If you want to remove build up on ca tips instead of scraping it off just drop tip in some acetone for a few minutes . Tip comes out good as new

does that apply to fingers too?

Actually, yes!

Yeahbut, when you get to be my age you start wondering if one more dollop of (acetone/denatured alcohol/epoxy/CA/whatever chemical) won't be the one what puts ya over the edge accumulation-wise and turns yer liver into a boat anchor.

OTOH I'm pretty sure my fingertips don't absorb garnet dust offa 120 grit sandpaper . . . .

Just take two good and long baths within 2 days and the CA is gone from every part of your body it stuck to.

Keep a small CAPPED jar of acetone on your work bench. When you CA your fingers together, just unscrew the lid and stick your fingers in the acetone for a few seconds. This will unglue your fingers.

I do suggest washing your hands afterwards to minimize/stop absorbation of the acetone through the skin since acetone is not good for you.

I found this on acetone:

How can acetone affect my health?
If you are exposed to acetone, it goes into your blood which then carries it to all the organs in your body. If it is a small amount, the liver breaks it down to chemicals that are not harmful and uses these chemicals to make energy for normal body functions. Breathing moderate- to-high levels of acetone for short periods of time, however, can cause nose, throat, lung, and eye irritation; headaches; light-headedness; confusion; increased pulse rate; effects on blood; nausea; vomiting; unconsciousness and possibly coma; and shortening of the menstrual cycle in women.

Swallowing very high levels of acetone can result in unconsciousness and damage to the skin in your mouth. Skin contact can result in irritation and damage to your skin.

The smell and respiratory irritation or burning eyes that occur from moderate levels are excellent warning signs that can help you avoid breathing damaging levels of acetone.

Health effects from long-term exposures are known mostly from animal studies. Kidney, liver, and nerve damage, increased birth defects, and lowered ability to reproduce (males only) occurred in animals exposed long-term. It is not known if people would have these same effects.

Hmmm...I've been around, and into, MANY solvents over my life...at least what's left of it...maybe it's why I can be a grumpy old fart sometimes??? Lacquer thinner, acetone, denatured alcohol, mineral spirits, toluene, MEK, xylene are the bulk of my exposure with lacquer thinner and mineral spirits being the most heavily used. I have found that some things require a special solvent in order to do what you want to do. I try to keep skin contact and inhalation of vapors to a minimum but there is no way to totally eliminate both unless you are wearing a bio-hazard suit. IMO, using any solvent in a well ventilated area and with gloves basically constitutes no real health dangers. No matter what you do or don't do...you're gonna die!

Its kind of like walking down the street causes cancer in the state of california. :P
No offense to Cali people.

You are SOOO right... Just got a Sig SE kit and on the box lid is the warning that the kit "contains items known to cause cancer"........ Guess that balsa dust is worse than we thought.... Musta missed the memo that advised common sense has departed the species... [sm=confused.gif][sm=bananahead.gif][sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

Cheers!

Jim

On the water bottles in Cali do they label them as containing items known to cause cancer too?


BTW...on the topic...very good tip! I will try it on my next CA clog and throw caution to the wind as far as my exposure to acetone!

Nothing wrong with that![sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif]

As I understand it acetone is relatively safe, probably safer than CA fumes. I believe acetone is the main ingredient in nailpolish remover.

I still try to minimize my exposure.

True - True

Zope pope, I thought just LIVING in California causes cancer.

I get those gold colored CA tips by the gross on ebay for $10. When one plugs, I throw it away and screw on another. Way easy, cheap and I always have a good tip. Can't remember the manufacturer but the things are awsome. Bought a couple extra boxes just in case they quit making them.

The covered acetone jar is the way to go. I have a few spare tips and tops from old CA bottles that I keep. At the end of the day I take any clogged CA tips and drop them in the acetone jar and recover it. I put the spare tips on the open CA bottle. Works out great for me.