Yellow marking on 4T chest lid???

[Peter Laidler]

What seems to be the problem with methylated spirit F-10? Been using it trouble free, every day of my working life, cleaning mainly optical lenses. Spilled it, inhaled plenty of it, got it in my eyes, under my nails, in the odd cut and.... The drunks around here even drink the stuff! Not a chemist but........ or has health and safety not penetrated these parts of Oxfordshire as rigorously as it should have?

Remind me one day to mention the open, boiling trichlorethylene vapour tank that would swallow a whole RR meteor tank engine. Second thoughts....., maybe not!

[Flying10uk]

I am very careful nowadays, Peter, when giving advice to cover my a--- bottom. I don't know what stupid things people are going to do; I don't wan't them blaming me.

[Roger Payne]

I've been using methylated spirits regularly ever since I started using it in a spirit burner in my 'Merritt' chemistry set as a kid. I've also found out by trial & error that I get on better using it as a diluent for suncorite than thinners. It also helps soften old baked on suncorite prior to removing it. At least, it seems to make the blasting of it off a little easier. Shame it is relatively expensive here in the UK with the little 500ml bottles coming in at about 3 or 4 pounds. In France there is a near equivalent (very minor difference in the relative amounts of methanol & ethanol, but of no practical importance) called 'Alcool a Bruler' - roughly equivalent to 'cooking alcohol' which is only about 8 euros (about seven quid) a gallon.

Of course, I would NOT wish anyone to interpret this as a suggestion that they should ?illegally? import dyeless alcohol into the UK from France.......

[Gil Boyd]

Why not, they've been doing it across the border in NI for decades

[chosenman]

Cheers everybody. I'm satisfied its a stores code of sorts and whilst we are on the subject there's a fair number of L42 chests with yellow panels painted on the ends of the chests as well.