window cleaners (and ammonium) in UK

NikToo

Member since
March 2006
From: South Coast, UK

Posted by NikToo on Saturday, April 8, 2006 4:04 PM

Sure, although it was probably pure ethanol... All doctors, nurses, etc., always used to check out tons of the stuff around Christmas time.

Found me some ammonia in a hardware store today. Nice 9.5% stuff. Sure burns your nose (had to try... I was very happy for my filter mask while using it later). Thinking of maybe diluting it a bit with deionised water to make it less potent. Got some 50ml dropper bottles on eBay I'll use to keep all this stuff in.

On the bench: Tamiya 1/48 Tiger I:

Tamiya 1/48 Jagdpanther:

Skybow 1/48 Tiger I Late:

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scotty

Member since
January 2003
From: United Kingdom

Posted by scotty on Friday, April 7, 2006 5:34 PM

Orange Juice ?

Scott.

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NikToo

Member since
March 2006
From: South Coast, UK

Posted by NikToo on Friday, April 7, 2006 5:28 PM

Cool. I live on the South Coast, plenty of old-fashioned hardware stores. Will go looking for Jeyes tomorrow. I'll keep the isopropanol for more rigorous cleaning (Vallejo recommends mixing it with their cleaner) and use the ammonia for cleaning between changes.

(With Future, Windolene, Isopropanol and ammonium in my shed, I think I'll just turn and run if there's a fire in there...)

On the bench: Tamiya 1/48 Tiger I:

Tamiya 1/48 Jagdpanther:

Skybow 1/48 Tiger I Late:

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bambuko

Member since
April 2006

Posted by bambuko on Friday, April 7, 2006 1:16 PM

thanks guys, for your advice,
forget about Windolene or Windex or any other perfumed window cleaner Smile [:)]

just got in the hardware shop (proper old fashioned one) "Jeyes Kleen Off - Ammonia Household Cleaner" - proper job for cleaning and removing of Future - and don't stick your nose in to test it - my still burns from ammonia fumes Clown [:o)]

As for Isopropyl Alcohol BP - had no problems getting it in the local chemist (supplier - William Ransom @ Son plc) - it is once again clean and pure. Works great!

thanks Chris

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NikToo

Member since
March 2006
From: South Coast, UK

Posted by NikToo on Friday, April 7, 2006 12:25 PM

Hmmm... But not available thanks to the Eurocrats.

What about isopropyl alcohol? Does anyone know where to get it in the UK? I've been to Focus and Halfords today and they didn't have it. Two local pharmacists didn't either. They do a Surgical Spirit which has Castor Oil in it, so I was a bit apprehensive about that. It's also called Isopropanol here. I found some online here.

More edit: Got some off eBay, 99.9%. Just mix with orange juice... (anyone with parents in the medical profession will have come across this)

On the bench: Tamiya 1/48 Tiger I:

Tamiya 1/48 Jagdpanther:

Skybow 1/48 Tiger I Late:

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waikong

Member since
December 2002
From: NYC, USA

Posted by waikong on Friday, April 7, 2006 11:39 AM

Acetone will clean enamel paint, for acrylic, windex with ammonia is all you need - much friendlier in the smell department.

My website: http://waihobbies.wkhc.net

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MusicCity

Member since
January 2004
From: USA

Posted by MusicCity on Thursday, April 6, 2006 8:11 PM

No, nail polish remover has Acetone which is a tad strong.

In the USA nail polish remover has acetone in it. In the UK there is no telling. It might be nothing but alcohol because nail polish over there may be nothing but acrylic ;)

Scott Craig -- Nashville, TN -- My Website -- My Models Page

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Thursday, April 6, 2006 4:51 PM

NikToo wrote:
I thought nail polish had isopropyl alcohol in it?

No, nail polish remover has Acetone which is a tad strong.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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NikToo

Member since
March 2006
From: South Coast, UK

Posted by NikToo on Thursday, April 6, 2006 4:45 PM

I thought nail polish had isopropyl alcohol in it?

On the bench: Tamiya 1/48 Tiger I:

Tamiya 1/48 Jagdpanther:

Skybow 1/48 Tiger I Late:

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scotty

Member since
January 2003
From: United Kingdom

Posted by scotty on Thursday, April 6, 2006 3:44 PM

Doesn't cheap nail polish remover have ammonium in it or am I on another planet ....AGAIN? I too get confused by the cross meanings of USA & UK, why can't nothing in the world be as simple as ME?

Scott.

www.freewebs.com/scottellis - MY HANGER.

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Thursday, April 6, 2006 2:04 PM

For acryilcs you could also use isopropyl alcohol to clean your airbrush as well as many other cleaners out there.
Any of the heavy-duty degreasers work great also such as Super Clean and others.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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bambuko

Member since
April 2006

Posted by bambuko on Thursday, April 6, 2006 1:23 PM

Windolene is quoted on Swanny's web page (http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html) as being UK's equivalent of Windex.
Unfortunately "tree huggers" Wink [;)]

and "eurocrats" SoapBox [soapbox]

are very keen to protect us from ourselves here in Europe Evil [}:)]

and it appears that ammonia containing window cleaners are dissapearing from the shops Sad [:(]

just trying to find the best solution
rgrds Chris
ps Windex or similar (ammonia containing cleaners) are used for stripping of Future, cleaning etc

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Bgrigg

Member since
May 2005
From: Left forever

Posted by Bgrigg on Thursday, April 6, 2006 1:19 PM

Try looking for non sudsing ammonia (laundry dept.) and dilute with distilled water. About 10 pts water to 1 pt ammonia. It's really the ammonia that does the cleaning, not the Windex. Windex is just handy and is a pleasent blue color which differentiates it from water, thinners and such.

So long folks!

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NikToo

Member since
March 2006
From: South Coast, UK

Posted by NikToo on Thursday, April 6, 2006 12:11 PM

Airbrush cleaning (I assume, at least that's why I got it).

On the bench: Tamiya 1/48 Tiger I:

Tamiya 1/48 Jagdpanther:

Skybow 1/48 Tiger I Late:

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Thursday, April 6, 2006 10:59 AM

NikToo wrote:
Typical, I just bought a bottle. At least it's something that can be used in the house. Does it have to contain ammonia though? Or will it clean fine as it is? Could one of our American counterparts please check their Windolene and let us know what's in it?

We don't have Windolene here, we have Windex and yes it does contain ammonia.
What purpose are you using the Windolene for?

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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NikToo

Member since
March 2006
From: South Coast, UK

Posted by NikToo on Thursday, April 6, 2006 3:39 AM

Typical, I just bought a bottle. At least it's something that can be used in the house. Does it have to contain ammonia though? Or will it clean fine as it is? Could one of our American counterparts please check their Windolene and let us know what's in it?

On the bench: Tamiya 1/48 Tiger I:

Tamiya 1/48 Jagdpanther:

Skybow 1/48 Tiger I Late:

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bambuko

Member since
April 2006

window cleaners (and ammonium) in UK

Posted by bambuko on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 2:00 PM

I have bought Windolene as per Swanny's web page, but it doesn't contain (at least in UK) any ammonium.
You can check the ingredients on http://www.rbeuroinfo.com/ and they are as follows:
Aqua, Propylene Glycol Butyl Ether, Methoxyisopropanol, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Carbomer or Polyacrylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide (no mention of Ammonium)

the only window cleaner I found that appears to contain in amongst all the other staff " Ammonium hydroxide" is Mr Muscle Lemon Window & Glass (you can check it on http://www.scjproducts.info/)

on the other hand has anyone got any experience of using Jeyes Kleen Off ? This is supposed to be 9%
Ammonium hydroxide.

best rgrds Chris

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