Acetone, bleach, lamp oil. Where/how to stow?

[Mary51]

Do you carry them, and if so in what containers and how stowed? My methods are pretty makeshift at this point, and I'd like have them secured better.

Thanks.

mary

[uspirate]

i carry mine in their original containers secured under the galley cabinet in a plastic handle tote secured with bungee cords (not the one pictured but similar), maybe not the best way but has worked for me three years so far.

[CalebD]

Like denatured alcohol, ether or WD 40, kerosene, vinegar, fuel and holding tank treatments to mention a few, but you make a good point, if a bit subtle.
I have not been keeping bleach on my boat but there is always the distinct possibility of some synergy of fluids, thinners, acids, oils and detergents that would result in a bad situation.
Normally the acetone, epoxy and varnish kits would be off my boat but it difficult for me to leave the entire kit while out on the water in case of emergencies. Basically, some items should reside at the dockside and some come with you if they can be stowed properly.
I am not an expert or a long term cruiser so I do not know what they recommend in terms of stowing potentially hazardous chemicals so I await the ensuing flood of knowledge that this thread is wanting of.

[Valiente]

I would consider a deck box for some things, like gas for the outboard, and it's possible you want to get the chemicals that could either eat through your hull or combine to create noxious fumes separated or outside. Alternatively, you could, with some effort, glass in or otherwise make a box of a cockpit locker that doesn't communicate with the rest of the boat.

I have to have a lot of fairly toxic paints, primers and coatings aboard, and I am still working this out. The ideal is to have some sort of container that could be sealed well enough that if the contents were inverted and/or violently flung about, any spillage would be securely confined without actually eating through the container itself. This rules out in some cases Rubbermaid, doesn't it? .

I know that some people have built fibreglass battery boxes painted in that tar-like driveway sealant (which is also used, I believe, as a truck bed liner). This may be one approach, in that you could fully utilize parts of the hull that normally wouldn't take a loose box.

[PBzeer]

I use a battery box for solvents, etc., a wastebasket for bleach and laundry soap.

[Freesail99]

Military ammo boxes come to mind as a good place to store many things in. The boxes has a gasket and seal very well. They also can be had in different sizes.

[billyruffn]

Things that come in plastic containers are probably safely stored in their origingal container with the additional precautions mentioned in several of the posts above. I've had a problem with metal containers (acetone usually comes in a metal can) leaking when the cans rust. Usually, the rust starts on the bottom of the can and eventually very fine pin holes develop. Not enough of the solvent leaks out to see (in liquid form) but you'll eventually begin to smell it. I've tried taping the bottom of new cans to try to keep the salt air off them. It seems to help, but doesn't completely solve the problem. Next year I'm going to try using some epoxy paint on the cans. I once tried transferring some paint solvents/thinners to plastic containers, but the solvent melted the plastic. I deduced from this that if it comes in a metal can, it should probably stay in a metal can.

I'd be interested in knowing how others have stopped the metal cans from rusting.

[Valiente]

I don't know how much acetone you go through, but mine comes in plastic from the fibreglass "craft shop". Some of the guys in there stand too close to the barrel, I tell you.

[sailingdog]

One thing I'd mention is that you might want to transfer some of the solvents into heavy glass or plastic containers, since the metal ones they come in invariably will rust through in a marine environment.

[ehmanta]

The metal cans are rusting from the inside out due to water condensation much like what we experience in our fuel tanks; therefore, painting or taping the outside, won't solve much. You must be careful not to store bleach too close to ammonia, the fumes don't behave well together.