K2R Spot Remover

Time and time again I read about modelers using K2R to absorb oil, to aid in repair work. I have looked everywhere around here, but have yet to find the stuff. ( probably another conspiracy by the EPA or the Sierra Club to outlaw the stuff)If anyone out there could send me a couple of bottles or cans I would happily pay for the purchase and postage. Larry, NorCal Cirle Jerks

Larry,

There does indeed appear to be something funny going on with the marketing of this product.

At one time I was relegated to buying it under a different label from a neighbor who was testing the direct-sales waters. So you know what I had to endure just to get a couple cans.

However, I have recently purchased it from an ordinary Albertson's grocery store. Household cleaning section.

If you cannot locate any, I will be more than happy to get this handled for you. Let me know.

Larry:

Try this if you can't find it locally. It has really odd distribution. I used to be able to find it in most every grocery store here (Houston) now it is tough to get. They used to make a paste form in a tube as well.

Jake

http://www.jensco.com/k2rspotremover.html

I just searched "Froogle", Google's shopping service.

Ace Hardware Stores (at least some of them) carry K2R. See:

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/productaddonsdetails.asp?id=10190&source=froogle

Also:

http://www.jensco.com/k2rspotremover.html
http://www.the5and10.com/
http://65.18.207.26/store/product1761.html

and a competitive product:
http://www.furniturestuff.com/Web%20Pages/SpraywaySpotlifter.asp

Larry,

...and in a real pinch, you could mix up a 'heavy cream' consistency goop of corn starch and either 70% or 99% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Brush it on with an "acid" brush.

The 70% doesn't dry off as quickly as the 99%. With alcohol penetrating into the oil, cornstarch is almost as powerful as Fuller's Earth at absorbing what the alky brings to it.

Only negative I see with this is that it takes numerous treatments to get ALL the oil out -- K2R takes some fewer. Each treatment is quite messy: early ones settle into a greasy gray slime (scrape it off with a 'popsicle stick' kinda thingie) and the later/last ones have considerable dry cornstarch dust to clear away.

Cheap, of no interest to the EPA (so far) and pretty effective if you can put up with the tediousness. K2R, last seen down here in AZ, was $3 to $5 for a 10 fl oz spray can.

Lou, if I were to send you fifteen bucks could you send a couple of cans my way? Larry

Larry,

Sorry for the delay; hadn't checked this thread lately.

I haven't looked for K2R recently, and it was scarce and seldom available when I did...

The cornstarch/rubbing alcohol goop IS readily available. A decent way to store a batch is in an empty ~3 oz dope jar. I know Brodak still packs dope in those. Any small jar (olives, pickles, etc.)like that works.

I usually screw the cap on over a double layer of Glad Wrap plastic film as a thread seal -- that 99% isopropyl evaporates very rapidly, and otherwise will gas out through the cap threads. That brand, and possibly others, stands up to the abrasion from the cap, and to every chemical I've used, including glow fuels, ether and kerosene in diesel fuels, gasoline for sparkers, as well as paints and solvents.

So, instead of taking yr $$ on an odd chance of finding some K2R, then trying to mail a spray can these days, let me decline this one and suggest you try the homemade goop. Apparently, others like it, too.

Lou and others:
I tried a similar thing but with methanol (denatured alcohol from Home Depot) and talcum powder - you would not believe the difference. It will pull out the oil in just a few applications. When it's dry, I hold the shop-vac hose near it while brushing with and acid brush. A final blast of compressed air really cleans things up. Give it a try.
Bob Z

Bob is right,Alc & talc is MUCH better than k2r for our purposes. I put my k2r in our household cleaning cupboard.

Bob,

Down here in Arizona, it is getting harder to find a methanol laquer thinner. A lot of the "laquer thinners" now seem to include MEK or something about as bad. I found this out when it attacked the finish on a model I was cleaning.

Just a caution -- now I read the fine print for actual contents.

If you have a dairy nearby, they use Methanol to sterilize milk tanks and such. Some dairies will sell you a gallon or five of Methanol if you bring containers. Price is usually pretty reasonable . . .

>Bob,
>
>Down here in Arizona, it is getting harder to find a
>methanol laquer thinner. A lot of the "laquer thinners" now
>seem to include MEK or something about as bad. I found this
>out when it attacked the finish on a model I was cleaning.
>
>Just a caution -- now I read the fine print for actual
>contents.

The *shellac* thinner available at any hardware store or Home Despot is nearly pure methanol.

Andy

I also recalled hints concerning K2R going back decades. But when I couldn't find any, I fell back to generic $8/gal hardware store laquer thinner. I filled a quart cottage cheese container about half full and crammed an oily old CL-3 chipmunk down in there right up to the vents. The container was distorted into an oval, so not much waste. The level came right up to the top. After 3 days I allowed a full dryout and changed the thinner, repeat. (total $2 of thinner)Most oil dissolved, some oil migrated back to the level of the thinner. After 2nd dryout I scraped it off and the clear dope was happy. A month after the silkspan and silver, all still happy. Where the oil definately wasn't was anywhere near the firewall. The old ill-fitting firewall had fallen out so I epoxied a new one into the now bone dry balsa. Pumped CA into every faying surface back to the LE. She's more rugged now than the day the ambroid dried in '71. Don