acetone

[John Desrosiers]

Acetone in our hobby. What do we use it for and why.

[Jim Oliver]

I use it for cleaning brushes and sometimes for removing dope/glue from items that acetone won't harm.  Some guys use lacquer thinner instead of acetone......

[Tom Rounds]

I keep a jar in my shop that I rotate my ca bottle tops and nozzles in. The acetone cleans them right up. When I get one that is getting clogged up I just exchange it with one in the bottle and go back to work

[Randy Powell]

Among other things, I use it to clear spray guns (though I usually use butyate thinner) and sometimes mix it with epoxy to fuel proof pipe tunnels and the like. Other uses certainly.

[larry borden]

I use it to clean brushes, spray guns, cleaning work bench and a multitude of uses.

[Randy Ryan]

Yup, acetone is a really versatile solvent. I've never run out of uses for it. I've even used it to get some types of stains from clothing.

[Russell Shaffer]

Removes CA from fingers, cleans parts for soldering, cleans brushes, and someone will holler at me for this, but it can be used for dope thinner. 

[Mark Scarborough]

Russell, not if you are applying dope to anything that matters, its very "hot" and will skin over, leaving tons of solvents trapped below the surface just waiting for a nice hot day to escape,,,,

[Paul Wood]

The evaporation rate is so fast that I often use it to remove something from a painted surface.  It will clean the surface and evaporate before softening the paint.  Just don't rub the surface very hard.  Use a light touch.

Paul

[Jim Treace]

Along with those mentoned, I use it to transfer drawings (photo copy), to balsa. Makes it easy to then cut out the part. Just cut out the drawing part, lay it face down on the wood, lightly spray with acetone, wipe it a bit. And you have made a great transfer onto the wood (can only do it once). Not my idea, got it off this site some time back.

[peabody]

I don't use it....give me a hangover.....

[BOB ALLAN]

And here's the most important use of all - http://www.supercoolprops.com/articles/sticky_situation.php

[Chuck Feldman]

I use it all the time. However you must remember that it is extremely Flammable. I redid an ARF smoothie that I had put on a standard dope finish. Alas only to find that it got spotted by fuel and became ugly. It also was tacky, It did not cure. So I decide to remove all the finish. Acetone on a paper towel (gloves on) and a quick rub and there it was all the way back to the wood and looking good. This time I covered the surfaces with Ultracoat and use Krylon Fusion paint on the wood. Then a nice clear coat to seal everything up.

At work we used acetone and dry ice to make very cold temperatures that we needed for scientific work. A trick was to fill a small hypodermic needle with acetone and then shoot it across the room and hit someone with the spray. Not high up the butt was a good place to aim. They reached as if someone had touched them with a lit cigarette.

With CA I have learned to wipe the tip clean after I use it and then put the cap back on. This removes the build up that is left around the tip. Acetone does clean up CA nicely. 

[Bill Hodges]

Same as Tom Rounds.  I keep my glue bottle tips in it and switch out as needed.  Works great.

Bill Hodges

[Geoff Goodworth]

"I don't use it...give me a hangover..." Peabody, you're not supposed to drink the stuff! 

One use that hasn't been mentioned is fuel.

Depending on the season, Shell used to have 3%–5% acetone in Shell A—as an 'igniter'. Some Aussies say that's just as good as a small amount of nitro—plus cheaper and more readily available.

[Aaron Little]

Derek and Dale use it (and I borrow it because I never seem to remember everything) to clean lines with at the field.

[Brian Hampton]

Acetone is handy stuff for a variety of things. It's extremely good at dissolving old gummy castor to free up engines with the exception of a gummed up wristpin. That needs the backplate off and then the (inverted) piston filled with acetone and using an allen key or similar hooked behind the rod as close to the piston as possible to pull on the rod then push back with a finger. Once the rod moves even the smallest amount the acetone starts to seep into the clearance and next thing you know it's completely free. With only acetone in an engine though I wouldn't go turning an ABx through the pinch.

Shell A (in Australia) is only available in their own new 20 litre drums and it has 3% acetone, last time I looked anyway. I'd never been sure why Shell added it until I found out not long ago that acetone preferentially absorbs water so it seems it's in there to keep the methanol itself dry. BP methanol comes from bulk containers (fill your own drum) so it's cheaper and with no acetone.

Acetone is a useful additive to zero nitro fuels (N/A for Americans ) at 3% for 2 strokes because it has a similar effect as about 5% nitro as far as easy starting goes. For 4 strokes, 5% seems to cure any backfires/thrown props. For anyone interested, I have more info on various fuels in the web page I do for my (dark side) club at http://www.holdfastmac.com.au/techfuels.html

[Chuck Feldman]

Wow now;  Acetone in fuel? I don't know about that? It is after all a very powerful Solvent. But who knows?

[Douglas Ames]

Makes a good thinner for ZAP finishing resin.

[Clayton Berry]

I use it to remove the pink or orange nail polish from my toenails.  First, I pays some lady to make 'em look purty, and after a couple of weeks, I remove all traces with the acetone.  I know it sounds like a lot of trouble, but it be worth it.

Nothing quite like standing in line to pay for your coffee and newspaper, and comparing your feet.

Laugh if you want, but it are better than a handful of pardons at a woman's prison on a sunny day.

Okay, I lied.  I'm illiterate.  I don't read newspapers.

[kenneth cook]

       It works very well for cleaning the flux off of your solder joints as well. Ken

[jim ivey]

YOU LAFF HAHAHA. When  I was a kid in jr hi I spilled some fokker red dope on my left foot. I wiped it off the best I could and that was that. The next day When I took a shower after gym all the guys teased me about painting my toenails like a girl. so when I got home I got out the acetone and got it all off that time. So yes its good for removing toenail polish!   jim