Price alert!

jeffcat · May 5, 2015

All of the posts lately about cleaning your gas tanks on here. Yesterday at Lowees I went to pick up a gallon of MEK for my tank job. They had a slash price on the gallon cans. NOT around $19.oo a can but about $8.oo + a can! I bought FIVE cans of MEK. Go check your local store. Jeffcat

dwag · May 5, 2015

Missed the discussion on tank cleaning. What doe the MEK do and how do you use it?

37chief · May 5, 2015

The store is probably getting rid of it for health reasons. MEK has more bad stuff than other thinners. I am going to check my Lowes store to see if they have it on sale. stan

Pete_5959 · May 5, 2015

methyl ethyl ketone is a solvent. Good for removing varnished gas and gummy substances from whatever your trying to clean up. Does not work as good as muriatic acid in my opinion.

Bob Harvey · May 5, 2015

Don't you have to neutralize muriatic acid after use ?

cool hand · May 5, 2015

Checked my local Lowe's for MEK on Sunday. They had none!

Bhunt · May 5, 2015

It is methyl ethyl ketone it was used at one tine to clean Aircraft sealant squeeze out when the parts are riveted together. It was found to have serious health hazards and side affects particularly breathing it in enclosed areas and thru skin absorption. We had to wear respirators and super thick gloves after we had been using it for 10 years with nothing. It was outlawed for aircraft use in the mid 1980s It is as expected extremely flammable. Use in a well ventilated areas. In the 1970s we started to ask a lot of questions because of the skull and crossbones on the barrels. This was before material safety data sheets and the Occupational Health & Safety Advisory Services OHSAS push to make information available to workers. Its still used in some military application's that require it, but a forced air respirator and chemical suit super thick gloves is required.

Byron

RN · May 5, 2015

MEK was used for getting cosmoline off rifles that had been stored in the grease. As noted this was supposed to be done outside and preferably on a breezy day. RN

bill mart · May 6, 2015

what was the brand name of the can of MEK ? My Lowes is still at $21. Thanks, Bill

Dr. Walt · May 6, 2015

Be VERY, VERY CAREFUL when using MEK as it is a very powerful DEGREASER, and it WILL HURT YOU if you get it on your skin or clothing.

Case in point:

Back in 1970 I was working at a Plating Plant and was checking in a delivery of 55 gallon drums of various solvents and chemicals. Delivery man accidently knocked a drum of MEK off of the elevated lift-gate. The drum landed on it's side, splitting open the side seam and drenching me with MEK. Almost instantly my entire body felt like it was on fire. I ran into the area where all of the big Plating Tanks were and literally dove into the large fresh-water Rinse Tank and began stripping off my clothes until I was just in my skivvies. The MEK had removed all of the body oils from my skin and I had to remain in the water until they could get a large can of Lanolin from the Lab and slather it on my skin. Ended up having to go to the Hospital to be checked out. No lasting side-effects, but it sure did hurt when it happened, felt like I was in a blast-furnace.

Doc

jeffcat · May 6, 2015

Here ya go.

Price alert!

jeffcat

Well-known Member

dwag

Member

37chief

Well-known Member

Pete_5959

Member

Bob Harvey

Well-known Member

cool hand

Member

Bhunt

Member

RN

Well-known Member

bill mart

Well-known Member

Dr. Walt

Well-known Member

jeffcat

Well-known Member

Similar threads