What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)

In article , May wrote:

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)

It burns very well....

Eg. http://www.trangia.se/

Gordon

On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:30:15 +0100, "May" wrote:


What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)



It depends who "they" is.

Traditionally it was claimed that tramps drank it, but I've never
believed that.

For household use:

- Cleaner for glass etc.

- Spirit burners in fondue sets

- Burners in model steam engines


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In message , May
wrote

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)


An additive in wine?
--
Alan

Removing some types of self-adhesive label glue remnants. White spirit is also
useful.
Removing biro ink.
Degreasing microscope slides.

--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm


"May" wrote in message
...

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)

"Alan" wrote in message
...
An additive in wine?
Nawwwww, that's antifreeze

Meths drinking indeed was quite common,amongst alcholics in scotland in the
50,s and 60,s can not vouch for anywhere else

On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:30:15 +0100, "May" made
me spill my meths by writing:


What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)

Some info he
http://www.birdbrand.co.uk/meths.htm

I used to use it in the burners of small steam engines but mainly now
only for a Trangier Stove. Adds a certain piquance when the meths
bottle has been stored in the cook set for a while

I suppose it had many more domestic uses back in the days when
dustbins used to contain mostly ash and we stood up for the National
Anthem at the cinema.

All the best
--
Wayne Davies - Mobile 07989 556213 - Harrogate, N.Yorks, UK

In message , Fred
writes

"Alan" wrote in message
...
An additive in wine?
Nawwwww, that's antifreeze

You mean ethylene glycol?

Gives it body

--
geoff

May wrote:
What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)

Used to use it in the burner that came with my chemistry set when I was
a kid! ;-)



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"May" wrote in message
...

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)

Usually for burning or as a solvent. It is highly flammable, so a small
amount can be used as a starter for paraffin in primus stoves or the like.
With a dash of washing up liquid, it makes a good additive to a car
windscreen washer bottle.

Colin Bignell

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:30:15 +0100, "May" wrote:


What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)



It depends who "they" is.

Traditionally it was claimed that tramps drank it, but I've never
believed that.

T'is true though. In Glasgow, when I lived there, you used to have to sign
the poisons register to buy meths. Another tramp favourite was coal gas
bubbled through stolen milk. You used to look for lead gas pipes that had
been cut, then folded back on themselves, when checking derelict houses to
see whether they were being used by dossers.

Colin Bignell

On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:30:15 +0100, "May" wrote:

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)

Lots of things it's not desperately good for.

Meths is:

- mainly ethanol (drinkable)

- methanol (not drinkable - makes you sick, blind, mad and dead in
about that order)

- pyridine (stinks)

- purple dye (just to annoy french polishers)

It's not hard to get clear meths. It's increasingly hard to get
unstenched meths, but you still can. If you're working with it all day
in this summer's heat, you'll be glad you bothered.


It burns easily and the combination of vapour pressure and flash point
mean that it's very safe to do so. Unlike petrol, it won't produce a
fireball. Unlike paint thinners or paraffin, it won't stink if you use
it to light a barbecue.

It's a fairly poor cleaning solvent, but handy. Acetone or isopropanol
are usually better.

Most of mine gets used as a solvent for shellac in french polishing.

"Matt" wrote in message
...

"Alex" wrote in message
...
Meths drinking indeed was quite common,amongst alcholics in scotland in
the
50,s and 60,s can not vouch for anywhere else


My physics teacher many years ago claimed tramps mixed it with tomato
ketchup to make it more palatable. Having tasted a fingertip dipped in
neat
meths I have trouble believing that. He said they called it "jemmy" or was
it "jimmy"?

Matt



I remember watching two wino's in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh, being over the
moon when they scraped together enough money to buy a pint of milk to mix
with their small bottle of meths. Funnily enough both had perfect white
teeth and a full head of thick hair and I don't know if it was all down to
being pickled from the inside out, or if it was just because they were young
and looked a lot older. (?) Anyway.

Meths can be used as a very good cleaning solution on many things and is
great for getting particularly greasy marks off. I've also seen it used as
a thinner for thick metal paints and coatings, and also as a primer for old
paraffin fuelled blow lamps when a cloth was dipped in it and wrapped around
the burner tube to preheat it. Burned for quite a while if memory serves
right.

May wrote:

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)








French polish thinners is one that springs immediately to mind.

Starting old Primus stoves and blowlamps is another.

Also general purpose cleaning, tho isopropyl alcohol is now more common.

"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com wrote in message ...

T'is true though. In Glasgow, when I lived there, you used to have to sign
the poisons register to buy meths. Another tramp favourite was coal gas
bubbled through stolen milk.

What's that all about then?! Do explain - never heard of this one!

David

"David" wrote in message
om...
"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com wrote in message
...

T'is true though. In Glasgow, when I lived there, you used to have to
sign
the poisons register to buy meths. Another tramp favourite was coal gas
bubbled through stolen milk.

What's that all about then?! Do explain - never heard of this one!

Never tried it myself, but it is supposed to produce an inebriating drink,
possibly one that was more palatable than meths. I came across it when
helping out with a mass survey of the homeless in Glasgow. Hundreds of
people were enrolled to visit derelict buildings across the city and the
damaged gas pipe was one of the signs of habitation that we were told to
look out for and record. Nobody actually expected us to find any homeless
(we didn't) so their numbers had to be extrapolated from signs like that or
the more obvious tatty mattress in an empty house. The Social Worker who
briefed us said they were looking forward to the introduction of natural
gas, which would end the practice, so I assume something in the coal gas was
critical to the process.

Colin Bignell

"nightjar .uk.com" nightjar@insert my surname here wrote in message
. ..

"David" wrote in message
om...
"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com wrote in message
...

The Social Worker who
briefed us said they were looking forward to the introduction of natural
gas, which would end the practice, so I assume something in the coal gas
was
critical to the process.

Carbon monoxide?

Matt


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:30:15 +0100, "May" wrote:


It burns easily and the combination of vapour pressure and flash point
mean that it's very safe to do so. Unlike petrol, it won't produce a
fireball.

This thread has led to quite a few memories for me of my school science
lessons.

Our chemistry teacher told us of an incident involving a pupil of his when
he was a young teacher. The lad was lighting a bonfire at home but the
bonfire wouldn't go well. So the kid went and got a can of parrafin, but it
wasn't parrafin it was meths. The flame shot up the jet of meths and ignited
the can in a fireball. He said he went to visit the child in hospital but
there wasn't much point. He was so badly burned he didn't last long. He said
the most striking impression was the bluebottles swarming over the netting
around the bed.

I remember little actual physics or chemistry from those lessons.

Matt




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The Natural Philosopher wrote in message ...
May wrote:

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)



It's also a particularly useless fuel for camp stoves - obviously
designed to make sure you've earned that lukewarm cup of tea after 20
minutes.

In article ,
rnet[dot]co[dot]uk (Simon Gardner) wrote:

In article ,
Wayne Davies wrote:

I used to use it in the burners of small steam engines but mainly now
only for a Trangier Stove.

Indeed. I used the last of my present bottle to brew up a cup of coffee in
my Trangia yesterday at the coast.

Can be a bugger to light in the middle of Winter, though.

It's impossible to buy it in the US, by the way.

I think they call it Denatured Alcohol, and its certainly available
some places. May be banned in some individual states? Not usually
coloured purple in my experience though.

David



--
Replace nospame with yahoo to reply
Unsolicited commercial email will incur a $100 processing fee

"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com wrote in message ...
"David" wrote in message
om...
"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com wrote in message
...

T'is true though. In Glasgow, when I lived there, you used to have to
sign
the poisons register to buy meths. Another tramp favourite was coal gas
bubbled through stolen milk.

What's that all about then?! Do explain - never heard of this one!

Never tried it myself, but it is supposed to produce an inebriating drink,
possibly one that was more palatable than meths. I came across it when
helping out with a mass survey of the homeless in Glasgow. Hundreds of
people were enrolled to visit derelict buildings across the city and the
damaged gas pipe was one of the signs of habitation that we were told to
look out for and record. Nobody actually expected us to find any homeless
(we didn't) so their numbers had to be extrapolated from signs like that or
the more obvious tatty mattress in an empty house. The Social Worker who
briefed us said they were looking forward to the introduction of natural
gas, which would end the practice, so I assume something in the coal gas was
critical to the process.

Actually, I was just thinking about this (and recalling my A-level
chemistry N years ago...) wasn't coal gas methane (CH4)? And maybe
methane is partially soluble in water (H20) to produce methanol
(CH5OH), ie meths? Or did coal gas contain methanol vapour which
condensed in the milk?

I'm sure someone will have the definitive answer!

In article ,
(Steve Firth) wrote:


I think what I was trying to say (but failing) was that in much of
Europe you can buy the same quality of alcohol over the counter at
reasonable prices, for home use. In the UK I've not found it possible to
buy the same stuff unless it's sold as "Polish Spirit" which costs about
£24 a bottle.

Yes, it does seem as though we are a little anal about such things over
here. I would have thought that it was better to let people have alcohol
they can then flavour themselves than have people distilling illictly in
their attics and risking methanol poisoning. Instead here, the methanol
is everywhere.

Peter

--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.

"David" wrote in message
om...
"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com wrote in message
...
"David" wrote in message
om...
"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com wrote in message
...

T'is true though. In Glasgow, when I lived there, you used to have
to
sign
the poisons register to buy meths. Another tramp favourite was coal
gas
bubbled through stolen milk.

What's that all about then?! Do explain - never heard of this one!

Never tried it myself, but it is supposed to produce an inebriating
drink,
possibly one that was more palatable than meths. I came across it when
helping out with a mass survey of the homeless in Glasgow. Hundreds of
people were enrolled to visit derelict buildings across the city and the
damaged gas pipe was one of the signs of habitation that we were told to
look out for and record. Nobody actually expected us to find any
homeless
(we didn't) so their numbers had to be extrapolated from signs like that
or
the more obvious tatty mattress in an empty house. The Social Worker who
briefed us said they were looking forward to the introduction of natural
gas, which would end the practice, so I assume something in the coal gas
was
critical to the process.

Actually, I was just thinking about this (and recalling my A-level
chemistry N years ago...) wasn't coal gas methane (CH4)? And maybe
methane is partially soluble in water (H20) to produce methanol
(CH5OH), ie meths? Or did coal gas contain methanol vapour which
condensed in the milk?

I'm sure someone will have the definitive answer!

More importantly, how did a presumably uneducated, penniless, homeless,
alcoholic Glaswegian make this discovery. How many unpleasant gases did he
have to bubble through how many different stolen drinks before he finally
got to that Eureka moment?

Rgds

Andy R

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 11:42:49 UTC, (Rich) wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote in message ...
May wrote:

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)



It's also a particularly useless fuel for camp stoves - obviously
designed to make sure you've earned that lukewarm cup of tea after 20
minutes.

I remember finding it indispensable for starting a Primus, though.

--
Bob Eager
rde at tavi.co.uk
PC Server 325*4; PS/2s 9585, 8595, 9595*2, 8580*3,
P70...

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 00:29:11 GMT, "nightjar" nightjar@ wrote
"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:30:15 +0100, "May"
wrote:

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the
cupboard.)

It depends who "they" is.

Traditionally it was claimed that tramps drank it, but I've never
believed that.

T'is true though. In Glasgow, when I lived there, you used to have
to sign the poisons register to buy meths.

(Another known favourite was aftershave -- we used to see empty bottles
of Aqua Velva in the park next to where I took my grad degree in
Toronto. Is that ethanol-based as well, or something else entirely?)

The only time I've specifically needed meths for a diy project was for
melting down old 78 records in it to produce black shellac for
restoring some ebonised furniture.

--
Cheers, Harvey

In article ,
"Bob Eager" wrote:

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 11:42:49 UTC, (Rich) wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote in message
...
May wrote:

What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)



It's also a particularly useless fuel for camp stoves - obviously
designed to make sure you've earned that lukewarm cup of tea after 20
minutes.

I remember finding it indispensable for starting a Primus, though.

I always used to use bits of broken up solid firestarter for that job.

Peter

--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 15:19:41 GMT, Peter Ashby wrote

In article ,
Harvey Van Sickle wrote:


The only time I've specifically needed meths for a diy project
was for melting down old 78 records in it to produce black
shellac for restoring some ebonised furniture.

The latest Axminster catalogue has some black shellac, so any
remaining 78s are safe.

I'll bookmark that; at the time -- 15 or 20 years ago -- it seemed to
be the simplest way to get a non-industrial-sized amount of the stuff.

--
Cheers, Harvey

In article ,
Harvey Van Sickle wrote:

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 15:19:41 GMT, Peter Ashby wrote

In article ,
Harvey Van Sickle wrote:


The only time I've specifically needed meths for a diy project
was for melting down old 78 records in it to produce black
shellac for restoring some ebonised furniture.

The latest Axminster catalogue has some black shellac, so any
remaining 78s are safe.

I'll bookmark that; at the time -- 15 or 20 years ago -- it seemed to
be the simplest way to get a non-industrial-sized amount of the stuff.

An elegant solution indeed.

Peter

--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 16:58:30 +0100, (Steve
Firth) wrote:

Harvey Van Sickle wrote:

T'is true though. In Glasgow, when I lived there, you used to have
to sign the poisons register to buy meths.

(Another known favourite was aftershave -- we used to see empty bottles
of Aqua Velva in the park next to where I took my grad degree in
Toronto. Is that ethanol-based as well, or something else entirely?)

Yes, aftershave contains a lot of alcohol as does perfume. I once got a
'phone call from Sheffield plod when I worked at M/Cr medical school
asking if perfume was a known treatment for a bad back. The cops had
stopped a man drunk driving and he claimed that he had been advised to
drink a bottle of perfume a day to cure his arthritis.

I took my degree in Leicester and New Walk in Leicester was famous for
"The Lacquer Lads". A bunch of local drunks who bought cans of hairspray
and bottles of lemonade then sprayed the hairspray into the lemonade to
make a refreshing summer[1] drink.




[1] or spring, autumn or winter.


Wouldn't these be more expensive than the authorised stuff?



..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In article ,
(Steve Firth) wrote:

David wrote:

Actually, I was just thinking about this (and recalling my A-level
chemistry N years ago...) wasn't coal gas methane (CH4)?

No, coal gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. I'm bemused
by what, if any, intoxicant could be made by bubbling CO + H2 into milk.
It may be that the effect was simply that of a mild dose of CO poisoning
which may mimic the feeling of being drunk.

It would certainly put them to sleep, so yes.

Peter

--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 15:18:40 UTC, Peter Ashby
wrote:

I remember finding it indispensable for starting a Primus, though.

I always used to use bits of broken up solid firestarter for that job.

I thought that was called 'solid meths' although I have no idea of its
actual composition...

--
Bob Eager
rde at tavi.co.uk
PC Server 325*4; PS/2s 9585, 8595, 9595*2, 8580*3,
P70...

David Micklem wrote:

In article ,
rnet[dot]co[dot]uk (Simon Gardner) wrote:
It's impossible to buy it in the US, by the way.

I think they call it Denatured Alcohol, and its certainly available
some places. May be banned in some individual states? Not usually
coloured purple in my experience though.

I bought some denatured alcohol in New Jersey a number of years ago, to
clean the innards of a knitting machine. It was clear and colourless.

David wrote:

"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com wrote in message ...

T'is true though. In Glasgow, when I lived there, you used to have to sign
the poisons register to buy meths. Another tramp favourite was coal gas
bubbled through stolen milk.

What's that all about then?! Do explain - never heard of this one!

My Glaswegian labourer is keen to extol its benefits. I'm unsure what
reaction takes place but the milk allegedly becomes intoxicating.

--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html

Matt wrote:

"nightjar .uk.com" nightjar@insert my surname here wrote in message
. ..

"David" wrote in message
om...
"nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com wrote in message
...

The Social Worker who
briefed us said they were looking forward to the introduction of natural
gas, which would end the practice, so I assume something in the coal gas
was
critical to the process.

Carbon monoxide?

That seems likly to be the most active ingredient in Coal Gas (I can't
see the Hydrogen or Nitrogen or stenching agents being that reactive).

--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html

May wrote:
What do they use meths for? (I've just found some in the cupboard.)

I always keep a small bottle for degreasing/cleaning where I'm going to put
sealant around a bath or basin.
Isn't it recommended by the selant makers?
Winos used to drink it along also surgical spirit which is essentially the
same thing.
However, its a killer if consumed and causes blindness.

In message , Andy R
writes


More importantly, how did a presumably uneducated, penniless, homeless,
alcoholic Glaswegian make this discovery. How many unpleasant gases did he
have to bubble through how many different stolen drinks before he finally
got to that Eureka moment?

One could ask the same question of many herbal remedies
--
geoff

In message , Bob Eager
writes
On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 15:18:40 UTC, Peter Ashby
wrote:

I remember finding it indispensable for starting a Primus, though.

I always used to use bits of broken up solid firestarter for that job.

I thought that was called 'solid meths' although I have no idea of its
actual composition...

Metaldehyde IIRC
--
geoff

"Steve Firth" wrote
| It is hard to make ethanol 100% and harder to keep it there, you
| have to use drying resins etc in the bottle. So we use 95% for
| most things.
| Yes, same here or was when I last worked with wet stuff on a bench. You
| have to watch out for the sugar content of the 95% stuff though.

I was going to say that if you're diabetic you probably shouldn't be
drinking 95% alcohol anyway ...

Owain

On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:30:15 +0100, "May"
wrote:


What do they use meths for?

Lighting Tilly lamps.

--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/