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Furniture finish glossary

acetone (propenone)

A strong, fast-drying solvent and thinner for special materials, obtained by the distillation of acetate (a salt of acetic acid).

alcohol

Any of several chemically related organic compounds.

• denatured alcohol (meths, methylated spirits) - A solvent used to thin shellac, consisting of ethanol with enough methanol added to render it poisonous and thus exempt from liquor laws.
• ethanol (ethyl acohol, fermentation alcohol, grain alcohol) - An organic compound, the intoxicating agent in beer, wine, and liquor and the primary component of denatured alcohol.
• methanol - The poison in denatured alcohol, consisting of an organic compound, related to ethanol and having similar properties but also causing blindness.

finish

Treatment of a surface, usually by coating or impregnation, in order to protect it and render it beautiful.

• French polish - A finish made by applying shellac thinned with denatured alcohol in combination with much elbow grease.
  • shellac
• paint
  • enamel - A paint with a hard, shiny finish.
  • oil-based
• boiled linseed oil - furniture finish; gloss additive to oil-based paint
• varnish

grease - See French polish; petroleum distillate.

oil

petroleum fraction

A mixture of saturated hydrocarbons formed by fractionalization in a particular temperature range.

• white spirit (ligroin, benzine, petroleum ether) - Petroleum fraction formed around 100^o C. Turpentine substitute.
• naphtha (crude petroleum, mineral oil, rock oil) - Fast-drying thinner for oil-based paint, enamel, and varnish, a petroleum fraction midway between gasoline and benzine. (NOTE: HOW RELATED TO MEDICAL MINERAL OIL?)
• petroleum distillate - removes tar, grease, oil
• terpatine - mixture of naphtha, terpene hydrocarbons, and petroleum distillate. Thins oil paint, varnish, and enamel.
• kerosene - A slow-drying solvent.
• petroleum spirit
• mineral spirits - Thinner for paint and varnish.

polish

solvent

tar

thinner

• lacquer thinner - A mixture of fast-drying solvents.
• turpentine - thinner for oil-based paint and varnish
• xylene - thinner for synthetic enamels and varnishes
• toluene - thinner for synthetic enamels and varnishes