No, ether is something else. It was used as an anaesthetic to put people to sleep in the "old days". It's (CH3CH2)2O - ethoxyethane. Dennis gives a good response to the properties. Quite right, in the States it is called "rubbing alcohol. - and it's the same stuff they used to swab the skin with before injections (as a diabetic, I used to get it by the carboy for that purpose). I think meths is the same thing with some stuff added to make it undrinkable!! Meths is what they mix with the shellac to make the polish. Funny, we had a discussion on the Northumbrian pipers list some time ago regarding liquid paraffin as an oil for the chanters and the confusion that causes - everything from petrol (gasoline) to candle wax. Amazing how many names it had all over the world - and most being totally different substances - rather like when we talk about different woods. Yes, I seem to recall Fuller's Earth still being in the chemist (pharmacy) fairly recently. I think it's also used by fly fishers to coat their lines. Colin Hill ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Freeman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 1:59 PM Subject: Re: [HG] Cleaning your wheel
> > I don't think ether is an "over the counter" thing in the UK. > > Would industrial spirit (also known as surgical spirit) do instead? > Isn't ether just the informal name for the stuff the nurse paints your > arm with before inserting the needle, i.e. surgical spirit? Over here in > Holland we use 'denatured alcohol' (which I presume is the same, or > similar) as a general grease remover. Also good for removing grease by > absorbing it is Fuller's Earth, though I've no idea whether it works on > wheels and whether you can still buy it. > > -Keith > >
