A Cheaper Way to Soften Wood

After my post about the 50/50 ethanol+water solution we use to soften end grain or difficult face grain, some readers asked if isopropyl alcohol (sometimes called rubbing alcohol) will work.

So today I mixed up a solution of 91 percent isopropyl alcohol water (about a 50/50 mix) and compared it to the ethanol stuff. They are almost undistinguishable, except in smell.

The isopropyl smells like the school nurse’s office, whereas the ethanol has no discernable smell. Isopropyl technically evaporates faster, but I didn’t notice any difference when working with them at the bench.

I tried them both on some hateful red elm end grain, and I couldn’t tell any difference between the two formulas. Both worked just fine.

This is good news all around. Isopropyl is available at almost any drug store, and it is less expensive than hi-test ethanol.

Clear Spring Grain Alcohol (ethanol): 38 cents per ounce

Walgreen’s 91 percent Isopropyl alcohol: 14 cents per ounce

What about toxicity? Isopropyl alcohol is a …