@snet.net> wrote:
>> On Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:50:29 -0400, "Tomsic" <N...@no.net> wrote:
>> >Do you have a bathroom with a tub and exhaust fan?  If so, clean the tubing
>> >in the tub (acetone won't hurt the porcelain finish), rinse the tub when
>> >finished and let the fan deal with the fumes.
>>
>> >Tomsic
>>
>> So you suggest he draw the flammable fumes over the electric motor?
>
>Bathroom fans are 100% shaded pole motors that do not have brushes to
>spark.

When I needed a motor for that 78-year old fan I posted about, that
burned up, I looked at the bathroom fans, and yes, they were shaded
pole, bruhless, but still one size too big for my table fan.
(Rewinding that motor is postponed now that it's not hot out!)

Ed Pawlowski

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Oct 14, 2012, 1:08:27 AM10/14/12
to
On Sat, 13 Oct 2012 21:24:24 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) hof...@att.net"
<hrho...@att.net> wrote:

Them silly regulations for explosion proof motors are a waste when any
shaded pole motor will do!

Tomsic

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Oct 14, 2012, 2:01:48 PM10/14/12
to

"hr(bob) hof...@att.net" <hrho...@att.net> wrote in message
news:ba564944-2848-421d...@p14g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
Exactly right. And turn the fan on before opening the container of acetone
too.

Tomsic


Roy

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Oct 14, 2012, 2:08:39 PM10/14/12
to
On Friday, October 12, 2012 11:00:58 PM UTC-6, blythaust...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Friday, October 12, 2012 10:46:03 PM UTC-6, Roy wrote:
>
> > On Friday, October 12, 2012 10:40:36 PM UTC-6, blythaust...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> >
>
> > > question, I own a home and just started renting a room out to a friend. I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is flammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > > thanks
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > From Yahoo answers:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > "Acetone is only mildly toxic, but is highly volatile and very flammable. Acetone vapors are heavier than air and will travel along the counter top or floor. If they encounter a source of ignition - flame or spark, for example - the flame will flash back to the source, possibly causing a larger fire or explosion. Acetone should be used indoors only with adequate ventilation."
>
>
>
> what do you mean adequate ventilation? does that mean the doors and windows should be open when he's working? it's a fairly large room he's working in (probably 10 feet by 25 feet...it's a kitchen/dining room/family room....but it's all kinda one big room). it's starting to get pretty cold where I live so that may not be an option. I'd like to tell him to take it outside or search for some other chemical that will do that job that isn't flamable. I just don't want to come off as unreasonable as a landlord (and roomate).

Fine...but when things go BOOM, don't say we didn't warn you.

==

cl...@snyder.on.ca

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Oct 14, 2012, 2:20:03 PM10/14/12
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The motor has no brushes and produces no source of ignition.

Jeff Wisnia

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Oct 14, 2012, 2:20:37 PM10/14/12
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blythaust...@gmail.com wrote:
> question, I own a home and just started renting a room out to a friend. I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is fl
ammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
>
> thanks
>
>

That mention of "the floor" reminded me that about 5 years ago a half
empty brown glass bottle of acetone which resided in my basement
workshop somehow got knocked over and fell down and smashed on the floor.

Even though I mopped it up with rags as fast as I could it did one hell
of a number on the vinyl floor ties down there. There's a two foot
diameter rough and dull patch right in front of my workbench.

I've tried putting floor wax on it without that being much help.

I'm just glad it happened in my workshop area and not in the kitchen
where SWMBO would have insisted on a whole new floor pronto. <G>

I now buy acetone for use in my shop in pint sized metal cans. Keeping
it in that brown glass chemical bottle was just a bad choice.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10e12 furlongs per fortnight.

nestork

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Oct 14, 2012, 9:36:22 PM10/14/12
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On just about every DIY forum I've ever been on, there have always been
discussions on the safety of using flammable solvents indoors.

While it's always better to be safe than sorry, it's also true that the
risk of solvent vapour explosions is most often over estimated rather
than under estimated.

The reason is that the air is mostly nitrogen. There's only about 22
percent oxygen in the air, and so it doesn't take much change in the
oxygen level to have an effect on us. Typically, even when the vapour
content in the air is well below 1 percent, say at 10 to 50 thousand
parts per million, people start getting dizzy, get sore throats, start
to vomit and eventually pass out well before the lower explosion limit
is reached.

And, on the other side of the coin, 78 percent of the air is nitrogen,
which is non-flammable. So, getting a fume explosion in air is much
like setting fire to a pile of garbage where 78 percent of the garbage
is non-flammable. So much of the energy that solvent vapours release
when they burns ends up going to heat all the nitrogen in the air that
you have to have a LOT of solvent vapours in the air to keep the
combustion going.

Not trying to fan the flames here, (no pun intended) just trying to keep
things real. You're far more likely to puke from inhaling too much
solvent vapours than you are to blow yourself up.

Better to open up a window on each side of the house or space you're
working in to get a bit of a breeze in the room, and to go outside for
some fresh air whenever you find you're day dreaming a bit too much.




--
nestork

Norminn

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Oct 15, 2012, 7:45:38 AM10/15/12
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And remember that if acetone is getting into your bloodstream in
sufficient quantity to make you feel high it is killing a few brain
cells. And heart and liver.

Tomsic

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Oct 15, 2012, 5:07:14 PM10/15/12
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<cl...@snyder.on.ca> wrote in message
news:ph0m78l387ce5cr8m...@4ax.com...
While I don't think using acetone in the home is a good idea in any enclosed
space due to health considerations and the potential fire hazard, the OP
doesn't seem to want to put a stop to it. So, it seems to me that the
bathroom is the safest space, the tub makes the stuff easy to wash away and
the fan deals with the fumes. I doubt that the fumes will be concentrated
enough to be flammable if the fan is already running when the acetone
container is first opened. But, I share your concern, along with others,
that this isn't the kind of thing to be doing in a home.

Tomsic


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