thinnning silicone w/ laquer thinner?

"It was Klean Strip Odorless, and it was a very clear liquid (still is, I just checked). I mixed it in an old blender that I use for garage type stuff and it worked great. There were no chunks left after about 1.5 minutes of blending."

I used the clear clean Klean Strip but I didn't use a blender and it didn't work well. However on my second attempt using lighter fluid and again without a blender very little mixing was needed Maybe a minute with a small wood stick to get what I wanted.I also needed much less of the lighter fluid than I did with the Kleen strip.

"Maybe it was using the blender that enabled me to get it mixed well"

I would agree with that based on what I saw. Plus I didn't contaminate anything I usually use with food. Also the minimum size of Kleen Strip is more than what would typically be needed. Lighter fluid is available in very small sized which is perfect for small jobs.

" white gas is very flammable"

Yes it is but it does not make the cloth permanently flammable. Once the silicone cures and white gas has evaporated the cloth will probably be less flammable than the original untreated fabric (silicone does not burn).

"Most all of the instructions that I've found for "DIY Silnylon" or "DIY Seam Sealer" say to use odorless mineral spirits"

If you look at forums that are not related to hiking in any way they generally just say Mineral Spirits. Odorless or low VOC mineral spirits only recently appeared on store shelves mainly due to pollution regulations.

" white gas is very flammable"

"Yes it is but it does not make the cloth permanently flammable. Once the silicone cures and white gas has evaporated the cloth will probably be less flammable than the original untreated fabric (silicone does not burn)."

Correct. I was just addressing (probably poorly) the safety issue and being very careful how and where you use it. In my 23 years in the fire service, I've seen gasoline used too many times in careless ways, sometimes with disastrous results. I'm not saying anyone here would knowingly do anything careless with it, like aerosolize it from a sprayer or mix it next to a water heater, but many don't realize just how low the flash point is, or its explosive capability when in its vapors are within the flammable range. Like I said, its very effective, it just introduces some safety issues that many other solvents do not and for this reason I recommend using a different solvent to mix the silicone with.

"With the Permatex flowable windshield silicone being readily available and inexpensive, I don't know why anyone would want to go through the effort of thinning. It is odorless also. Did my Duomid in the house. Lacquer thinner is nasty stuff. It is not acetone either. Spend $5 and get a tube."

Still as true today as it was when I first said it years ago, on page one.

PM me your address and I will send you a tube.

No need to make this simple task so hard.

Or spend the $10 or whatever the manufacturer charges for them to do it. Especially if you are only doing one shelter. What will you do with the leftover tube of caulk and the majority of that thinning agent? And how much did all that stuff cost?

As for weight increase, .3 ounce heavier after doing my Solomid XL.

Store the tube with the original cap. Let the silicone dry inside the nozzle. Once it is dry it can be pulled out in one go. Ready for the next one. Whenever.

+100 for what Ken said in his post(s). ;-)

Make the trip to the auto parts store nearest to you.

Use a disposable foam rubber brush to work it into the seams. Squeeze out small amounts onto the tip of the foam brush, then holding the brush edgewise apply it to the seams.

Make sure to have the seams under tension while you are sealing them.

Party On,

Newton ;-)

I don't use a brush either. Just the tip run over the actual threads. Works best when the tube is warm. Cures best under high humidity.

> Or spend the $10 or whatever the manufacturer charges for them to do it.

I think most charge around $30.

> And how much did all that stuff cost?

I believe the GE Silicone II was around $5. The useless looks-like-cream Klean-Strip Odorless Mineral Spirits that are not mineral spirits at all cost around $7. Yesterday I ended up buying some normal Crown brand Mineral Spirits at Lowes that was $10. The foam brush cost about $1.

If I had it to do over, I would try the Permatex Flowable Silicone route. I didn't know about the Permatex at the time, and the cottage tent manufacturers recommended the GE silicone diluted with mineral spirits.

The Permatex doesn't give you any control over how diluted it is.

Mostly, I have this around the shop, purchased bulk by the case. I also build boats and do woodworking. Roughly, about &5 per quart.

Just letting the silicone dry in the tube is not a good idea. It will continue to harden/set over about a year or so. Sealing it with a large screw works best. I have had the same tube for about 4 years now.

Yeah, same here, I use silicone for sealing and mineral spirits mainly for starting fires when I'm car camping. I don't buy more than 1 tube at a time because it eventually hardens. It just has a plastic cap, press silicone into cap/nozzle. After a month it starts to harden so I have to flush some out before I get to the good stuff. I usually use up a tube before it goes bad.

Paul,

"The Permatex doesn't give you any control over how diluted it is."

Where you cut off the nozzle, how much you squeeze out onto the foam brush and how liberally you apply it gives you the dilution "factor". You can put as little or as much as you want.

The thought of one drop of cold rain water in the middle of the night causes me to err on the side of more not less.

HYOH

Party On,

Newton ;-)

> The Permatex doesn't give you any control over how diluted it is.
True, all true.
But I find it sufficiently dilute straight out of the tube.
And by controlling the amount I squeeze out, as has already been said, I get quite enough control.
I don't use a foam brush; I use the tip of the nozzle to force the stuff into the seam, and then I use my finger tip to smooth over the seam.

Cheers

"Just letting the silicone dry in the tube is not a good idea. It will continue to harden/set over about a year or so. Sealing it with a large screw works best. I have had the same tube for about 4 years now."

I have had good results with a glass jar with a air tight lid (an old planters peanut jar). I have about 1 year on a tube in the jar.