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Denatured Alcohol

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OK.........Time for a real true Cheat River W.Va. story. ............During prohibition days in our countries past. There was a law passed nation wide , outlawing the making and using of alcohol to drink . Times were tough , so in the Cheat River Valley , Preston Co. W. Va. , my neighbors grand pa , set up a moon shine still to make money to feed his 5 kids , and wife. Years later , long after the stilling days passed , in the 1950's, my neighbor and his parents took me along as a guest to meet their aged grandparents. We walked into the old farm house , and shook grandpa's hand , and as kids will , my 7 yr.old neighbor , asked why his Grandpa was , missing the ends of two of his fingers. We were immediately ushered out of the house , w/o explanation of the missing digits on Grandpa's hand , and told to go explore the woods. After extensive interrogation , over the next couple years , the story goes like this. In the shine days , it seems Grandpa would taste his product from the still to assure quality. Grandpa had a birthday, did a little quality control on his moonshine , and decided to take his boys down to the Cheat River , and do some W.Va. type fishing. Grandpa stationed his boys below him in a riffle , each boy with a dip net , then rowed his boat upriver , to the deep hole above his sons , and anchored. Grandpa was given a brand new Zippo cigarette lighter for his birthday , and was bound to try it out. Grandpa fished with dynamite , and nets. His job was to light the fuse on the stick of dynamite tied to a flat rock , and throw the explosive into the water , to sink into the deep water , stun the fish , and the boys would net the catch. Well , seems Grandpa lit the fuse , and threw his new Zippo into the water. Quickly , he noted his error and dropped the rock into the river just before detonation. A chunk of the rock shaved off the ends of two fingers , as well as deafening him in one ear.
Back to us kids in the 1950's visit. Grandpa became a staunch Presbyterian , and though years later ,he didn't want the story of his fishing debacle to jade his grandson's image of him. Alcohol can be a terrible thing , or a blessing. .................oldwood...:D
 
OK.........Time for a real true Cheat River W.Va. story. ............During prohibition days in our countries past. There was a law passed nation wide , outlawing the making and using of alcohol to drink . Times were tough , so in the Cheat River Valley , Preston Co. W. Va. , my neighbors grand pa , set up a moon shine still to make money to feed his 5 kids , and wife. Years later , long after the stilling days passed , in the 1950's, my neighbor and his parents took me along as a guest to meet their aged grandparents. We walked into the old farm house , and shook grandpa's hand , and as kids will , my 7 yr.old neighbor , asked why his Grandpa was , missing the ends of two of his fingers. We were immediately ushered out of the house , w/o explanation of the missing digits on Grandpa's hand , and told to go explore the woods. After extensive interrogation , over the next couple years , the story goes like this. In the shine days , it seems Grandpa would taste his product from the still to assure quality. Grandpa had a birthday, did a little quality control on his moonshine , and decided to take his boys down to the Cheat River , and do some W.Va. type fishing. Grandpa stationed his boys below him in a riffle , each boy with a dip net , then rowed his boat upriver , to the deep hole above his sons , and anchored. Grandpa was given a brand new Zippo cigarette lighter for his birthday , and was bound to try it out. Grandpa fished with dynamite , and nets. His job was to light the fuse on the stick of dynamite tied to a flat rock , and throw the explosive into the water , to sink into the deep water , stun the fish , and the boys would net the catch. Well , seems Grandpa lit the fuse , and threw his new Zippo into the water. Quickly , he noted his error and dropped the rock into the river just before detonation. A chunk of the rock shaved off the ends of two fingers , as well as deafening him in one ear.
Back to us kids in the 1950's visit. Grandpa became a staunch Presbyterian , and though years later ,he didn't want the story of his fishing debacle to jade his grandson's image of him. Alcohol can be a terrible thing , or a blessing. .................oldwood...:D
My farther told a story of when he was in the siege of Tobruk, 9th Australian division. One of the junior officers decided some fresh fish would relieve the diet of canned food. He found some Italian demolition explosive. So, he set it all up correctly, Detonator, generous length of fuse, etc, then waded out on a reef, lit his fuse and threw it as far he could. Apparently it went about 20 feet and floated. The old man reckons it is the only time he has seen a man run on water.
 
We call it Methylated spirit down here. Just for a hoot one day I carefully washed out an empty Meths bottle, leaving the label on. Then I filled it with water and leaving the label very prominent on my bench I took regular swigs from it. Shoud'a seen the looks I was gettin.😂
:eek:😂:eek:😂:oops::oops:🤣
Seen that done,it’s a hoot🫠
 
St. Patrick’s day party at work was to be a potluck so being who I am I washed out an empty Jameson Irish whiskey bottle and filled it with apple juice. When I set it on the table for the potluck the reaction was close to pulling the pin on a grenade!
 
Denatured Ethanol (alcohol) has had additives mixed with it to make it poisonous and unpalatable for consumption.

Denatured alcohol is used as a solvent and as fuel for alcohol burners and camping stoves. Because of the diversity of industrial uses for denatured alcohol, hundreds of additives and denaturing methods have been used.
I learned the hard way, do not keep denatured alcohol in aluminum MSR bottles or aluminum bottles of any kind. In time, it eats holes right through them.
 
Wood alcohol is not for human combustion whereas grain alcohol is. Methanol vs ethanol and you don't have to add anything to the one to make it poisonous. Isopropyl alcohol is not as pure as denatured and has some water in it. I used denatured for degreasing before glueing some projects such as sinew backing a bow. I used to use it as a final drying agent in the breech area, touch hole liners and nipples. It however will damage any oil finish you have on your ramrod and gunstock. Found out the hard way and now go to a stainless work rod to do the denatured alcohol or gas line antifreeze wetted patch. Any left over water is dried with it. A very hot barrel (too hot to hold with bare hands) will dry the boiling water I use to clean after shooting for the day but gets a thin film of rust which shows up on your white cleaning patch. I since went to using gas line anti freeze from the auto store. They claim it has no water in it. Everclear is effective but pretty expensive compared to the gasoline drier. I personally wouldn't put any of the aforementioned in my body.
 
Forgot to mention that denatured alcohol burns hotter and cleaner in alcohol burners than isopropyl. I use the denatured when heat straightening arrow shafts and ramrods. Grease the wood first and don't scorch or burn it.
 
Ethanol or Ethyl Alcohol with additives is called booze . And you pay the Tax man
Methanol or Methyl Alcohol with vomit inducing additives is called Meths or Mentholated Spirits
Isopropanol or Isopropyl Alcohol ,with additives ( water?) is called rubbing alcohol .
I use 100% Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning gun parts ,cleaning surfaces before gluing de oiling barrels and frizzens before shooting .de oiling metal before browning/bluing etc. It is handy stuff around the workshop. Meths can leave a deposit and isn't as effective .
 
OK.........Time for a real true Cheat River W.Va. story. ............During prohibition days in our countries past. There was a law passed nation wide , outlawing the making and using of alcohol to drink . Times were tough , so in the Cheat River Valley , Preston Co. W. Va. , my neighbors grand pa , set up a moon shine still to make money to feed his 5 kids , and wife. Years later , long after the stilling days passed , in the 1950's, my neighbor and his parents took me along as a guest to meet their aged grandparents. We walked into the old farm house , and shook grandpa's hand , and as kids will , my 7 yr.old neighbor , asked why his Grandpa was , missing the ends of two of his fingers. We were immediately ushered out of the house , w/o explanation of the missing digits on Grandpa's hand , and told to go explore the woods. After extensive interrogation , over the next couple years , the story goes like this. In the shine days , it seems Grandpa would taste his product from the still to assure quality. Grandpa had a birthday, did a little quality control on his moonshine , and decided to take his boys down to the Cheat River , and do some W.Va. type fishing. Grandpa stationed his boys below him in a riffle , each boy with a dip net , then rowed his boat upriver , to the deep hole above his sons , and anchored. Grandpa was given a brand new Zippo cigarette lighter for his birthday , and was bound to try it out. Grandpa fished with dynamite , and nets. His job was to light the fuse on the stick of dynamite tied to a flat rock , and throw the explosive into the water , to sink into the deep water , stun the fish , and the boys would net the catch. Well , seems Grandpa lit the fuse , and threw his new Zippo into the water. Quickly , he noted his error and dropped the rock into the river just before detonation. A chunk of the rock shaved off the ends of two fingers , as well as deafening him in one ear.
Back to us kids in the 1950's visit. Grandpa became a staunch Presbyterian , and though years later ,he didn't want the story of his fishing debacle to jade his grandson's image of him. Alcohol can be a terrible thing , or a blessing. .................oldwood...:D
Up here 50 percent dynamite was referred to as a Dupont spinner…..always resulted in a fish fry
 
Ethanol or Ethyl Alcohol with additives is called booze . And you pay the Tax man
Methanol or Methyl Alcohol with vomit inducing additives is called Meths or Mentholated Spirits
Isopropanol or Isopropyl Alcohol ,with additives ( water?) is called rubbing alcohol .
I use 100% Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning gun parts ,cleaning surfaces before gluing de oiling barrels and frizzens before shooting .de oiling metal before browning/bluing etc. It is handy stuff around the workshop. Meths can leave a deposit and isn't as effective .
Agree, 100% Isopropyl is hard to beat beat. I have over a gallon, but I find myself rationing it. Need to use it more, but I do use a lot of the 91%.
 
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