Excuse me in my ignorance, but.....
1) Here we go again! That damn VM&P naptha! Swim tells you, this stuff just does not seem to exist in Oz. He's sure it does, but is called something else. But he just can't find it, at least not from a convienient source. Swim can't store chemicals for risk of detection, and thus needs to be able to purchase them easily. Can he use someting else? Is aromatic naptha OK? He can get that easy in the form of enamel paint thinner. What about mineral turps or acetone? he can also get xylene easy, but....
2) Why is it necessary to gas with xylene and not with toluene? Can you just acidify instead? What advantage does this provide, and how will it affect the MA synth? What is the probelem with not gassing (or acidifying if that works)? Why does a change in the solvent require a different extraction (evap or gas) technique?
Sorry about the really dumb questions, but your advice would be much appreciated.