Maryland ban on grain alcohol hurts violin makers

[Jeff Hildreth]

How life changes...

It used to be " wanna buy a lid"?
that has changed to:
" wanna buy a litre" ?

Checking in from Oregon...
Where Everclear is almost as available as weed. (no state store for weed)

[Bernie Daniel]

Thanks Bernie I'll bear that in mind on my next binge.

Indeed! Wash them "blues" away -- hey that should be a song -- oh wait it IS. Wash them hang overs away does not seem to go as well.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Quote - " methanol will kill you in very short order indeed ". I never said that it wouldn't !. However - according to the book from which my local chemist read the properties of the varying types of Alcohol - volume for volume, Ethanol was quoted as having the worst effect if ingested in un-diluted form. The other forms of Alcohol take longer to be metabolised than Ethanol,so Ethanol reacts faster. However,although the other Alcohols are slower to be metabolised,they do produce some highly toxic 'by products' themselves,so ultimately,i agree that they would be regarded as 'more toxic' in the long run.
Quote 1) "Ethanol is rapidly absorbed across both the gastric mucosa and the small intestines, reaching a peak concentration 20-60 minutes after ingestion - "
Quote 2 ) - "Methanol is rapidly absorbed from the gastric mucosa, and achieves a maximal concentration 30-90 minutes after ingestion.",
Ivan

[High Lonesome Valley]

Actually, pure ethanol won't give you a headache.

Is that because you would experience a blackout before you knew you had a headache, and just forget about it altogether?

[Bernie Daniel]

Quote -[I] ....However - according to the book from which my local chemist read the properties of the varying types of Alcohol - volume for volume, Ethanol was quoted as having the worst effect if ingested in un-diluted form. The other forms of Alcohol take longer to be metabolised than Ethanol,so Ethanol reacts faster. However,although the other Alcohols are slower to be metabolised,they do produce some highly toxic 'by products' themselves,so ultimately,i agree that they would be regarded as 'more toxic' in the long run.
Quote 1) "Ethanol is rapidly absorbed across both the gastric mucosa and the small intestines, reaching a peak concentration 20-60 minutes after ingestion - "
Quote 2 ) - "Methanol is rapidly absorbed from the gastric mucosa, and achieves a maximal concentration 30-90 minutes after ingestion.", Ivan

So, this reference asserts undiluted grain alcohol causes a worse effect than undiluted wood alcohol eh?

Well I would take that advice with a grain of salt -- but who knows?

In any case, I would not like to personally confirm or refute that claim -- pure ethanol or methanol is pretty incompatible with living biological tissue.

[Pete Jenner]

In any case, I would not like to personally confirm or refute that claim -- pure ethanol ... ...is pretty incompatible with living biological tissue.

Nooooooooo! ....[hic!] pardon me.

[multidon]

This thread reminds me of a story I heard once. Seems there was this Sunday School teacher and he decided he was going to teach the children about the evils of alcohol. So for a class demonstration he got two glasses, filled one with water and one with alcohol. He then put a worm in each glass. The work in the glass of water just swam around. The worm in the glass died. He then asks the class what this demonstration teaches them one little boy put up his hand and exclaimed "it teaches us that if you drink lots of alcohol, you won't get worms!"

[HoGo]

I will second word that someone wrote few pages back... Go look for bioethanol fuel. It is essntially grain alcohol with tiny amount of additive sold as fuel for ventless fireplaces (I believe they are common in US as they are here in EU). While Bioethanol is not drinkable it typically doesn't contain those toxics described along this thread but rather more benign substances. Quick google search led me to this:
http://www.noblemansfield.com/wp-con...2009-11-16.pdf
MSDS lists just ethanol and natural gasoline... Ethanol being 92-98%. Not bad. There are dozens of products like this all over USA. Just find nearest reseller of fireplaces... or buy directly from fuel producer (cheaper).
I'm using similar stuff made here by local company and it is 99.7% ethanol. I've never used better solvent for shellac.

[multidon]

Dang too late to edit. In my story above it should read " the WORM in the glass of water just swam around. The Worm in the glass OF ALCOHOL died." Although I'm sure you all knew what I meant. Stupid auto correct!

[Bluetickhound]

If thats as bad as auto correct got you, you got off pretty easy... I have seen some really funny ones....

[Ivan Kelsall]

Bernie - I think that the reference to the rate that Ethanol is metabolised gainst the rate that Methanol is metabolised,only points to the speedier effect that Ethanol has. The quote in my last post was gleaned from the US NCBI resources page,so who am i to argue ?. The bottom line is that they can all kill you - but we know that don't we ?,
Ivan

[bart mcneil]

I guess all those destitute violin makers in Maryland will just have to borrow their rich sister-in-law's car and buy it in another state. Kind of makes me want to cry....

[High Lonesome Valley]

I guess all those destitute violin makers in Maryland will just have to borrow their rich sister-in-law's car and buy it in another state. Kind of makes me want to cry....

Zip on up to Delaware to that booze store at the border. Great discounts in Delaware, thank you Mr. Dupont.