Brushing Liquid substitute

Last year I was repairing and refinishing a fiberglass Sunfish and was using Interlux paints. The paint was brushing on too stiffly and so I ran out to buy some Interlux 333 Brushing Liquid (at $17/pint at the local West Marine!!!). It worked fine, though it really frosted me to pay that much.

Later in the season I needed to paint another boat and varnish a kayak I built. Just for giggles, I looked up the MSDS for the 333 Brushing Liquid and found that it is:
"50%-75% Kerosene and 50%-75% Solvent Naptha" There is no other mention of other dryers or ingredients.

Now, my math ain't what it once was but it seems to me that a formula that is >/= 50% of component A and >/= 50% of component B is a 50-50 mix!

So I mixed up some equal parts of kerosene (@ $4/gallon) and Naptha (@ $20/gallon) and made my own at the cost of $3/pint vs. $17. I tried it with both paint and varnish on some test boards and it worked just like the real stuff, application was easy and it dried free of brush marks.

 

Once again...proof that there is no OFF POSITION on the genious switch!

 

Based on the percentages it doesn't sound like you have to be dead on 50/50 either. Only the government could get a mix greater than 100% into a can That's a nice mark-up for the name and the pretty can! Thanks for testing and sharing!

 

That's a great tip! Would that work on any oil-based paint system? Al

 

Al, It might, but I would test first.

 

Just wanted to say thanks for the great tip. I was just looking up some reviews for the interlux liquid and found your post. It's pretty expensive so I gave your system a go and it works great. Thanks for saving me money dude.