# PSA: Tap Magic CA Ban



## darkzero (May 20, 2020)

Not sure if it's for all Tap Magic products but the only one I still use now is Tap Magic EP-Xtra seems to have been banned for sale in CA.

A few weeks ago I was running low & went to buy more from MSC. Got an error that I was familar with seen not too long ago when I tried to buy more denatured alcohol last year. Can not be shipped/sold to CA. Other larger vendors I checked also has this restriction as well as some listings on Ebay.

Tired searching briefly about the ban but could only find that their aerosol was approved for sale in CA, so why this now? Just like the denatured alcohol ban I couldn't find anything specific on it. I didn't look into it further to try & figure out what chemical(s) in it is to blame for. I did have a feeling chlorinated & sulfurized fluids would get banned eventually & stocked up on some other things.

I made a test order on Amazon as I have had luck before with situations like this, ordered a pint & it got delivered no problem. Thing is I wanted a gallon & all the sources I knew of that has it priced fair have the CA restriction. In the end I was able to find a gallon which didn't cost much more than what I would've paid at MSC. Should last me until I'm too old to use it at the rate I use it.

I get it, commiecalifornia. This thread & forum is not a place to post those related comments so please refrain from doing so. Just letting you guys know if you are in CA & you use Tap Magic, get it now while you still can.


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## benmychree (May 20, 2020)

I just got a gallon of TapMagic ProTap that came from McMaster Carr with no problem, don't know if they have EP Extra also.  I have noticed in our True Value hardware store in town that several high test solvents have been switched to small cans.  Also noted that Mc Master does get an extra pound of flesh for their stuff, after buying my gallon, I was surprised at the cost --- I had not bought any in about ten years, it was $70; well it will do me for the rest of my life, but I looked online and found it from perhaps Amazon or similar, for $56 with free shipping, to boot!  There may be valid reasons for restrictions, you could always move to Nevada --- personally, my family had lived in the same place here since 1845, it is a lovely place and I am not about to move!


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## darkzero (May 20, 2020)

I suppose not everyone has caught up on the restriction yet or there is more to it (misunderstanding of certain chemicals ban)?

My local MSC no longer stocks it in store & their system prevents them from bringing it in (same thing when I tried to buy more DA). Zoro is in CA & sells it but won't ship to CA addresses anymore. I did check Mcmaster but since they closed their will call & the price was much higher I looked elsewhere.

I ordered from FL. My second choice was KBC Tools, their CA location had it in stock but I didn't feel like making the drive out there unless I didn't get my order from FL.

Again my searches were for gallon size but I have seen a few vendors have the restriction on smaller sizes too.


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## pontiac428 (May 20, 2020)

I just pulled the SDS direct from the manufacturer, and there is no declared ingredient (must be less than 1% and not on any risk lists to be exempt from inventorying on the sds) that would cause any issue in California under Prop-65.  It's just a blend of oils, no modifiers, no nasties.  Might be some other reason you're having trouble getting it.


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## Ulma Doctor (May 20, 2020)

i got a lil bit left of the good ol' stuff TAP MAGIC, if i'm not mistaken it came over on the Mayflower and may have Trichloroethelyne in it


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## westerner (May 20, 2020)

When I go into the parts house for a case of BrakeKleen, they always ask- "red can, or green can?" To which I always reply "whichever is illegal for sale in California, please".


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## darkzero (May 20, 2020)

pontiac428 said:


> I just pulled the SDS direct from the manufacturer, and there is no declared ingredient (must be less than 1% and not on any risk lists to be exempt from inventorying on the sds) that would cause any issue in California under Prop-65.  It's just a blend of oils, no modifiers, no nasties.  Might be some other reason you're having trouble getting it.



Sulfur I'm guessing? Mcmaster lists it as a sulfurized oil but no shipping restriction. Don't matter to me anymore as I have a lifetime supply now but if anyone looks at most of the major suppliers they all state no shipping to CA with no reasons why. And I looked earlier, many of of the Tap Magic products have the CA shipping restriction. Just passing on my observation is all.


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## darkzero (May 20, 2020)

westerner said:


> When I go into the parts house for a case of BrakeKleen, they always ask- "red can, or green can?" To which I always reply "whichever is illegal for sale in California, please".



Here's a bit of funny info on that. They banned chlorinated brakleen here a looong time ago. But CRC still sells both the red & green cans here. Red was originally chlorinated & green is non-chlorinated. However here in CA the red can is still non-chlorinated. In fact the contents are no different than the green can & it even has a different p/n, not the same p/n as the red chlorinated can sold elsewhere of course. And sometimes only the green will go on sale or vise versa even though they are the same. Turns out the story is they simply sell the red color can for those that were used to buying only the red can.


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## matthewsx (May 20, 2020)

I have a friend who's an auto restorer. We always traveled to Arizona back in the 1990's for his preferred paint, Imron I believe.

I think the thing to keep in mind is these regulations usually aren't aimed at the hobbyist trade, rather industrial users who go through hundreds or thousands of gallons of the stuff and have workers exposed to it for 8 hours a day. Lots of bad stuff has been banned, from DDT to lead in our gasoline. 

Fortunately chemical engineers can reformulate things and sometimes even come up with better products. When I first heard about Evaporust on this forum I though "no way can this stuff work". I have my backup lathe spindle soaking in it right now and am thrilled with a product that saves me so much time and doesn't require gloves and a respirator.

My dad, a chemical engineer, used to talk about how he would soak his hands in vats of Trichloroethelene. Maybe it harmed him, maybe not, but he wasn't working with it every day on a factory floor. Health and safety is important, especially in our home shops where the chemicals we use can possibly make their way into our homes and affect our family members.

John
(Proud California Native)


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## Buffalo21 (May 21, 2020)

Ahhhh, the smell of 1 1 1 trichloroethane in the morning!!!


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## Ulma Doctor (May 21, 2020)

darkzero said:


> Turns out the story is they simply sell the red color can for those that were used to buying only the red can.


Kinda like Left Twix and Right Twix


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## pontiac428 (May 21, 2020)

I'm California born and raised, but it's been a long while since I've done much there.  Here in Washington, the red can of CRC still lists 1,1,1-TCE as its ingredient.  It is not very toxic (from contact/vapor) and non-flammable.  If it can soak into the ground before the sun can break it down, it will migrate to groundwater and stay there forever.  It's probably not sulfur (would show up on SDS) unless molybdenum disulfate is now banned, too, which is unlikely because CV joints wouldn't be feasible on the road without black moly grease.

I guess I'll have to pick some good ol' Tap Magic up before it disappears.  I've switched to castor oil-based CRC TrueTap HD lately, but scarcity is scarcity.  I wish I had some cyanide Cherry Red before it disappeared.


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## Winegrower (May 21, 2020)

I for one am OK on this restriction.   I used TapMagic EP-Xtra for awhile, and one day cutting on the lathe, I happened to inhale more than normal of the smoke, and spent a week coughing.   I instantly developed burning eyes, lungs affected,  had to run outside to breathe.    I reported this on this site before.  Maybe unrelated, but I don't like or use the stuff anymore.

Whenever products are newly restricted, there is always somebody around who used to drink this stuff, or make tea, or bathe in it.


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## Ulma Doctor (May 21, 2020)

Winegrower said:


> I for one am OK on this restriction.   I used TapMagic EP-Xtra for awhile, and one day cutting on the lathe, I happened to inhale more than normal of the smoke, and spent a week coughing.   I instantly developed burning eyes, lungs affected,  had to run outside to breathe.    I reported this on this site before.  Maybe unrelated, but I don't like or use the stuff anymore.
> 
> Whenever products are newly restricted, there is always somebody around who used to drink this stuff, or make tea, or bathe in it.


i have breathed in more fumes and crap than i should have from many sources.

it is a shame that the really good cleaners and degreasers are highly toxic,
as well as, the really hard, dirty work that nobody else will do, kills the people who are dedicated to performance of their tasks.

things have gotten a lot better as far as banning certain substances that are carcinogenic,
but that does little for those who have already been exposed before the ban.


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## darkzero (May 21, 2020)

I haven't had a problem with EP-Xtra but Tap Magic Aluminum, I hate that stuff. I used to use it for a while without issues. Eventually it started making me sick. Gets on your fingers & the smell doesn't wash off. The smell would really irritate me & make me want to gag. I ended up throwing the can away. Luckily there was only a little left & I only had one pint size can of it.


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## matthewsx (May 21, 2020)

This is what I love about our forum. We can discuss this kind of stuff without getting into chest thumping, mind numbing rhetoric that doesn't serve anyone. Bottom line is we all live in a society of laws and regulations, one where we can possibly have a say in those laws and regulations which affect us personally. An awful lot of good policy in this country (US) has come from ordinary people contacting their elected representatives and sharing their personal experiences.

If a particular product works for you and you can obtain/use it appropriately I don't think anyone on here is going to object. But, it's good to hear from others what their experiences have been so we can make informed decisions. That's the spirit of the OP's post, just letting us know what his experience was ordering a product we might want to use in our shops. Eventually we will get to the bottom of why this particular product wasn't available, maybe regulation or maybe a business decision from the distributor, or maybe just a computer database error.

I just had some tires installed on my truck at Costco yesterday and the number of "policies" they had and wanted to pretend were actually legal regulations made my head spin. Bottom line, every business makes decisions based on what they think is best for their company, and what they have to do to comply with laws, regulations and shareholder pressure. It was just sad to see that they didn't seem to allow their techs to raise any vehicle to proper working height.

John


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## pontiac428 (May 21, 2020)

darkzero said:


> I haven't had a problem with EP-Xtra but Tap Magic Aluminum, I hate that stuff. I used to use it for a while without issues. Eventually it started making me sick. Gets on your fingers & the smell doesn't wash off. The smell would really irritate me & make me want to gag. I ended up throwing the can away. Luckily there was only a little left & I only had one pint size can of it.


This is an example of an effect called sensitization.  Many of the chems we encounter are sensitizers.  The way it works is the first time your body encounters it, it is novel and does not trigger any response.  After being exposed a few times, a response is induced.  It could be a rash, an immune response, that sort of thing.  You are now sensitized.


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## pdentrem (May 21, 2020)

It really depends on which end of the Twix package you are holding on to!
Pierre


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## Cheeseking (May 21, 2020)

darkzero said:


> I haven't had a problem with EP-Xtra but Tap Magic Aluminum, I hate that stuff. I used to use it for a while without issues. Eventually it started making me sick. Gets on your fingers & the smell doesn't wash off. The smell would really irritate me & make me want to gag. I ended up throwing the can away. Luckily there was only a little left & I only had one pint size can of it.



Same (sort of) here. I still use the tapmagic aluminum but sparingly as required. Thing is it works so darn good I just put up with the smell. I am mindful to try and not breath it in or get it all over my hands but at some point if its more than a quick little job the stuff finds its way everywhere. Definitely would not recommend in any kind of mister application. That would be suicide. 
Mostly i daub a little on a drill tip or put a drop on the spot drill mark on the material. That little amount is more than enough to keep aluminum from gumming up on a drill. 
I experienced the sensitization problem. Years ago I spent a whole day degreasing machine parts over a solvent parts washer, no gloves just brushing away until a few hrs later my hands were pink swollen and stinging badly even after washing up. To this day I can’t touch mineral spirits without a reaction.


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## darkzero (May 21, 2020)

Cheeseking said:


> Same (sort of) here. I still use the tapmagic aluminum but sparingly as required. Thing is it works so darn good I just put up with the smell. I am mindful to try and not breath it in or get it all over my hands but at some point if its more than a quick little job the stuff finds its way everywhere. Definitely would not recommend in any kind of mister application. That would be suicide.
> Mostly i daub a little on a drill tip or put a drop on the spot drill mark on the material. That little amount is more than enough to keep aluminum from gumming up on a drill.
> I experienced the sensitization problem. Years ago I spent a whole day degreasing machine parts over a solvent parts washer, no gloves just brushing away until a few hrs later my hands were pink swollen and stinging badly even after washing up. To this day I can’t touch mineral spirits without a reaction.



Hate is such a strong word & I shouldn't have said that but was too late to edit my post. It does work great as you said, it's just that I can't stand to use it anymore. I know I know WD40 but I don't prefer it for aluminum. Ive switched to AlumTap, the original chlorinated formula. I have a feeling the original formula will get banned here too so I bought a gallon of that too a while back. And the blue color looks cool, lol. Relton A9 also works great, also looks cool, green color. I guess I get a kick out of colorful fluids.  

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Good proof that these kinds of things don't affect everyone the same.


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## NCjeeper (May 21, 2020)

Interesting. I love the aluminum tap magic. I would wear it as a cologne if they made it.


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## Cheeseking (May 21, 2020)

Wow so the chlorinated formula is still available? How do you tell if its the “good” stuff vs reformulated cuz when I was shopping for it I couldn’t find anything that specifically stated. I just assumed everything they sold after a particular date was sans the chlorine.


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## darkzero (May 21, 2020)

NCjeeper said:


> Interesting. I love the aluminum tap magic. I would wear it as a cologne if they made it.



When I started using it I liked the smell too. Some people say it has a cinnamon'y smell. It wasn't until after a few years or so that it started making me sick. And it don't smell good to me anymore but that could just be a psychological thing cause of what it does to me now.


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## darkzero (May 21, 2020)

Cheeseking said:


> Wow so the chlorinated formula is still available? How do you tell if its the “good” stuff vs reformulated cuz when I was shopping for it I couldn’t find anything that specifically stated. I just assumed everything they sold after a particular date was sans the chlorine.



What I was refering to is AlumTap. The old chlorinated formula Tap Magic is long gone. But if you were talking about AlumTap, the original formula will say Original Formula on the current cans. IIRC the original formula costs a bit more too. This is for Winbro (makers of TapFree) AlumTap. Not to be confused with Aluma Tap, that's a different product. I hear some people generically call AlumTap & even Tap Magic Aluminium  "AlumaTap" in their videos. I could understand why, it just sounds better & is easier to say.


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