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Which solvent to dilute Tippex?

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Andy

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Sep 27, 2006, 10:11:00 AM9/27/06
to
I am in the UK. I think Tippex is not available in the US.

These days correction fluids like Tippex seem to have been reformulated
compared to several years ago.

I think the old chemicals used were too hazardous and the dilution fluid
for them was something hazardous like 1,1,1 trichloroethylene.

----

I have some new style Tippex Rapid and it has started to thicken.
See http://tinyurl.com/qyht6

What household solvent can I use to dilute it?

(1) Isopropyl alcohol doesn't do it.
(2) Acetone didn't seem to work.
(3) I think ethyl acetate (nail polish remover) might have worked
although it was getting hard to tell after 1 and 2. But it smells
hazardous.

What can be used?

--------------

PS: Note that the other Tippex correction fluid is Tippex Aqua.
See http://tinyurl.com/rpwz9

dennis@home

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Sep 27, 2006, 10:12:52 AM9/27/06
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"Andy" <nom...@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns984B9A74...@127.0.0.1...

> What can be used?

Have you tried water?


Message has been deleted

EricP

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Sep 27, 2006, 11:54:18 AM9/27/06
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On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 15:26:44 +0100, milou <pu...@zig.com> wrote:

>On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 15:11:00 +0100, Andy <nom...@nomail.com>
>
>
>xposted to (among other NGs) alt.consumers.uk-discounts.and.bargains,


>
>>I am in the UK. I think Tippex is not available in the US.
>>
>>These days correction fluids like Tippex seem to have been reformulated
>>compared to several years ago.
>

>Real bargain, eh?

Yeah.

"New & Improved" is always a wow.

Staffbull

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Sep 27, 2006, 12:59:06 PM9/27/06
to

They banned tippex thinners when I was in school due to the kids
sniffing it !!

Andy Hall

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Sep 27, 2006, 1:05:17 PM9/27/06
to

IIRC, the correct, and politically incorrect solvent for proper Tippex
(not the girl's school version) is Toluene.

Apparently it clears sinuses as well....


luc...@sbcglobal.net

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Sep 27, 2006, 3:17:00 PM9/27/06
to

"Andy" <nom...@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns984B9A74...@127.0.0.1...
>I am in the UK. I think Tippex is not available in the US.
>
> These days correction fluids like Tippex seem to have been reformulated
> compared to several years ago.

That sounds similar to "White-Out" in the US, and my comments below assume
the UK version is similar to the US version.


> I think the old chemicals used were too hazardous and the dilution fluid
> for them was something hazardous like 1,1,1 trichloroethylene.

While that name is chemically impossible, I believe the solvent used to be
either 1,1,1-trichloroethane or 1,1,2-trichloroethylene. In my youth, my
dad worked in an AEP research lab, and he used to bring pints of what he
called "trichlor" or "electrosol" home, but it was never clear to me whether
it was the -ane or the -ene. Both have very similar physical properties and
chemical properties. While both are very weak acute toxins (LD50 is on the
order of 6 g/kg), they have longer-term effects (carcinogen, teratogen and
mutagen). Too bad, because nothing beat the stuff my dad brought home for
cleaning my bicycle chain. I tried methylene chloride in grad school, but
it evaporates too quickly and leaves too much grit behind (not to mention
the burning sensation under my watch band.) Trichlor floated the grit right
away, leaving smooth metal behind for re-greasing.

The new White-Out (now sold in the US as "correction pens" that dispense
white ink) smell to me like they still contain some chlorocarbon (maybe
trichlor)...it may be that nothing but chlorocarbons form stable suspensions
with the TiO2 (or is it ZnO2?). I also think I smell some toluene and some
ketone, perhaps MIBK. The label says "Contains petroleum distillates",
which could be the toluene. When the stuff dries, it smells like linseed
oil, which may be the binder that keeps the TiO2 (or is it ZnO2) from
crumbling away. By smell, it is a real gemisch of solvents.

It may be that no safe solvent works especially well, because more and more,
I'm seeing pen-dispensed correction tape replacing the correction fluid.


> I have some new style Tippex Rapid and it has started to thicken.
> See http://tinyurl.com/qyht6
>
> What household solvent can I use to dilute it?
>
> (1) Isopropyl alcohol doesn't do it.
> (2) Acetone didn't seem to work.
> (3) I think ethyl acetate (nail polish remover) might have worked
> although it was getting hard to tell after 1 and 2. But it smells
> hazardous.

Actually, ethyl acetate is probably the least hazardous of those three you
tried. If it works, I'd go for it. (I used to really like the smell of
ethyl acetate, until one time the airlock went dry on a batch of wine I was
making, and the air exposure converted a detectable amount of the ethanol to
ethyl acetate. It smelled pretty, but boy did it taste awful.

I've used methylene chloride to rejuvenate White-Out in the past. It
resuspends the pigment very well, but it doesn't work great--it evaporates
too quickly. I would try some trichlor (electronics supply shop?) or
methylene chloride (hardware store, as furniture stripper), or maybe toluene
(hardware store--paint thinner or lacquer thinner).

Eric Lucas


Ron Jones

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Sep 27, 2006, 3:43:12 PM9/27/06
to
luc...@sbcglobal.net wrote:
> "Andy" <nom...@nomail.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns984B9A74...@127.0.0.1...
>> I am in the UK. I think Tippex is not available in the US.
>>
>> These days correction fluids like Tippex seem to have been
>> reformulated compared to several years ago.
>
> That sounds similar to "White-Out" in the US, and my comments below
> assume the UK version is similar to the US version.
>
>
>> I think the old chemicals used were too hazardous and the dilution
>> fluid for them was something hazardous like 1,1,1 trichloroethylene.
>
> While that name is chemically impossible, I believe the solvent used
> to be either 1,1,1-trichloroethane or 1,1,2-trichloroethylene. In my

It was 1,1,1-trichloroethane.

> I've used methylene chloride to rejuvenate White-Out in the past. It
> resuspends the pigment very well, but it doesn't work great--it
> evaporates too quickly. I would try some trichlor (electronics
> supply shop?) or methylene chloride (hardware store, as furniture
> stripper), or maybe toluene (hardware store--paint thinner or lacquer
> thinner).

Yes DCM will work. You need a halogenated solvent for Tippex.
DCM also tends to make the plastic bottle a bit "soft" and it dries way too
fast.
I would guess dichlorethane or maybe perchlorethylene would work well


--
Ron Jones
Process Safety & Development Specialist
Don't repeat history, unreported chemical lab/plant near missesa at
http://www.crhf.org.uk Only two things are certain: The universe and
human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the universe. ~ Albert
Einstein


magicman

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Sep 27, 2006, 4:41:40 PM9/27/06
to

"Staffbull" <st...@staffbull.net> wrote in message
news:1159376346.4...@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

The good old days


Andy

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Sep 27, 2006, 8:29:57 PM9/27/06
to
On 27 Sep 2006, <luc...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>
> It may be that no safe solvent works especially well, because more
> and more, I'm seeing pen-dispensed correction tape replacing the
> correction fluid.
>
>

I really dislike those things!

luc...@sbcglobal.net

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Sep 27, 2006, 10:44:49 PM9/27/06
to

"magicman" <he...@here.com> wrote in message
news:7sidncdLQImdf4fY...@bt.com...

>
> "Staffbull" <st...@staffbull.net> wrote in message
> news:1159376346.4...@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> Andy wrote:
>>> I am in the UK. I think Tippex is not available in the US.
>>>
>>> These days correction fluids like Tippex seem to have been reformulated
>>> compared to several years ago.
>>>
>>> I think the old chemicals used were too hazardous and the dilution fluid
>>> for them was something hazardous like 1,1,1 trichloroethylene.
>>>
>>> ----
>>>
>>> I have some new style Tippex Rapid and it has started to thicken.
>>> See http://tinyurl.com/qyht6
>>>
>>> What household solvent can I use to dilute it?
>>>
>>> (1) Isopropyl alcohol doesn't do it.
>>> (2) Acetone didn't seem to work.
>>> (3) I think ethyl acetate (nail polish remover) might have worked
>>> although it was getting hard to tell after 1 and 2. But it smells
>>> hazardous.
>>>
>>> What can be used?
>>
>> They banned tippex thinners when I was in school due to the kids
>> sniffing it !!
>
> The good old days

Nah, in the good old days, they used mimeograph for school duplication. A
good snootful of chlorinated ink solvent really put one in the mood for
excellent performance on an exam.

Eric Lucas


The Natural Philosopher

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Sep 28, 2006, 3:36:02 AM9/28/06
to
Also try dope thinners from a model shop. Or cellulose thinners from
builders merchants etc.


dennis@home

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Sep 28, 2006, 3:50:51 AM9/28/06
to

"The Natural Philosopher" <a@b.c> wrote in message
news:115942893...@proxy01.news.clara.net...

8<

> Also try dope thinners from a model shop. Or cellulose thinners from
> builders merchants etc.
>
>

The last bottle of TippEx I used was water based.
It took ages to dry but worked OK.
It is a problem on some washable inks as they wick through.

Of course if you are going to use the sort of solvents mentioned in this
thread so far you could probably use hydrogen peroxide and bleach the ink
from the paper (doesn't work with lasers but a hot iron works wonders).


Gizmo

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Sep 28, 2006, 4:47:23 AM9/28/06
to

<luc...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:BGGSg.9377$6S3....@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...

And what a great smell it was. Couple that with Tipex thinners and I'm
amazed that any of us from that era actually made it to adult-hood :o)


RichardC

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Sep 28, 2006, 4:53:58 AM9/28/06
to

Andy wrote:
> I am in the UK. I think Tippex is not available in the US.

Isn't it called "Liquid Paper" in the USA. I believe that it was
invented by the mother of Mike Nesmith - the one with the wooly hat out
of The Monkees!

Frank Erskine

unread,
Sep 28, 2006, 7:18:02 AM9/28/06
to
On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 15:11:00 +0100, Andy <nom...@nomail.com> wrote:

>I am in the UK. I think Tippex is not available in the US.
>
>These days correction fluids like Tippex seem to have been reformulated
>compared to several years ago.
>
>I think the old chemicals used were too hazardous and the dilution fluid
>for them was something hazardous like 1,1,1 trichloroethylene.
>
>----
>
>I have some new style Tippex Rapid and it has started to thicken.
>See http://tinyurl.com/qyht6
>
>What household solvent can I use to dilute it?
>
>(1) Isopropyl alcohol doesn't do it.
>(2) Acetone didn't seem to work.
>(3) I think ethyl acetate (nail polish remover) might have worked
>although it was getting hard to tell after 1 and 2. But it smells
>hazardous.
>
>What can be used?
>

Wouldn't it be easiest to go and buy a new bottle of the stuff? It's
quite cheap, you know!

--
Frank Erskine

{{{{{Welcome}}}}}

unread,
Sep 28, 2006, 2:43:31 PM9/28/06
to
Thus spaketh Frank Erskine:


Wouldn't it be easier not to make mistakes?


--
DVD rental: www.southeastbirmingham.co.uk/dvd
PAYG Mobile Offers: www.southeastbirmingham.co.uk/payg
Items for sale: www.dodgy-dealer.co.uk

Ron Jones

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Sep 28, 2006, 8:36:47 PM9/28/06
to
{{{{{Welcome}}}}} wrote:
> Thus spaketh Frank Erskine:
>> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 15:11:00 +0100, Andy <nom...@nomail.com> wrote:
>>> What can be used?
>>>
>> Wouldn't it be easiest to go and buy a new bottle of the stuff? It's
>> quite cheap, you know!
>
>
> Wouldn't it be easier not to make mistakes?

With word processor programs, I would have thought Tippex is a bit of a
dinosaur...

Andy Hall

unread,
Sep 29, 2006, 1:28:50 PM9/29/06
to
On 2006-09-29 01:36:47 +0100, "Ron Jones" <r...@ronjones.org.uk> said:

> {{{{{Welcome}}}}} wrote:
>> Thus spaketh Frank Erskine:
>>> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 15:11:00 +0100, Andy <nom...@nomail.com> wrote:
>>>> What can be used?
>>>>
>>> Wouldn't it be easiest to go and buy a new bottle of the stuff? It's
>>> quite cheap, you know!
>>
>>
>> Wouldn't it be easier not to make mistakes?
>
> With word processor programs, I would have thought Tippex is a bit of a
> dinosaur...

Oh I don't know.

I once knew a blonde secretary who had Tippex all over her PC monitor screen

Message has been deleted

Owain

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Sep 30, 2006, 9:21:20 AM9/30/06
to
Kikko wrote:
>>With word processor programs, I would have thought Tippex is a bit
>>of a dinosaur...

And a pain to chip off the screen.

> Aapparently there are these things calls pens which are moved acros the
> surface of paper. It's an old art.

I remember an electronic typewriter that wrote like that. It would do
graphs etc - *slowly*

Owain

Cub

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Oct 4, 2006, 2:05:37 AM10/4/06
to

"Andy" <nom...@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns984B9A74...@127.0.0.1...


Got to ask but why dilute ?


Tony mc

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Sep 19, 2016, 3:14:03 PM9/19/16
to
replying to Andy, Tony mc wrote:
I tried xlyene, & it worked a treat!. Available from diy stores for cleaning
brushes.

--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy/which-solvent-to-dilute-tippex-287854-.htm


dlzc

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Sep 19, 2016, 8:08:38 PM9/19/16
to
Dear Tony mc:

On Monday, September 19, 2016 at 12:14:03 PM UTC-7, Tony mc wrote:
> replying to Andy, Tony mc wrote:
> I tried xlyene, & it worked a treat!. Available
> from diy stores for cleaning brushes.

It is a 10 year old thread. Doubtful anyone of them is reading it.

David A. Smith

sarahe...@gmail.com

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Mar 6, 2018, 9:02:41 PM3/6/18
to
On Wednesday, October 4, 2006 at 2:05:37 AM UTC-4, Cub wrote:
> "Andy" <nom...@nomail.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns984B9A74...@127.0.0.1...
> >I am in the UK. I think Tippex is not available in the US.
> >
> > These days correction fluids like Tippex seem to have been reformulated
> > compared to several years ago.
> >
> > I think the old chemicals used were too hazardous and the dilution fluid
> > for them was something hazardous like 1,1,1 trichloroethylene.
> >
> > ----Because you just knocked the bottle off the desk and it splattered all over the floor, the wall and your bes black wool gabardine trousers!

Loopi

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Apr 14, 2021, 11:15:04 AM4/14/21
to
Not just good old days - innovative - it is excellent for marking leather (equine tack) anhd plastic and anything too dark to take coki pen
, and I find comes off - usuing some of these great ideas posted!

--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy/which-solvent-to-dilute-tippex-287854-.htm

Brian Gaff (Sofa)

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Apr 14, 2021, 11:21:36 AM4/14/21
to
Eh?
Its acetone by the way.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Loopi" <f2ae656874878738...@example.com> wrote in message
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NY

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Apr 14, 2021, 12:24:47 PM4/14/21
to
I don't think it is acetone - that's nail varnish remover. Tippex is some
sort of chloro organic solvent.

Ah, Wikipedia says that it was originally 1,1,1-trichloroethane but that was
too toxic for solvent sniffers, so they now use "an aliphatic hydrocarbon"
(without being specific).

I never really liked the smell of Tippex. Much better for snorting is the
solvent used by Banda spirit duplication - propanol probably - when the
copies are freshly duplicated and handed out in class at school.



"Brian Gaff (Sofa)" <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:s5719u$qd6$1...@dont-email.me...

Max Demian

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Apr 14, 2021, 12:29:51 PM4/14/21
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On 14/04/2021 16:21, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:

> Its acetone by the way.

A 14-year-old post. I expect the solvents have changed several times.
You used to be able to get Tippex thinners until teenagers started
sniffing it. Why can't we buy anything we like as long as we sign a form
saying, "I don't care how many kids die from misusing this (solvent,
glue &c.)"?

--
Max Demian

Fredxx

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Apr 14, 2021, 8:20:56 PM4/14/21
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On 14/04/2021 16:21, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
> Eh?
> Its acetone by the way.
> Brian

It's been water based for a while, so probably acrylic. Acetone,
Isopropyl Alcohol and Meths can dissolve acrylic paints so it might do
the trick here.

david starbuck

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Aug 22, 2021, 10:06:41 AM8/22/21
to
IPA does not work. Not sure about using Meths due to it being coloured blue.
Has anyone tried paraffin? I might experiment. In old days (25 years ago) I had a good supply of 1,1,1 trichlroethane (commercially Chlorothene) and before that 1,1,1 trichloroethylene ("trike"), so Tipp-Ex thinning was easy as they used to former solvent - and declared it on their bottles.
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