MEK, are you having a tough time finding it ?

[JBRES1]

I went to both Home Depot and Lowes and had no luck finding any MEK. They both were out of stock and had an MEK substitute in its place.
Has anybody used the substitute on their dry suit seals ?
Thanks, Jim

 

[dumpsterDiver]

It is nasty stuff and carcinogenic... You may be able to find it at a commercial autobody supply store..

 

[Jim-SAR]

Also check with welding supply places. We used to use it to clean/prep aluminum for welding at the machine shop.

Also check boating suppliers since it's also good or thinning polyester resin for fiberglass.


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[tech3324]

This is an MEK substitute that was available at Home spot: http://www.wmbarr.com/ProductFiles/1636 KS MEK Substitute.pdf

I've also read that acetone is as good a solvent as MEK but slower act. Might be worth a try.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

MEK is completely gone in CA and I'm afraid the rest of the country is following suit.
The new MEK substitute doesn't work. It's about like the old VMP Naptha, which is gone in CA also.
Acetone is here to stay because it's not a VOC but it's also very fast evaporating.
You might want to try one of the new acetone based laqcuer thinners. They suck for laqcuer thinner but are slowed down enough to almost replace MEK.
You'd have to go to an auto body supply store to get it.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Still available from Amazon.
SUNNYSIDE CORPORATION 84732 1-Quart Methyl Ethyl Ketone - Amazon.com

 

[Jim Lapenta]

We get it in 55 gal drums. Use it in out metal foil coating operations. It is nasty stuff. Not surprised you can't find it in California. That's where everything causes bad stuff and you are not allowed to decide if it's worth the risk. But they still allow McDonalds to operate.

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[Wookie]

If you nave a Sherman Williams paint store near you they still carry it. Any commercial paint supplier like a boatyard will have it. Marine paints just can't be thinned except with the correct compounds, and fake MEK doesn't cut the mustard.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Dig this:
We can't even get good old fashioned regular mineral spirits anymore. The new mineral spirits is half water. It's a new "green" type where they have somehow married half mineral spirits and half water, it's non flamable. The only thing it's good for is wiping stuff down as a degreaser, but for oil based paint thinning and clean up it's useless. And with the other so called "oderless mineral spirits" sold in California now, they have added an anti evaporation component so it litereally will stay wet on a surface for hours and never evaporate. It's worthless as a pre wipe down and degreaser but works OK as a brush cleaner but it's also $20 a gallon. For oil based paint thinning I use terpentine.
I'm a sign painter so I need all this stuff to make a living.

What I use now in place of their BS so called "mineral spirits" is charcoal starter fluid. It's actually a very high grade oderless mineral spirits (old style) and I can get two 2 quart plastic bottles at Costco for 9.99

Suck on that Nancy and Jerry!

 

[JBRES1]

Good afternoon,
All is good. I went to Menards today during lunch and they had some.
The key word is " SOME " , now they have none and I have 3 quarts.
Thank you all that posted here, Jim