M e k substitute

Evidently MEK isn't banned everywhere. I went to a local True Value hardware store and asked - they had a gallon in stock but got me a quart in two days (in Delaware). Also, Amazon sells it - see here:

http://www.amazon.com/SUNNYSIDE-CORPORATION-84732-1-Quart-Methyl/dp/B000BZX49I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390397725&sr=8-1&keywords=MEK

If you really want the real stuff, we still use it in the fabric covering process on aircraft. It is available from several aircraft supply houses such as Aircraft Spruce www.aircraftspruce.com/.../polyfibermek.php

I also found it at a Sherwin-Williams store, but it was in 5 gallon cans. Of course, that was how much I needed to cover a C-47's controls!

I use MEK as a plastic welder too. It has been off the shelves here in California for a couple of years now so I'm glad I bought some when I did. I find it to be the best, as it melts styrene quickly but doesn't evaporate as quickly as acetone for example.

I have used acetone with some success, although I notice it works well on the styrene of some kits, while not so well on other kits. I'm guessing there must be a variation on styrene formulations. It is certainly not as aggressive as MEK.

I have recently bought a can of the MEK substitute but haven't tried it yet.

This same question popped up in my most recent model club meeting and he was complaining that the mek substitute doesn't work hardly at all. Apparently, kids were sniffing the "good stuff" to get high, so small amounts of it won't be available.

Of course, kids are just going to find something else to sniff. Are they going to ban WD-40 because kids sniff it or perhaps gasoline? (Yeah, I know: "Don't give them any ideas!")

I think Acetone is still widely available, and some folks use it for plastics.  Some also use generic lacquer thinner, but I think "lacquer thinner", like generic "paint thinner" has different constituents from brand to brand, so some brands may work differently than others.

Ambroid  Pro-Weld seems to work well on most plastics including plexiglass, but some of the plastics will respond more slowly than others.

I live in NY and found during a recent trip to Home Depot that MEK is no longer legal in NY. They did sell a MEK substitute, but the guy in the store advised against using it for plastic cement, he said he didn't think it would work. They were selling the substitute as a cleaningg agent. Hope this helps.

Mike

Thanks,"Government", for taking something else useful away from us, like 100 watt light bulbs!

I've never found a substitute "anything" that worked as well as the original.