# How to thin Circa 1850 Heavy Body Paint & Varish Remover



## GAF (Nov 4, 2012)

I have quite a few gallons of this Circa 1850 product. It must be getting too old because it is so thick it is very difficult to use.

Can anyone advise me how to thin it to make it spread more easily?

Thanks.

Gary


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## Trav (May 30, 2011)

If you aren't sure of what it is I would try to dispose of it. EPA laws change frequently and things that were ok to own become things that are not. I had a friend who had some pesticide from the 80's in some drums in a shed. The drums rusted and began to leak. The rain run off from the shed carried it to a local stream and there was a small fish kill that was found by some kids. The EPA threatened to fine my friend for possession of the chemicals but ended up just having him pay for the clean up. $15,000.00 worth of clean up.


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

Why would you expect those chemicals to have remained stable for 164 years? Who knows what is in there now. It could be useless or deadly or explosive...


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## jdpber (Mar 25, 2014)

It could cure AIDs and cancer


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Gilgaron said:


> Why would you expect those chemicals to have remained stable for 164 years? Who knows what is in there now. It could be useless or deadly or explosive...


I thought the same thing, then I Googled it: "Circa 1850" is the brand name, not the age of the product.:laughing::laughing:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=1695


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

GAF said:


> I have quite a few gallons of this Circa 1850 product. It must be getting too old because it is so thick it is very difficult to use.
> 
> Can anyone advise me how to thin it to make it spread more easily?
> 
> ...


What is the temperature there now? That can greatly affect the viscosity. No remover likes to be used below 70 degrees. Anyway the msds sheet lists dentured alcohol as the solvent if you have to thin it.


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## GAF (Nov 4, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> What is the temperature there now? That can greatly affect the viscosity. No remover likes to be used below 70 degrees. Anyway the msds sheet lists dentured alcohol as the solvent if you have to thin it.


Steve although it is unfortunately still cold up here in Ontario with a few feet of snow still on the front lawn I am doing my furniture stripping indoors so the weather is not impacting the viscosity.

However you have given me the answer that I was looking for. I searched to try to find the MSDS spec sheet for this product but was unable to find it. Not sure how you did that.

Thanks.

Gary


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

GAF said:


> However you have given me the answer that I was looking for. I searched to try to find the MSDS spec sheet for this product but was unable to find it. Not sure how you did that.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Gary


I would use methanol as a solvent. Here is the MSDS.








 








.


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

Keep in mind that most paint removers are very thick. That's to minimize their dripping off and to keep them from evaporation too quickly. Google the product and read the info from Jamestown Distributors. They specifically talk about the benefits of the low viscosity. There should be no benefit to thinning the product. You can't just smoothly brush it on a surface. You sort of "slop" it on to create a thick, gooey glop.

Try it on some finish. If it performs in accordance with the label instructions, there is no reason not to use it.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

GAF said:


> Steve although it is unfortunately still cold up here in Ontario with a few feet of snow still on the front lawn I am doing my furniture stripping indoors so the weather is not impacting the viscosity.
> 
> However you have given me the answer that I was looking for. I searched to try to find the MSDS spec sheet for this product but was unable to find it. Not sure how you did that.
> 
> ...


The link that trc65 provided had a link for the MSDS. Most of the time a link for chemicals will have a MSDS link attached to it. I didn't fine it very useful since two ingredients are kept secret. It did list methanol so most of us keep denatured alcohol which is virtually the same.


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## GAF (Nov 4, 2012)

HowardAcheson said:


> Keep in mind that most paint removers are very thick. That's to minimize their dripping off and to keep them from evaporation too quickly. Google the product and read the info from Jamestown Distributors. They specifically talk about the benefits of the low viscosity. There should be no benefit to thinning the product. You can't just smoothly brush it on a surface. You sort of "slop" it on to create a thick, gooey glop.
> 
> Try it on some finish. If it performs in accordance with the label instructions, there is no reason not to use it.


Howie I am familair with the viscosity issue. In fact Circa 1850 makes a low and high viscosity blend. This one had just become too thick to even slop on easily. Thanks for the feedback.

Gary


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## GAF (Nov 4, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> The link that trc65 provided had a link for the MSDS. Most of the time a link for chemicals will have a MSDS link attached to it. I didn't fine it very useful since two ingredients are kept secret. It did list methanol so most of us keep denatured alcohol which is virtually the same.


Thanks Steve. I used this stripper this morning and after thining it very slightly with DNA it worked like a charm. Much more manageable.

Gary


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> It did list methanol so most of us keep denatured alcohol which is virtually the same.


Methanol is not the same as denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol is ethanol with methanol added to it.








 








.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> Methanol is not the same as denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol is ethanol with methanol added to it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes I know but dentured alcohol can be used in place of methanol.


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