.............WD40?

I just saw an interesting TV bit on how WD40 was developed.

==========================
The Story
"WD-40, everyone's favorite lubricant, came into being in 1953 at San
Diego's Rocket Chemical Company, when rocket scientist Norm Larson strove to
create a degreaser and solvent that would guard the rockets of America's
budding space program from rust and corrosion. Larson tried 39 different
combinations of chemicals before stumbling upon the one that would later
become WD-40, an abbreviation signifying the 40th combination of water
displacement. "

http://travel.discovery.com/fansites...oods/wd40.html
============================

WD40 has become a versatile fluid for lubrication, cleaning and water
proofing. This site gives 2000 uses for it. http://www.twbc.org/wd40.htm

How do you use it on the boat?

*JimH* wrote:

WD40 has become a versatile fluid for lubrication, cleaning and water
proofing. This site gives 2000 uses for it. http://www.twbc.org/wd40.htm

How do you use it on the boat?

I don't, it sux & is basically marked-up Stoddard solvent. There are
far better penetrants as well as cleaners, and calling it a lube is
almost a joke.

wrote:
*JimH* wrote:

WD40 has become a versatile fluid for lubrication, cleaning and water
proofing. This site gives 2000 uses for it. http://www.twbc.org/wd40.htm

How do you use it on the boat?

I don't, it sux & is basically marked-up Stoddard solvent. There are
far better penetrants as well as cleaners, and calling it a lube is
almost a joke.

Under the right circumstances, it's a fairly good lubricant, as is
water.

wrote:

wrote:

*JimH* wrote:


WD40 has become a versatile fluid for lubrication, cleaning and water
proofing. This site gives 2000 uses for it. http://www.twbc.org/wd40.htm

How do you use it on the boat?

I don't, it sux & is basically marked-up Stoddard solvent. There are
far better penetrants as well as cleaners, and calling it a lube is
almost a joke.


Under the right circumstances, it's a fairly good lubricant, as is
water.

A good few years ago I remember reading an article about some testing
done on various lubricants. This would probably have been in an
electronics magazine. Basically, the tests (IIRC it was an inclined
plane test with metal on metal and plastic on metal) showed that
although the friction was lower with freshly applied WD40 than when dry,
it was significantly higher than with just about any commonly available
oil or grease and that adding WD40 to *ANY* other lubricant resulted
in *MORE* friction than either that lubricant or WD40 alone. YMMV, but
its the *LAST* thing I reach for if I want lubrication.

I keep a minature can on board for de-watering my Seagull's carb and
ignition if it ever goes for a swim, but otherwise its strictly a
workshop convenience for sticky label remains, drilling or cutting
Aluminium, cleaning up small parts etc.

There are a couple of spray cans on the shelf and the oldest one (which
I try to use up first unless I've left it somewhere stupid) is still
about 1/3 full and has been there about 20 years. Its not a jumbo can
either. A friend used to rent the garage and I 'inherited' it and a few
tools from him so I am certain how long I've had that can. The other
can he had on the go lasted me till the late 90's. He loved the stuff
but was very much a 'hammer' mechanic.

Good marketing though . . .
--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL:
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Early 60's, Uffa Fox designed,
All varnished hot moulded wooden racing dinghy.

"Ian Malcolm" wrote in message
...
wrote:

wrote:

*JimH* wrote:


WD40 has become a versatile fluid for lubrication, cleaning and water
proofing. This site gives 2000 uses for it.
http://www.twbc.org/wd40.htm

How do you use it on the boat?

I don't, it sux & is basically marked-up Stoddard solvent. There are
far better penetrants as well as cleaners, and calling it a lube is
almost a joke.


Under the right circumstances, it's a fairly good lubricant, as is
water.

A good few years ago I remember reading an article about some testing done
on various lubricants. This would probably have been in an electronics
magazine. Basically, the tests (IIRC it was an inclined plane test with
metal on metal and plastic on metal) showed that although the friction was
lower with freshly applied WD40 than when dry, it was significantly higher
than with just about any commonly available oil or grease and that adding
WD40 to *ANY* other lubricant resulted in *MORE* friction than either that
lubricant or WD40 alone. YMMV, but its the *LAST* thing I reach for if I
want lubrication.

I keep a minature can on board for de-watering my Seagull's carb and
ignition if it ever goes for a swim, but otherwise its strictly a workshop
convenience for sticky label remains, drilling or cutting Aluminium,
cleaning up small parts etc.

There are a couple of spray cans on the shelf and the oldest one (which I
try to use up first unless I've left it somewhere stupid) is still about
1/3 full and has been there about 20 years. Its not a jumbo can either. A
friend used to rent the garage and I 'inherited' it and a few tools from
him so I am certain how long I've had that can. The other can he had on
the go lasted me till the late 90's. He loved the stuff but was very much
a 'hammer' mechanic.

Good marketing though . . .
--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL:
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Early 60's, Uffa Fox designed,
All varnished hot moulded wooden racing dinghy.

I agree that it is not a great lubricant when compared to common grade oil
or grease. It can, however, be used as a light lubricant, although perhaps
not as effective as light machine oil.

It is sometimes specifically noted as an acceptable light lubricant in
certain cases and by some manufacturers:

http://www.custombrackets.com/Scripts/wd40.asp

http://www.cobramotorcycle.com/docs/...nersmanual.pdf

http://www.truth.com/TechnicalSuppor...menu=homeowner

On the other hand, some manufacturers specifically recommend against using
it.

Go figure.

Heck, some folks use it on their lures as a fish attractant as well as on
their joints as a relief to arthritis. ;-)

*JimH* wrote:
"Ian Malcolm" wrote in message
...
wrote:

wrote:

*JimH* wrote:


WD40 has become a versatile fluid for lubrication, cleaning and water
proofing. This site gives 2000 uses for it.
http://www.twbc.org/wd40.htm

How do you use it on the boat?

I don't, it sux & is basically marked-up Stoddard solvent. There are
far better penetrants as well as cleaners, and calling it a lube is
almost a joke.


Under the right circumstances, it's a fairly good lubricant, as is
water.

A good few years ago I remember reading an article about some testing done
on various lubricants. This would probably have been in an electronics
magazine. Basically, the tests (IIRC it was an inclined plane test with
metal on metal and plastic on metal) showed that although the friction was
lower with freshly applied WD40 than when dry, it was significantly higher
than with just about any commonly available oil or grease and that adding
WD40 to *ANY* other lubricant resulted in *MORE* friction than either that
lubricant or WD40 alone. YMMV, but its the *LAST* thing I reach for if I
want lubrication.

I keep a minature can on board for de-watering my Seagull's carb and
ignition if it ever goes for a swim, but otherwise its strictly a workshop
convenience for sticky label remains, drilling or cutting Aluminium,
cleaning up small parts etc.

There are a couple of spray cans on the shelf and the oldest one (which I
try to use up first unless I've left it somewhere stupid) is still about
1/3 full and has been there about 20 years. Its not a jumbo can either. A
friend used to rent the garage and I 'inherited' it and a few tools from
him so I am certain how long I've had that can. The other can he had on
the go lasted me till the late 90's. He loved the stuff but was very much
a 'hammer' mechanic.


I agree that it is not a great lubricant when compared to common grade oil
or grease. It can, however, be used as a light lubricant, although perhaps
not as effective as light machine oil.

It is sometimes specifically noted as an acceptable light lubricant in
certain cases and by some manufacturers:

After 40+ yrs of working on, operating & restoring electronic gear on
the side, I can say confidently that WD-40 is the worst **** you can
spray on anything electrical or electronic that is of any future value
to you or another. There are 2 pages of reasons why & how this has
proven so. I now refuse to buy, work on, resell or trade anything
electrical or electronic that's been sprayed with WD-40 if I can find
out first. Armor-All and its cousins is tied with WD-40 for first
place in overall debilitation (in different ways & materials).

It is also lousy as a marine or machinery penetrant. AeroKroil is the
best spray penetrant/loosener presently available. WD-40 is used by
shade-tree tyros & wannabes who've never used a professional product or
like wasting time.

WD-40 is **** for fogging outboards.

It is also lousy as a cutting & tapping fluid. TapFree is the best,
though it's formula isn't as good as it was 10 yrs ago B4 the
tree-huggers had govenment ruin it a little by subtraction, and good
old lard is still excellent on those materials it's traditionally been
used with.

WD-40 and many other spray contact cleaners or penetrants eventually
destroy switches, potentiometers, circuit boards, tube sockets,
electrical phenolic-mounted components & the like. They almost always
cannot be removed from the material and eventually it arc-tracks if it
is high voltage. There is also no sense in using contact cleaners most
of the time. Modern contacts are silver, gold or berylium plated &
their oxides are as conductive as the base metals. The few times a
contact cleaner is really needed, it needs to be applied carefully with
a toothpick or similar exactly and only to the metal contact needed,
and never to the surrounding insulating material.

WD-40 as a lure enhancer is well-documented among my local area FW
fishermen, including a few tournament bass-ers. They are not
dope-smokers or usenet liars who fantasize about being boating experts.
It is believed & credibly reported that some of its oil content is
fish-derived, which may or may not have anything to do with this use.
Since all the fish are now too full of mercury to eat, I haven't tried
it.