Quote Originally Posted by Sean Tracey View Post
The entire reason Indy cars switched from gasoline to methanol in 1965 was because of safety. Methanol is far more difficult to ignite than gasoline, and burns far slower and burns much cooler than gasoline in the atmosphere. Since it mixes with water, it is easily put out with water which will cool the fire and dilute the methanol to the point where it won't burn. Gasoline will burn on top of water. After having a fire with methanol, it is much less persistent in the environment than gasoline. Ethanol has most of these advantages as well, and now Indy cars use ethanol. (Methanol can be used to make great power in an engine specifically designed for it because it lowers the compression work required, fuel economy in miles per gallon does drop though.)

Methanol is not the kind of alcohol you use for shellac. You use denatured alcohol or name brand solvents like Behkol which are mostly ethanol.
Thanks for the explanation on this. Makes sense.

One thing we do know for certain is that both are highly flammable (all solvents used in solvent based finishing) and should be used with caution.