It’s something that I often wondered. Acetone, even diluted as nail polish remover, does a great job of cleaning prints and, unlike IPA, doesn’t leave the piece with an awful smell.
Is it mainly price, or are there other reasons?
It’s something that I often wondered. Acetone, even diluted as nail polish remover, does a great job of cleaning prints and, unlike IPA, doesn’t leave the piece with an awful smell.
Is it mainly price, or are there other reasons?
People who are actually in the know don’t use IPA. Several gallons of denatured alcohol can be had for a fraction of the price of IPA. It’s simply the less efficient but more commonly known chemical for the job.
Methylated spirits aren’t typically much cheaper than IPA in a lot of the world until you’re buying industrial quantities, aren’t as effective at dissolving lots of things (which may or may not be relevant depending on the particular resin you’re using), and typically contain additives that leave stains when dried. For hobbyists, this doesn’t seem like a sensible cost saving trick even if it does work for the resin they have.
The denatured alcohol you typically find in the the US contains a lot of methanol. It’s much more toxic than IPA.
Methanol is only a bigger issue if you drink it…unless you were drinking your isopropyl alcohol that’s not a very big concern.
You can absorb it via the skin too.