Shellac Alcohols

[cputnam]

I have read that ethanol is best but expensive Everclear is the only way to get pure ethanol. I can 91% Isopropyl from the drug store for less than two bucks a quart. Is that preferable to Kleenstrip which I now hear has ever more methanol in it. What, therefore, is the optimal combination of performance and price? Optimal, to me, means that the shellac performs as one would expect and is as durable as shellac always is (or not).

[MikeBob]

My friend for French Polish only uses Ever Clear, I heard Iso can be up to 30% H2O, a bad thing, I use DNA but not the "green stuff" and not had a problem.

[clockman]

Behlen's Behkol is good for this

[MattP]

I have done two french polishes quite successfully using Kleen Strip from Home Depot. One of those is 6 years old now and looking as good as the day I completed it.

I actually had significant problems with my last french polishing job, but they went away when I switched from olive oil to mineral oil. A I mentioned in another thread, I suspect hat the olive oil I had was adulterated with some other sort of oil (which is apparently a common problem in the olive oil industry).

So my current recipe for a successful french polish is Kleen Strip DNA and mineral oil from the pharmacy. It doesn't get cheaper than that, and works fine.