Naptha Question

Rich Cohen

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I went to Lowes today to pick up a can of naptha. All they had was a can of VM&P Naptha. Is this simply naptha? The can didn't explain details of the ingredients. VM&P is not the brand name.
 

davismanLV

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"Varnish makers & painters" is what that means, and I assume it's just a level of quality. Rich, that's the stuff I used all the time when doing furniture refinishing. It's good to use. It liquifies hand schmutz, body oils, polishes and waxes and evaporates cleanly and quickly. You're good to go if you're doing a cleaning project!!

p.s. - lighter fluids are made from naptha but contain other ingredients as well. I think this is just telling you it's pure and will evaporate cleanly with no other ingredients left behind. Is that more clear??
 
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Quantum Strummer

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Yep, that's the stuff I use too. Great for cleaning corrosion on pickup covers and other hardware.

-Dave-
 

Nuuska

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Howdy

How is that different of the DIESEL, that we can get from gas stations?
 

Rich Cohen

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Thanks a bunch, Tom! The guys at the Lowes paint station couldn't tell me what VM&P meant! Oh well. I looked up Rosonal lighter fluid, and it no longer contains naptha. Beware!
 

SFIV1967

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How is that different of the DIESEL, that we can get from gas stations?
Naphta in the US is what we would call in German "Wundbenzin" which Pharmacies usually sell here in Germany. Not to be confused with cheaper "Waschbenzin" which has a different boiling point (20 - 75C (68 - 167F) for Naphta vs. 100C-140°C for Waschbenzin.)

Actually the VM&P Naphta safety datasheet is here, its is "PETROLEUM ETHER": https://hazard.com//msds/mf/baker/baker/files/p1696.htm

Ralf
 

Stuball48

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Slight detour: Anybody here ever use just plain old Windex to get the crud off?
 

dreadnut

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So naptha is ok to use on wood finishes, i.e., nitro?
 

DThomasC

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People that scare easily should avoid reading MSDS sheets. They are intended to reveal every possible risk associated with the product/chemical of interest. Reading MSDS sheets is like reading the list of possible side effects of different drugs. The pharmaceutical companies REALLY don't want you to read them because if you do, you won't ever take the drug, no matter what it is.

Anyway, compared to other solvents, naphtha is actually pretty safe. Not as safe as water, which is classified as a solvent and has an MSDS sheet of its own, but a lot safer than some of the other stuff that you can buy at your local hardware store. If you're nervous, pick up a box of disposable nitrile gloves. (Usually available in the paint dept, or for a fraction of the cost online.) Not only will they keep you healthy, but they'll keep your hands clean. I've gotten used to reaching for them before I do all sorts of things, whether I want to keep my hands clean or keep my finger oils off of whatever I'm handling. Just peel them off and throw them away when you're done. Doctors wear them so they don't get cooties. Why shouldn't you?
 
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davismanLV

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I would never put Windex or any ammonia product on my guitar!!! NOPE!! Naptha is a solvent. It gets rid of soil, oil, smudges, stains, wax, polishes and all kinda JUNK that people get on furniture and guitars!! And it is non-harmful (not solvent) to multiple common finishes. If you've got a Stradivarius violin, I'd take it to a professional, but most modern guitar finishes (and furniture finishes) are fine!!! Don't panic. Now if it's just generalized schmutz, like I do every time I restring, I use a damp soft cotton cloth with distilled water. I don't even use any rinse agents (and a double rinse) and no dryer sheets in this kinda stuff!! Then when I wipe it down it's clean and then I dry and polish with a soft microfiber clean towel. The End. But if you've got an old guitar, or table, or chair that's had YEARS of abuse and polish and wax and hands and body oil and the schmutz of life....... use Naptha, and be done with it!! So easy. It's not evil. Don't do it in a closet with all the doors closed..... well, ventilated area, fans blowing.....

Look how well EYE turned out??? Right??

p.s. - "People that scare easily should avoid reading MSDS sheets." Best quote ever!!! As Taylor Swift says in her song..... "You Need To Calm Down!"

 
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jcwu

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I went to Lowes today to pick up a can of naptha. All they had was a can of VM&P Naptha. Is this simply naptha? The can didn't explain details of the ingredients. VM&P is not the brand name.

VM&P is the good stuff! You're lucky you still have access to it. Hard/impossible to find here in CA. Something about fumes being illegal now. The only way I can get it is... wait, would it be illegal to admit to getting naptha across state lines?
 

adorshki

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Then when I wipe it down it's clean and then I dry and polish with a soft microfiber clean towel.
images

Microfiber BAD for NCL!!

Made from from poly type plastic which is harder than NC lacquer, so you are micro-scuffing the lacquer when you use one.
Best thing is plain undied (as opposed to undead) 100% cotton like old t-shirts.
Cotton is after all almost pure cellulose, the source of the original formula for NC ("gun cotton") so won't scuff the lacquer.
:tranquillity:
 
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adorshki

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VM&P is the good stuff! You're lucky you still have access to it. Hard/impossible to find here in CA. Something about fumes being illegal now. The only way I can get it is... wait, would it be illegal to admit to getting naptha across state lines?
Admitting to having committed a crime isn't illegal, only committing it.
Oh almost forgot, falsely admitting to having committed a crime is illegal...
:glee:
Good question though, and suspect reputable sources would be aware of restrictions on delivery of certain materials especially in CA, right along with carriers like UPS.
Now, if you happened to have some in your baggage when they asked you if you were bringing in any fruits or nuts (edible, not human) at the inspection station,:
6bdee591be9032fe1c6682db072d0066.jpg

I suspect no crime was committed if you didn't answer a question that wasn't asked.
("Are you carrying any illegal solvents?")

I looked up Rosonal lighter fluid, and it no longer contains naptha. Beware!

According to this 7-year old link, Coleman fuel is 100% naptha:
https://umgf.com/ronsonol-lighter-fluid-no-more-naphtha-safe-to-use-t136591.html
 
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dreadnut

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I used to use[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif] new Dydee diapers for guitar polishing cloths, nice, soft, 100% cotton.[/FONT]
 

adorshki

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I used to use[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif] new Dydee diapers for guitar polishing cloths, nice, soft, 100% cotton.[/FONT]
Oh, good idea!
Also forgot to mention be sure to check labels on t-shirts because so many of 'em are a blend or even 100% polyester these days.
 

crank

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Slight detour: Anybody here ever use just plain old Windex to get the crud off?

Yes. It works. I have also used Murphys Oil soap. I also use Pledge to polish.

Maybe if I was a collector and had super expensive museum pieces rather than players I would be more finicky about what I touch them with, but no discernible damage have I ever done to a guitar by cleaning it with whatever happens to be at hand. I should note that they only get cleaned when I change strings and that is not super often.
 
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