Denatured Alcohol fuel alternative

[martinoParticipant @martino]

Hello. I am new to this forum. I am hoping you can answer a question for me. I have a Wigger model steam engine. I used to use denatured alcohol in the little brass wick burner. Now that denatured alcohol is not available in California I need an alternative. I picked up a bottle of Bio Ethanol fuel sold for use with an indoor fire place. Is this a good and safe alternative? TIA

[michael howarth 1Participant @michaelhowarth1]

The basic constituent of denatured alcohol is ethanol with a few nasties added to discourage anyone tempted to have a tipple. I am not sure if or what additives are in bio ethanol but it certainly works well in my locos.

Mick

[FulmenParticipant @fulmen]

Bio ethanol should do fine.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Go to the liquor store and buy some Everclear. The 190 proof version is best if you can get it in CA. 95% Ethanol. Costs about $20 a litre… Lower proof pure grain sprits will also burn.

Robert.

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Why on earth is denatured alcohol unavailable in California? What do Californian woodworkers use to dissolve shellac these days? They used to use ‘rubbing alcohol’, but it’s the same as ‘denatured alcohol’, which is the same as ‘methylated spirits’, which is now a UK misnomer, the methanol component having been removed some time ago. Perhaps it’s just a bureaucratic terminological obstruction.

Robert: is ‘Everclear’ supposed to be drunk, or is it embalming fluid, for premature application? Sounds dangerous!

[mark smith 20Participant @marksmith20]

The highest ethanol content that is legal in CA is now 76.5% or around 150 proof. Its just the strict laws in CA regarding all sorts of solvents. Nothing wrong with using bioethanol. I use it in the UK in preference to the horrible stinky purple meths. I used to but industrial meths from achemical supplier but the bioethanol is cheaper and just asgoodfor my purposes.Burning the purple stuff always gave me a bad head , probably due to the pyridine in it,which also causes the unpleasant smell in most purple cloured meths in the uk. .

Typical makeup of the stuff im currently using is in pic. Around £5 a litre , burnsclean ,i use it in a spirit lamp and also for dissolving shellac and other resins.

 

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