Replies

1. 
   BruceS | Apr 28, 2007 04:27pm | #1

   "white spirits"  Commonly called Mineral spirits, paint thinner or Stoddard solvent.  A more refined form of naptha and is petroleum based.

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

2. 
   SteveSchoene | Apr 28, 2007 04:30pm | #2

   The list you give has substantial differences among the items.  Turpentine is a natural solvent for oil based finishes, with rather more odor than most, and is often felt to have desirable brushing characteristics.  Mineral spirits or paint thinner (Stoddard solvent a variant) is the petroleum based (mostly) equivalent to turpentine.  It's composition varies a bit among the various brands.  This is pretty much what Europeans call white spirits.  Naptha is usually a lighter, faster evaporating variant of mineral spirits. 

   However, methyl hydrate is what is called denatured alcohol in the USA and methylated spirits in Canada.  It is a solvent for shellac, but not for oil based finishes.  Not at all the same as paint thinner. 

   Lacquer thinner is a mixture of solvents for lacquer.  There is a bit of overlap with mineral spirits--as diluting solvents, but more potent solvents for the lacquer such as MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) are also included along with some alcohols.  Formulations vary widely in speed of evaporation and other characteristics.