Richard Knoppow wrote:

I have a half-pint mason jar that started with a third of MEK. I fed
it one and a half letter-sized inch-thick slabs of foam and it's
still not done.

I started with about half the jar filled with MEK. Since I used
styrofoam the displacement of the material before it dissolves is much
greater than after because so much of it is air. The first pieces
dissolved very quickly, in fact it looked like Alka-Seltzer
dissolving. Toward the end it took a few minutes for each additional
piece to dissolve. The total amount is amazing until you remember that
its mostly air. After the first flurry of very quick solution I added
pieces about twice a day and just let it alone between times. Of
course with the cap on, MEK will evaporate very quickly.

I stirred mine with a screwdriver and finished it in a couple nights.
Watching the first few chunks dissolve was rather amusing.

I don't know what sort of lid you used on the jar, but MEK softened up
the sealing compound. Based on what I found on a website on what sort
of gloves to use with MEK, I think butyl rubber caulk would be good to
keep the solvent from seeping out. Dissolve off the rest of the sealing
compound, then apply the caulk in its place. While you're waiting for
the caulk to cure, some foil on the jar should keep the MEK in place.
Or, even better, prepare the lid before mixing up the dope.


--
David Griffith
--- Put my last name where it belongs