Edwal NO Scratch / Braun Kov-A-Mar

[Worker 11811]

Found these random chemical preparations while sorting through the collection of stuff I inherrited:

Edwal NO Scratch - 1/2 oz. glass bottle. (Resembles a bottle of nail polish.)
Label says it contains turpentine & chlorothene. By taking a careful whiff, it smells like turpentine and chemicals.

Braun Kov-A-Mar - 1/2 oz. plastic dropper bottle. (Resembles a bottle of eye drops.)
No contents on the label. Smells like alcohol and something else.

According to the labels, they are used for hiding scratches on negatives when printing. I've heard of things like this before but have never seen them. I suppose it could work if the damage isn't severe.

Is this stuff useful? Does it work or is it snake oil.

This stuff has been stored in boxes for 20+ years. I suppose it could be expired by now. No?

I know chlorothene (AKA: vinyl chloride) is toxic and carcinogenic.

If it's no good, I suppose I should take it to Haz-Mat Amnesty Day and dump it.

What do you say? Keep it or dump it?

 

[Bob-D659]

The Edwal works very well. If you have a darkroom keep them. There is nothing in them to expire as long as there is no sludge caused by the contents evaporating. Chlorothene is a solvent, aka 1,1,1-trichloroethane, it is not vinyl chloride and in the small quantity in that small bottle, there is zero to worry about. It was the solvent of choice for white out or liquid paper and many other products.

 

[Worker 11811]

I thought it was trichloroethane, too. I double checked. It is chlorothene.

It smells of turpentine but there is an sickly-sweet undertone to it which is not like trichloroethane. I use trichloroethane to clean the film residue from cinema projector gates. I am familiar with what it smells like.

I do have a darkroom. I was thinking about trying them and I probably will.
It's just best to check things out before you go fooling around with unknowns.

Apparently, the Kov-A-Mar is some kind of lacquer. I've been doing a little research and that's what I found.

P.S. To "smell," in this case means to carefully waft the scent from the bottle, not stick your nose into the open bottle and snort. I learned my lesson early in life when somebody handed me a bottle of reagent grade ammonia and I said, "Hey, what's in here?... Snort!" I'll never do that again!

 

[Bob-D659]

You still have a sense of smell after that!

 

[Worker 11811]

It took a few days to come back to normal.

Here's a scan of the label: