Wd40

RobbW said:
Agreed! 3-in-1 is a high-grade oil, like a machinists oil. It's great for lubricating. It won't prevent rust in extreme saltwater tests like some of the wonder stuff out there, but in day to day use it's just fine.

I think the stories about WD-40 being gummy came from the first formulations of the stuff, which had laquor in it. That could get gummy, but that was decades ago--before I was born. The current formulation doesn't do that.

In fact, Bob Dozier puts a drop on the working mechanism of his folding hunters. He told me this himself. He does it because it mostly evaporates and leaves behind an extremely light film which protects and lubricates.[/quote]

The formulation for WD-40 has NOT changed. It still forms a gummy film once the carrier solvent has evaporated. That is what it was, and is, supposed to do. The carrier solvent is on the order of kerosene, so it takes a goodly long time to evaporate. People think WD-40 is a lubricant because it takes so long for the solvent to evaporate and until the solvent evaporates, the residue is low in viscosity. But once the solvent does evaporate, the resulting material is NOT a particularly good lubricant as it is much higher in visosity than a product like 3-in-one.

WD-40 can be used to clean, as long as it is removed at the end of cleaning and a real lubricant is applied. It still works reasonably well as preparation for long term storage. It is not a good lubricant.

Guys, my degree is in chemistry and recommending solvents and lubricants is part of my current job at an aerospace company. This is not theory or hearsay to me, but actual knowlege and experience.
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gud4u said:
Years ago, on advice from a friend, I cleaned a shotgun, wiped it down with wd40 and put it away for about 6 months. When I next looked at the gun, it was liberally peppered with rust spots.
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I have had similar experiences using wd40 on tools. I would have been better off using nothing. Once the wimpy layer of protectant breaks down, or evaporates or whatever, the metal is totally unprotected and vulnerable to rust (IMHO):).
 
FoxholeAtheist said:
What about Boeshield? It apparently leaves some sort of waxy coating (according to the ad copy)... would it be good for coating fixed blades?
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WD-40 is old technology. There have been improvements in corrsion inhibitor technology since the days it was formulated. WD-40 mostly works by forming a barrier to moisture. It has some compounds in it that help it displace moisture at the metal surface.

Haven't tested Boeshield. It also forms a barrier to moisture, but it claims to have added inhibitors. Looks reasonable, but I'm not sure about using it as an in-use coating if you are going to cut food items. I don't see an MSDS on the website, so I do not know what type of chemicals are being used to inhibit corrosion. The waxes themselves would not be a problem.
 
Any oil will "varnish" if it is not replenished and the lubricated item not cleaned. This is not the fault of the lubricant.
 
To all thoses who use WD40 as a lubricant: Read the can. Read the website. Among its various uses, I can not find any instance where the manufacturer indicates it is a lubricant. If the manufacturer won't claim it...??? Perhaps my cans of WD40 are old.:)
 
Must be. Mine says:
LUBRICATES Moving parts such as: hinges, wheels, rollers, chains, gears.
Bill
 
Zeasor said:
To all thoses who use WD40 as a lubricant: Read the can. Read the website. Among its various uses, I can not find any instance where the manufacturer indicates it is a lubricant. If the manufacturer won't claim it...??? Perhaps my cans of WD40 are old.:)
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I dunno... Have you read the website?

Bill DeShivs said:
Any oil will "varnish" if it is not replenished and the lubricated item not cleaned. This is not the fault of the lubricant.
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This seems to be the case. Folks get wacky about this stuff. It has no magical properties. It's just solvent and oil. If it's varnishing on you, you're probably using way too much and leaving it to dry.
 
Bill DeShivs--- Looks like it's time for me to get a new can.

shecky--- Last time I read the WD40 website (a year or two ago), the word lubricate/s was nowhere to be found. It now clearly says "lubricates just about anything".

Two conclusions seem obvious. Either the manufacturer has since discovered its lubricating properties(:thumbdn:) or it has been reformulated.

Thanks for the new info.
 
ah the wonders of advertising writers.
 
In real use, it is ok for a temporary lube till you can get something better. It does dry out. Been there, done that. It is good stuff to use as a starting fluid if you don't have the real stuff.
 
Hey there, I have another solution for you. The company I work for, SPAM A LOT Loo makes a spray that goes on SPAM, won't run, is odorless, dries quickly, and also waterproofs. If you spray it on your SPAM to clean it, or as many as you have on your Bacon, it will clean them lubricate them, and also prevent SPAM ROT which seems to be a huge problem. SPAM SPRAY is silicon based, so it won't run or damage any SAPM. You can pick up SPAM at any grocery store: http://www.SPAM.com/
Hopefully SPAM can become a new staple in the knife world and will help you to avoid any rust problems as well.

All the best.

~I spam forums
 
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FoxholeAtheist said:
knarfeng said:
What about Boeshield? It apparently leaves some sort of waxy coating (according to the ad copy)... would it be good for coating fixed blades?
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I love the boeshield. I use it on my knives after a WD40 "shower". Also use it on all my marine equipment including reels. A great lubricant with long lasting properties (waxy?...maybe). I'm surprised not many people here use it.
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stolas223 said:
But the WD40 won't hurt coatings I mean. I've used it to clean rust off old knives and I thought I would spray down my ranger and put it away. since wd40 is all I have right now, Just making sure it won't remove the coating.
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you would be better off cleanign your knife with it, wiping it with a dry clean cloth and storing your knives in a box with a VCI (vapor corrision inhibitor). WD40 will attract dust like a magnet, making for a sticky mess over time. t
 
SIFU1A said:
i have never understood why more folks dont use rem-oil, $1.49 at walmart, its a great oil for knives (reccomended by microtech for OTF autos FWIW) & guns, and cheap to boot, also works a lot better than WD40.

but WD40 would be ok is uppose and wont hurt anything.
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So I'm reading this thread and thinking "I use rem-oil, it's cheap and has always worked great. Doesn't anyone else?" and then I came across your post.

:thumbup:
 
What about mineral oil?...especially if your blade is gonna be anywhere around food?
Then there's Tuf-Cloth/Tuf-Glide.....
 
I am starting to try EEZOX. I have been using Breakfree CLP and there is also a Breakfree LP that would be good for knives.

Don't use WD-40. Here is my story. I keep a sliding utility knife just about everywhere I'd need one. I also keep a lot of blades in the handle. Over time, using what is on hand, I like to put some oil on those blades and well as the sliding works of the thing. So about a year ago, I got a new one and loaded it up and put it in my knife drawer. At that time, a can of WD-40 was right there so I used it. Fast forward to right before Christmas '09 and I need a new blade. I open the thing up and the 5 blades in the handle were glued together with varnish to the point that I had to pry them apart...not with a lot of force mind you...but pry none the less. Once apart, I had to CLP the dickens out of each blade to get the varnish off. The sliding works (Stanley 99) were gummed up as well. I put some CLP on, let it sit about 5 minutes and then cleaned it all off.

So, with no pre-disposition to dislike WD-40, and no intention to prove anything, my real world experience here showed me without a doubt that WD-40 gums up. None of the others I have, most lubed up with 3-in-1 or CLP ever did that...not even a little bit. Attract dust maybe...gum up...no way.

Use a proper product. WD-40 should be sprayed on only if something steel is dropped in the water and then one must work just as hard to find something to get the WD-40 out.
 
CWL said:
it is nothing more than kerosene with some fragrance added to it.
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It contains no kerosene. It contains mineral spirits (mild solvent) and mineral oil (same stuff as Johnson's Baby Oil), plus a propellant. The mineral spirits are volatile and evaporate quickly, leaving behind the mineral oil.

Like anything, its good stuff if used for the right applications. It does not excel at long-term rust prevention.

:thumbup:
 
Hello.

I have never before heard WD-40 described as a mixture of mineral spirits and mineral oil. I have frequently heard it described as kerosene, or a light grade petroleum fraction. My own experiences with it strongly suggest that kerosene will do anything WD-40 will, and none of those things remotely approximate a lubricant.

Can you reveal your source of info regarding the mineral spirits/mineral oil mixture? I kinda remember seeing a MSDS a number of years ago, and I don't remember anything about mineral spirts or oil.

Thanks..............Frank
 
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