# Green Mineral Spirits Milky White OK Mixing?



## Freddy3 (Sep 23, 2018)

Just opened my first gallon can of Green (environmental friendly) Mineral Spirits and found out its milk white. Will this stuff mix well when diluting polyurethanes? I'm spooked until I know the answer. Help! Fred in Boston Area


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

It's garbage. Mineral spirits are in general superior to paint thinner, but if that junk is all you can get, use paint thinner or turpentine instead. Both are more noxious but better than fake MS.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

I bought a can of that stuff…..ONCE
I never have tried thinning material with it, and I wouldn't.

Might or might not work, let us know if you try it.


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## Freddy3 (Sep 23, 2018)

Hmmmm. Looks like I am gonna have to use up this stuff for brush cleaning only….oh well. Clean brushes are always a good thing…. Although I didn't exactly save any Green on this purchase…Nyuk Nyuk


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Run away from that stuff screaming and don't look back. It even sucks for brush cleaning.

Cheers,
Brad


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Would only take an ounce of the milky stuff and an ounce of poly. Sand up some scrap, and give it a try. If it works like MS of old, it'll dry a wipe coat at 70* in just a few hours. Don't like it, don't use it.

Times, they are a changing. I think I heard a song like that once, but that new greener world is right there, so soon enough we won't have any choices. Get used to it. A few years ago it was a big too-dooo over "water based WHAT!!!!!" Now all the reviews give the nod to the water based products.


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

A white cast or color in an oil based solvent means water is present, as water and oil do not mix well.

Do not use any water containing solvent to dilute any oil based finish!

The new 'green' or environmentally friendly solvents cheat the state/federal solvent evaporation rate limits by using water or slow evaporating alcohols. These 'green' solvent additions can ruin your day, and the finish on your project. Be sure to read the ingredient list on can, or MSDS for any solvent used, particularly mineral spirits. Each brand can have a different recipe, and different store brands can act very differently. Some of the newer 'green' varieties may contain acetone or ketones, which will melt plastics and swell previously cured finishes.

+1 If you need oil based finish thinner, suggest you look for Turpentine or 'paint thinner'. Turpentine is a regulated solvent made from various molecular weights of stoddard solvent, which is same in any chemistry definition. Paint thinner in USA is typically made from White Spirits, which are a range of naptha based solvents distilled in slightly different ways. In cooler weather, straight naptha can be used as oil based thinner favorably as it has a lower viscosity and faster evaporation rate than Stoddard solvent or white spirits. In warm weather, naptha flashes off much too quickly to be used alone as thinner.

About only good 'green' solvent is denatured alcohol. The green variety actually has less water, and different denaturing chemical that works better for dissolving shellac flakes than standard non-green varieties. 

Best Luck.


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## Freddy3 (Sep 23, 2018)

Wow. Some useful and thorough commentary which is going to be well used. I knew the field of LJ's could settle this!


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## RobHannon (Dec 12, 2016)

I have a can of the "Green" replacement for Naptha that is all I can seem to find now. I am kinda dreading trying it.


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## Freddy3 (Sep 23, 2018)

I know how that feels. Best of luck partner. I have no answers…..


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

LOL, I feel sorry for folks in California, as EPA rules on solvents has gotten bad:

Was visiting friend in CA state, and needed some White Spirits - Paint thinner for a project. All I could find in BORG was 'green' mineral spirits with major portion of content was alcohol and acetone. :-(
Did learn one trick? 
Some states environmental rules allow small quantity exemptions. I was able to buy pints of old school paint thinner at True Value hardware store, but not quarts/gallons. You can still get good stuff if you really need it in CA, but it requires commercial EPA registration and reporting compliance with hazmat waste use/disposal rules. 

Here in AZ, EPA rules make it illegal to sell gallons of Zinsser Seal Coat shellac at retail as the solvent to solids ratio is too high. Can only buy quarts, and most online stores will also not ship to AZ either.  Fortunately the commercial painter's supply houses still sell Seal coat gallons to amateur's that go looking for it. 

EPA clean air rules are making it hard to lay down an old school oil finish on wood these days.

Stay safe using solvents!
YMMV


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> Here in AZ, EPA rules make it illegal to sell gallons of Zinsser Seal Coat shellac at retail as the solvent to solids ratio is too high. Can only buy quarts, and most online stores will also not ship to AZ either.  Fortunately the commercial painter s supply houses still sell Seal coat gallons to amateur s that go looking for it.
> 
> - CaptainKlutz


Both the 1 gallon and 5 gallon sizes are available at Home Depot here in Tucson according to their web site.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-5-gal-SealCoat-Universal-Sanding-Sealer-850/205140203


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## diverlloyd (Apr 25, 2013)

> Here in AZ, EPA rules make it illegal to sell gallons of Zinsser Seal Coat shellac at retail as the solvent to solids ratio is too high. Can only buy quarts, and most online stores will also not ship to AZ either.  Fortunately the commercial painter s supply houses still sell Seal coat gallons to amateur s that go looking for it.
> 
> - CaptainKlutz
> 
> ...


You should buy that and ship it to him to see if it works. Since websites never lie.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> You should buy that and ship it to him to see if it works. Since websites never lie.
> 
> - diverlloyd


LOL, nice try. I've seen it on the shelf. But hey, if you want to order some and send it to me to convince yourself, feel free.


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## diverlloyd (Apr 25, 2013)

> You should buy that and ship it to him to see if it works. Since websites never lie.
> 
> - diverlloyd
> 
> ...


I'm not the guy who either tells the guy he's a liar or wrong. So since your in Arizona you could buy some and just take it to the guy. That would be a great lumberjock buddy for the community and you may even be able to make a friend.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> I m not the guy who either tells the guy he s a liar or wrong.
> 
> - diverlloyd


Oops. I'm sure you're too vapid to realize it, but you just called the man a liar. I never used that word; you did.


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