Replacement thinners for discontinued Tandy products?

[smudley]

I would like to know-well, ok need to know-what products to use in place of the discontinued Tandy thinners for the discontinued Pro dye, Neat Lac, Craftsman cement, and rubber cement. I have quite a bit of the discontinued Pro Dye, but no more thinner, and the Tandy mgr said he doesn't have any more, and can't get it anywhere. I laso need to re-thin one of my cans of craftsman cement, as it is getting to thick.

I used to have a list of products we used to use for this purpose, but it is looong gone. I remember we used Denatured Alcohol, Acetone, and Laquer Thinner, but the only product I can guess at the use of now, is the Laquer Thinner. I think we used it for the Neat Lac, but PLEASE don't quote me on that, as Acetone also rattles around my head as a Neat Lac thinner. I used to have my cans labeled for what they were used for, but those labels have long ago came off, and weren't replaced due to non use.

I don't want to throw my Pro Dye away, since it is only a couple of years old, but unless I can thin it and clean my brushes............. <_<

[electrathon]

I have always used denatured alchol to thin dye.

[Johanna]

Just an FYI, if anyone is curious:

"Rubbing alcohol" is isopropyl alcohol diluted with water to 70% strength. You can't drink isopropyl alcohol. Denatured alcohol is ethanol (a.k.a. ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, etc.) that would otherwise be fit for mixing libations EXCEPT that it has an added chemical to make it unfit for human consumption.

The reason for denaturing alcohol is money. Other uses have no excise taxes like beer, wine and liquors, so it is altered to assure that it won't be. Denatured ethanol is regulated by ATF.

Johanna

[Studio-N]

You can use the Fiebings dye reducer. Same stuff.

[electrathon]

OK, that was dumb. I should not post when I an that tired. I use isopropyl alchol, not denatured. I started using it because it was cheap and I had some. It seemed to work well, just kept using it.

[tazzmann]

In a pinch, when I ran out and couldn't take the time to go get some dye reducer, I have used auto paint reducer. Works just as well, just a little more spendy than the dye reducer, though I buy by the gallon and if I am not doing any painting on motorcycles, a gallon could last me about 4 years in doing leather work!

Edited March 21, 2008 by tazzmann

[LarryB]

I use isopropyl alcohol .. not sure if it is the best to use but I live near a walmart and its easy to get and cheap. Otherwise its a 30 min drive to downtown st louis, ST Leather or a 40 min drive to the nearest tandy and normally can't wait that long or spend that much on gas. whew...got that all out, now need another cup of coffee lol

[whinewine]

I would like to know-well, ok need to know-what products to use in place of the discontinued Tandy thinners for the discontinued Pro dye, Neat Lac, Craftsman cement, and rubber cement. I also need to re-thin one of my cans of craftsman cement, as it is getting too thick.

I remember we used Denatured Alcohol, Acetone, and Laquer Thinner, but the only product I can guess at the use of now, is the Laquer Thinner. I think we used it for the Neat Lac, but PLEASE don't quote me on that, as Acetone also rattles around my head as a Neat Lac thinner.

I don't want to throw my Pro Dye away, since it is only a couple of years old, but unless I can thin it and clean my brushes............. <_<

I think we've covered the solvent/thinner issue for the spirit-based dyes, but no one has covered the thinners for the neatlac, nor the craftsman cement, nor the rubber cement.

Acetone sticks in my mind also, but I can't remember what it thins, either. I believe that in an earlier pre-crash post, toluol was mentioned as a component of either neatlac or craftsman cement??? I think tandy sold thinners for both neatlac & craftsman cement, but I don't think they sold rubber cement thinner, but then again, that was 35 years ago.

I do know that turpentine was a thinner for the OLD fiebings antique (NOT the new, shoe-polish type of wax antique that is now manufactured & sold by fiebings- that stuff can be thinned/diluted with tan-kote).

[howardb]

Hey smud. Confirming - spirit dyes were alcohol based. Denatured is the best solvent, but isopropyl will do in a pinch. For those interested, isopropyl is found in the cosmetic or pharmacy at your local wally mart or favorite drug store. Denatured is in the paint department and can be found anywhere (hardware, home improvment, etc.). Denatured is also GREAT for dissolving or softening dried acrylic paint (or latex paint).

I have an ancient can of Tandy NeatLac and just dumped the rest of the ancient thinner into it. The empty thinner can reads: "Contains petroleum distillates and methanol 79%". If you are getting some denatured (Methyl Alcohol = Methanol) alcohol anyway, try a small jar of Neat Lac and add some DA to see if it thins it. If it separates when it sits for a few days, then they probably aren't compatible, but would certainly be worthy to clean brushes with.

Not sure about the rubber cement thinner, again I'd try the paint department / hardware department & see what gives. Shoot, give the DA a try with the rubber cement in the ol' jar test.

Toss the crafstman cement when it finally croaks and get some DAP contact cement. Lots cheaper and available everywhere.

Brent

[sheathmaker]

Common ordinary, every day hardware store Laquer thinner works just fine on Tandy NeatLac. (guess what Tandy NeatLac thinner was..................right, high priced laquer thinner.) Barge Thinner or any of the Toulene based hardware store thinners work on most rubber cements as well as they work on Barge contact cement. I don't use any dyes any more but regular old drug store "rubbing Alcohol" does the thinning job there on most dyes. I'm not sure if the Barge thinner changed the formula when the new formula contact cement came out. I heard, but not confirmed that it did not change.

Paul