I store it in glass jars. Cleaning them out is AWESOME, since I usually swirl the contents around, then dump into a large storage container, or just dilute/re-concentrate for a new mix type. But there is always a thin film of acrylic left over, which (once pried loose) is grocery bag thin and fun to play with.
Any plastic which is not dissolved by acetone can work as well for storage. My syringe bottle is a plastic of some sort. No recycle code on the bottle so no idea what precisely.
And for the rough amounts, I tend to think more in terms of ratios. I get a watery mix with about 1 part acrylic to 10 parts acetone. I have not yet made a putty mix, but I would expect then I would be going about 3 part acrylic to 1 part acetone.
Start with a small batch, that way you can add more of one or the other to get the desired result. Or just aim for too much acetone and leave it exposed to air until it is how thick you want (and away from flame sources during that time of course).
Application by syringe, or by a non-dissolving brush which you immediately clean (with large quantities of acetone I guess). If doing something really thick and caulk-like, then put on neoprene gloves and spread by hand.
Not sure if acetone is water soluble, it evaporates, and any damage it does to your clothes is from it taking things out, not putting things in. So you cannot wash away the damage. The acrylic itself is certainly not water soluble, but can be scraped off most things.
May I safely assume that somewhere can be bought a larger size of acetone than just buying a bottle of nail polish remover (without added âflavorsâ)? Iâm planning on trying some things with acrylic and this would be helpful to me. Thanks.
When we glue square corners, we just use a thicker solvent mix for strength and donât worry about the less-than-perfect corners. Perfect corners are in the hopper now, though!
By the way be very, very careful with acetone. The vapors are extremely flammable/explosiveâŚ
From Wikipedia: âThe most hazardous property of acetone is its extreme flammability. At temperatures greater than acetoneâs flash point of â20 °C (â4 °F), air mixtures of between 2.5% and 12.8% acetone, by volume, may explode or cause a flash fireâ
Iâm at the point with my project that I am ready to start putting the pieces together. Thanks to another personâs redsail 80w i got a lot of 1/8 inch clear acrylic cut up. I got a quart can each of the weldon 4 and 16, and a quart of 100% acetone.
I had some bits of acrylic that were scrap pieces. The syringe bottle i was given from that friend was broken at a bushing for the nozzle so it was not accurate.
I was advised by a friend i had over that opening the weldon cans in the house is not a good idea, so i went straight to the acetone.
I have these scrap bits which are little bricks of 1/8 Ă1/4Ă1/2 inch. I put two of these into the syringe bottle half full, but they did not dissolve appearantly at all over 25 minutes.
I had dripped acetone over two of these bricks and when the acetone had dried out completely ot looked like it bounded but also looks like theres a ton of surface scratching.
My next attempt is going to be with some proper syringe bottles, but shouldnât there have been more interaction with the acetone and acrylic? Shouldnât those two bricks i put in the bottle dissolve?
If acetone is water soluble, would it also need shaking up or mixing? I just opened the can and poured it out, did it perhaps seperate with the active chemical in the bottom of the can, in a way similar to a bottle of h2o2 (hydrogen peroxide) breaks down into h2o, h2o2, and h?
The acetone you buy at the hardware store is mostly pure, and does not need to be shaken.
The bulk acrylic may take a while to dissolve as it does not present much surface area. The smaller you can make the pieces the better (put them in a sock and smash them with a hammer).
And note: any paper towels or rags that have been used with acetone should be rinsed thoroughly with water. Donât pitch them in the trash as isâway too flammable.
Also remember that some solvents can spontaneously combust, like the oft-cited pile of oily rags. Acetone isnât known for this, but it is known for being very flammable.
I donât think I was recommending pouring solvent down a sink. I should have been more clear. Do it this way: get a disposable container, half fill with water, put in your solvent soaked rags. Cover tightly and take it to your hazardous waste recycling facility. Just donât toss acetone soaked rags in the trash.
Acetone will evaporate pretty easily. Iâd dunk the acetone rags in water to dilute it and eliminate the immediate combustion hazard, then air-dry them somewhere for re-use.
If you have rags that are âwetâ with acetone you are using way too much. The stuff evaporates so fast that the challenge is usually to keep enough on the rag to be of use, and if you are gluing acrylic you should be either applying the acetone with a syringe or dipping little pieces in it. If you do spill some and have to clean it with a rag then when you are done just put the rags outside in a single layer, and they will be dry in minutes.
Acetone will not spontaneously combust from oxidation (it does not stick around long enough to oxidize in place). The risk is VERY real with biologically based or âdryingâ oils like linseed, soy, and any of the âDanishâ oil finishes.