White spirit alternatives?

[julianf]

Ive bought some lanolin based rust stuff that suggests being thinned with white spirit for spraying.

I have no experience with white spirit and don't really know what it is, beyond it being some crude oil fraction, I guess?

What's good about it, and what could I sub in that doesn't require a trip to screwfix and then forking out £3/ltr?

I've got a load of red diesel? Kerosene? "Standard thinners" (essentially gun wash) - I fear that could catch light too easily though.

Again i don't really know what "white spirit" is supposed to be - people use it for cleaning paint brushes, and I don't think I've ever been aware of it being useful for anything else!

I don't mind buying it if it's somthing special, but is it? Somthing special, I mean?

 

[Erie Fred]

If your white spirit is what's known over here (in old times ) as "white gas"
it is much more easily to catch light than diesel, or kero.

If in fact it is white gas or Coleman fuel, it should flash off pretty quickly after spraying.

 

[Dragnet]

I guess you have never done Airfix then... Many people have been exposed to white spirit from a very early age in order to use Humbrol enamel paints. I'm astonished that with over 9k posts on a welding forum you've never used it! I thought it was unavoidable as a concept and product.

It's not used as a fuel, or shouldn't be - not nearly as volatile as Coleman fuel; higher flashpoint than paraffin. What the Yanks call 'mineral spirits'.

If you don't want to buy a few quids' worth of white spirit from the hardware shop, try thinning with some other hydrocarbon product you have around. However, it is an excellent general purpose degreaser and paint-thinner, so I think any self-respecting shed or garage ought to have a reasonable quantity of white spirit around...

 

[Greeves246]

Used to be sold as Turpentine Substitute back when most household paint was oil based. Now almost all paint is water based younger people never come across it. Some use it when machining aluminium.

 

[rtcosic]

The usual White Spirit on the UK market is Type 1 - hydrodesulphurised heavy naphtha.

For general cleaning or dilution purposes, I use petrol or kerosine, whichever is to hand. If thinning wax or lanolin underbody protection for spraying, I strongly advise against petrol and suggest kerosine. Diesel would probably work well enough.
White spirit in 2 litre containers is about £4 a litre!

 

[julianf]

I've really never used it. I think I had some once and it was just knocking about, and I gave it to a decorator friend in the end.

The confusion with turpentine is probably what's put me off.

I always have cheap thinners here that I use for gunwash. I've used kerosene for alloy machining in the past.

Sounds like kerosene or diesel will do me. In truth I don't really want to be spraying something in volume, onto a car chassis, that could easily ignite.

Thank you.

 

[iNf]

Halford is one of the cheapest places to buy white spirit

 

[Smallfry]

DON'T use gunwash or any cellulose type product. It takes out the effectiveness of the product.

In my experience lanolin rust proofers are no use anyway. Only thing that can be said is that it looks nice at the time of application.

 

[julianf]

DON'T use gunwash or any cellulose type product. It takes out the effectiveness of the product.

In my experience lanolin rust proofers are no use anyway. Only thing that can be said is that it looks nice at the time of application.

It's for a vehical that isn't being used, so I'm not fussed about the poor resistance to abrasion.

I'm more interested in it being easily removable and having good creeping properties at time of application.

I should paint it, but I've been thinking that for some time and it's not happened.

I wasn't planning on using gunwash. I figured some petroleum thing was the way to go.

 

[Bullet2012]

waiting for the thread,
I used petrol in my paint and now my car is ******** .
just use what is recommended and stop being a ****.

 

[mtt.tr]

As a younger person maybe 12 my dad would recommend using it to wash of hamnerite and other paints from our hands.

Very distinctive smell

 

[marlinspike]

I use it to clean brushes, get paint off my hands, remove overspray. If it says thin with white spirit, I'd use white spirit. It's 2l for £5.50 at Halfords.

 

[badabec]

It's 2l for £5.50 at Halfords.

Plus the car's registration number.

 

[Maxakarudy]

If you've kerosene knocking around it's fine for that purpose

 

[Smallfry]

Plus the car's registration number.

And still get the wrong thing ?

 

[Misterg]

Sounds like kerosene or diesel will do me. In truth I don't really want to be spraying something in volume, onto a car chassis, that could easily ignite.

Both of those will stink forever. White Spirit is not really any more / less flammable than kerosene. It's NOT the "white gas" / Coleman fuel that @Erie Fred thinks.

Just use the right stuff

 

[reb78]

Ill get shot down for this I'm sure. But if its to preserve something until you get to it id be seriously tempted with old engine oil. It'll creep, it'll stop rust and it'll wash off with a degreaser when you need to weld/restore later. Park up on something that will soak up the drips and can be disposed of suitably later.

Just a thought.

I stupidly welded something on my land rover not thinking about the fact I had waxoyled it not long before. The waxoyl was thinned with white spirit. I was rather alarmed as flames appeared inside the chassis but luckily extinguished it quickly. It could have been end of vehicle though! I dont know at what point it becomes less flammable.

 

[indykid]

Unless the lanolin based rust stuff was free and it will take you no time to apply, I'd spend just a little bit more and buy some white spirit

 

[Erie Fred]

Used motor oil has been used in the past, over here, there were places all around that offered it cheaply.

Most everyone has moved on to FluidFilm.

Used motor oil has detergents in it, to hold water in suspension.
It's messy, attracts dirt, makes working on the vehicle a dread.

BTDT several times until I moved onward & upwards.

But you do what you want.

 

[Bullet2012]

problem with old/used engine oil is that it can also induce corrosion from the nasties it contains. maybe fresh oil but never if utilising it as a preservative.
It is one of the things we do, if we are laying something up for an extended period or even just the winter, it is done with fresh oil.