I would use naptha if it was cold and I needed to get something dry faster but its low flash point makes it a more flammable choice. Mineral spirits are a petroleum distillate commonly used as a paint thinner and mild solvent. Personally I use whatever is the cheapest. I already bought odorless mineral spirits. If it is cheaper it probably means that the boiling range of its constituents are less tightly controlled which should be of little concern in many finishing applications. Package says I cant use them for my brushes and use a odorless brush cleaner. So paint thinner may evaporate the same as, or faster, than mineral spirits depending on what the distiller decided to put in it. Mineral spirits are excellent for cleaning wood before staining, revealing color variations, showing the grain, and giving the best finish possible.

'Paint thinner' could be naptha or mineral spirits (or any of a number of other common names for these fractions-ligroin, petroleum ether, etc). Mineral spirits evaporates slower than naptha. Though relatively potent, mineral spirits do not cause any damage to clear wood finishes and. How fast they evaporate will differ, which in turn will effect the flash point: -40 C for naptha and 0 C for mineral spirits. Apply the solution by means of a sponge or a paintbrush, before wiping it away with a clean cloth. None of these constituents should have any effect on the curing chemistry of a finish.īecause they are distillation fractions they are all 100% volatile. Mineral spirits has a wide range of applications for household. In addition they will differ in minor components that will contribute more or less odor. Generally, mineral spirits can be used in any application where a paint thinner might be used. But Thanks to Monster Zero Im still gonna get a small container of mineral spirits too. So now I think Im going to go with the lacquer thinner for thinning and cleaning. By far the main difference among them will be boiling point (how fast they evaporate, flash point). Lacquer thinner was another runner up, but I was leaning towards the mineral spirit (well my old mans opinion LOL).

Naptha is largely pentane and hexane while mineral spirits is a mix of somewhat larger molecules, probably mostly octane. By and large they are the aliphatic component of petroleum. 'All these things are distillation fractions of petroleum. It offers the same quick and aggressive cleaning capabilities of a. A better cleaner would be turpentine as it wont leave as much a. Here is a nice write up I just found on the differences. Crystal Cleans Odorless Mineral Spirits solvent is a specialty petroleum-based solvent. Mineral spirits is a slow solvent on shellac and varnish and can easily soften the finish. Mineral spirits paint thinner is also an excellent. Mineral spirits is similar to Naptha and should work fine. The low odor and high solvent power make it ideal for cleaning brushes, rollers, and equipment after use. I use Naptha aka lighter fluid to remove wax.

Cleaning with mineral spirits