Gamsol the REAL story!

[littlegto]

Gamsol is a brand name for odorless mineral spirits. I bought a quart for 6.00 at the hardware store. I went to every art/craft store in this area and no one knew what Gamsol was. So I Googled Gamsol and the rest they say is history.

Now what to put it in you ask. I went to a local beauty supply and picked up a container that manicurists use for the liquid for the acrylic nails. The container is plastic with a metal top. You just tap the top and the resevoir fills with liquid. Tap again and it goes back into the bottle. This costed 11.00.

Hope this helps!

[Gina K. Designs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlegto

Gamsol is a brand name for odorless mineral spirits. I bought a quart for 6.00 at the hardware store. I went to every art/craft store in this area and no one knew what Gamsol was. So I Googled Gamsol and the rest they say is history.

Now what to put it in you ask. I went to a local beauty supply and picked up a container that manicurists use for the liquid for the acrylic nails. The container is plastic with a metal top. You just tap the top and the resevoir fills with liquid. Tap again and it goes back into the bottle. This costed 11.00.

Hope this helps!

When using any kind of plastic container for Odorless mineral spirits, make sure it is a high density plastic made for this type of solvent. (Plastics come in different grades and many different types. What's good for acetone or ethyl acetate is not always okay for OMS, primers and paint thinners.)

When we were finding the right packaging for our Odorless mineral spirits, we actually had to switch our packaging twice as the OMS was eating away at the plastic.

It doesn't happen right away. It takes time but you will notice it eventually.

My advice would be to either store it in the bottle it came in, inside an aluminum can or my personal favorite, glass.

As far as grades, most companies, including Gamblin, produce several different grades of Mineral Spirits. Depending on the way it is distilled, the evaporation rate will be different. The short explanation is- the faster the evaporation rate, the more dangerous it is. Usually hardware store OMS has a fast evaporation rate as it's meant to be used in a well-ventilated area or outdoors. Artist grades evaporate much more slowly.

Just an FYI.

[littlegto]

Just my luck to get all this information AFTER I bought this stuff! You are so right about the mineral spirits dry rapidly. URG! See what happens with just a little information. I guess Google let me down. I so appreciate your rapid reply. TFS

[tdodd00]

Quote:

Now what to put it in you ask. I went to a local beauty supply and picked up a container that manicurists use for the liquid for the acrylic nails. The container is plastic with a metal top. You just tap the top and the resevoir fills with liquid. Tap again and it goes back into the bottle. This costed 11.00.

Good luck with that...I bought a "double wall" plastic container from M's and over time it still completely ballooned out. I now use the manicurist bottle you are talking about, except mine is glass :mrgreen: !

[Crafts]

I liked the idea pictured on the Heart Prints site.

She is only covering the sponge halfway. That looks like a Ball 4 oz. quilted crystal jelly jar. Those come with two-piece lids and bands. I was thinking that while it's in use, it would be a good plan to rest the lid on the jar to contain the fumes. Without the band part that screws on, it would be easy to reposition the lid only partially open when needed and slide it closed again. Those glass jars come in 12-packs and are inexpensive.

[steubner]

I got a teeny (like 2 oz) glass jar at Michaels for $1...it's perfect!

[shayks]

i was told to try baby oil in place of gamsol because it doesn't have fumes

[RiverIsis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shayks

i was told to try baby oil in place of gamsol because it doesn't have fumes

I've used both Artist grade OMS and Baby Oil - I prefer Baby Oil myself. - At least if I spill a little of that I can just rub it into my hand/arm... etc...

[littlegto]

Judi,
Like you, I like the idea of a small canning jar(?). I like the idea of setting the lid on top while in use. And you dog is cute too!

[kphorse]

Besides the glass dispenser top containers, there are these little pots with metal lids that nail techs use to put their acrylic powerds and liquids in. I use on of those, it hold about 2 tablespoos full. Just another thought.

[stigmom6]

Be careful with the stuff from home depot. As Gamsol is just a brand name for oderless mineral spirits the stuff they sell at Home Depot is much stronger(made for painting homes) than the art grade sold in art stores. The brand Michaels carries is Mona Lisa. So even though it is odorless there will still be fumes nad the paint grade is MUCH MUCH stronger than the Art grade. I am sure about these facts as my hubby is a painting contractor and I had him explain the difference to me!

[stamps&cars]

I've been using the dauber bottle from M's for over two years and haven't had any problems with it at all. It goes everywhere with me on trips in the car.

[GarnetJ]

I copied this information from the Gamblin (manufacturers of Gamsol) website...

GAMSOL - Odorless Mineral Spirits
Excellent solvent for thinning Gamblin mediums and for general painting, including studio and brush cleanup. Flashpoint 145 degrees F.

Gamsol is 100% pure odorless mineral spirits (OMS). Some painters think OMS is more toxic because you cannot smell it. This is not true. Odorless mineral spirits is less toxic because harmful aromatic solvent has been removed. By using odorless mineral spirits (OMS), you can cut down on your exposure to solvent vapors. During a three hour painting session, about 20% of OMS evaporates in the air around you. Compare that with the evaporation rate of turpentine, which is so fast that during a three hour painting session, approximately 90% of the turpentine evaporates.

This may explain why Mineral Spirits from the hardware store are different than the Odorless Mineral Spirits from arts and crafts. It isn't only the strength, but the removal of certain substances.

[craftygirl04]

The spirits I got from my LAS is called "Eco House" #125 neutralthin Odorless solvent. It works great and you can buy it in a small (2oz/ 50 ml) bottle for $2.55 Canadian.

[STAMPINSTEL]

Does anyone know if the Mona Lisa brand the Michaels carries is the paint thinner the right one to get or does it have to say oderless mineral spirits on the bottle ?

[stamps&cars]

Hi, Lastel!! Michaels has the Mona Lisa Odorless Mineral Spirits and it works just fine........about the same as the Gamsol named brand. If you must ahve the Gamsol named brand, Art Media on King Rd and 82nd has it. The Mona Lisa will be lots cheaper for you especially with a coupon and it works exactly the same IMHO! I've had both and don't care which I grab.

[cbet]

The Mona Lisa from Michael's does say "Paint Thinner" on the front of the jug, but on the back in the ingredients listing, it says "100% odorless mineral spirits"

I use it all the time. Unfortunately, my husband found it and has a tendency to "borrow" it without asking, so sometimes when I need to use it I find that I have not much left.