WD-40
Well, Who Knew...?

I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very
early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all
around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over,
woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to
figure out what to do probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing
was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean
it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint
job that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew?

Water Displacement #40 . The product began from a search for a rust
preventative solvent and de-greaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in
1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its
name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement'
compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The
Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in
WD-40 that would hurt you.

When you read the 'shower door' part, try it.
It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic,it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your
stovetop... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40

for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem
to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them
off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not
removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on
riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as
vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy
handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis
pain.
37) Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and
bumpers.'
38) The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the
Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will
be catching the big one in no ; time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the
chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind
though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed
in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops
the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and
wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has
washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry,
saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is
gone!
43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the
moisture and allow the car to start.


P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.


P. P. S.
keep a can of WD-40 in kitchen cabinet over the stove. It
is good for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned
feeling away and heals with NO scarring

WD-40
Well, Who Knew...?

I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very
early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all
around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over,
woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to
figure out what to do probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing
was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean
it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint
job that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew?

Water Displacement #40 . The product began from a search for a rust
preventative solvent and de-greaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in
1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its
name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement'
compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The
Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in
WD-40 that would hurt you.

When you read the 'shower door' part, try it.
It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic,it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your
stovetop... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40

for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem
to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them
off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not
removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on
riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as
vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy
handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis
pain.
37) Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and
bumpers.'
38) The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the
Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will
be catching the big one in no ; time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the
chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind
though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed
in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops
the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and
wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has
washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry,
saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is
gone!
43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the
moisture and allow the car to start.


P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.


P. P. S.
keep a can of WD-40 in kitchen cabinet over the stove. It
is good for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned
feeling away and heals with NO scarring

Mike--What about the use on firearms ? Any truth to the "gum build up" problem often mentioned ? I do use it on fishing line and soft baits, so I'm with you there. Luckydog

P. S.--I don't use it on firearms anyway. I think the fact that I get my Corrosion X free probably has something to do with that.
Mike T is "The Man".

__________________
NRA LIFE MEMBER

L

This story was forwarded to me by a friend. I do use WD-40 for a variety of things, and
have not noticed any gumming problems - at least not as bad as Break-Free, for example.

I have known the history of WD-40 for some time, but didn't realize it had so many other
uses.

WD-40 will gum the works of anything with moving parts. It will eventually turn to a hard sticky varnish. As a preservative it IS great as over the years I have had plenty of guns come through that had been sprayed down with the stuff and once cleaned off the fnish was pristine.
I have run across a number of inertia mechanism double shotguns that the 2nd hammer wont set...usually due to WD40

I use it like a starter fluid to help start small engines. Like lawnmowers ,string trimmers and chain saws.

Interesting that fish-oil is one of the ingridents. Among other things I collect are American made pocket watches. Often they were lubricated with fish-oil and as a result they are now gummed-up. Old trick is to hold a gummed watch in your clasped hands for awhile and let it warm and them wind it and see if it runs.

Lets you know you have a watch that will likley run if cleaned propertly.

Oh, no . . . not again . . . .

__________________
Qui plantavit curabit

I'm sorry, but WD-40 "ate" the blue finish on the receiver of my Remington 1100 30 years ago and I never used it again on my firearms.

GB

I have a beautiful Colt Woodsman 2nd Model that I had used WD40 on in the earlier days of my youth.
Took it out of the safe one day and had to get very aggressive with pulling the slide back. The breech face was shellaced up and hardened.

I own a number of cans of the stuff for the garage, the truck, the tractor, but, never will I use it on a gun.

bdGreen

I wonder if anyone ran this one by Snopes?

I think an MSDS sheet on it will reveal some stuff. The primary ingredient of WD40 has changed over the years. For a while it was varnish (hence the gumming up). More recently, its been Stodard Solvent, a material much like kerosene.

I have none of the others reservations about using it on firearms. Its very likely the best first aid for a gun that has been drenched. The entire idea is to displace the water on a gun. If your gun has been submerged, dunked, or just rained upon, WD is the hot ticket until you can get it dried and cleaned properly.

There are some guns you don't want to use it on, becsuse it might remove any rust finish. But those aren't the ones you're out carrying or swimming with...

We've speculated in the past the gumming comes from other solvents and oils put on after WD has been used. I tend to prefer CLP or RemOil for most uses (not necessarily the same use.)

When any of us find a gummed action or even just area (like inside the crane), we almost always blame WD40 for the problem. I'm no chemist. I have no idea what gum is made from. I don't even care. I just want it gone from my guns.

I tend to be open minded about the guns I buy. I'm not exclusively a condition collector. I'll buy a nice old gun if its rare, or I like it. Those tend to be the ones with gum when you get inside. Another old formulation, called Hoppe's #9, almost always cleans off the gummy stuff.

Just an observation. Guns with gummy buildups most often aren't nearly as prone to rust as those without anything used on them.

__________________
Dick Burg

Although the question was asked of Mike, I will relate a situation that occurred in the late 70s in Missouri. A state trooper had a misfire in a gunfight with his Model 66. The weapon and ammo was sent off to various labs and so forth.

The MSHP put out a directive thereafter that WD40 was NOT to be used on guns. The patrol reported that the gummed up gunk on the inside of the action actually cushioned the blow of the hammer enough to not ignite the primer.

At the time, I was using WD40 to lube stored revolvers, and I found the same nasty gunk build up, and I had to remove sidplates, take out parts and scrub it off with solvent.

Personally, I believe the reports about WD40 and will use it for other uses, but not for guns.

I keep a can of wd40 and a rag on top of my safe. When I come in from a shooting session I spray the rag(not the gun) and wipe them down.
Been doing that way for years with complete satisfaction and NO GUMMING. Won't change no matter what anyone says.

__________________
S&W Accumulator

If WD-40 or a hammer won't fix it, it can't be fixed!

__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett

THIS always leaves me scratching my head.

I think much of this info qualifies as an "urban legend"....see the Snopes site for more details:

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/wd-40.asp

sorry bought two more cans yesterday and still have some of the 'bulk" stuff ,we put in a 'spray bottle' ( the belief of years ago, was the propellants, were what was causing the gumming up...) though we have never had ANY issues or problems ,ever with ALL of the thousands of guns we have handled and worked on in 3 different shops since the late 1960's...so go figure...you do what YOU must do, as said above, "not again..." ( yeah we use steel wool too...........)

__________________
dan
NRA Benefactor,PMA

From the Brownell's web site on the test of the various lubricants, seems to confirm the gumming issue:

Plate L - WD-40
Brownells P/N: N/A
Thickness: Ultra-thin liquid
Odor Rating: 4 (moderate to strong)


WD-40 lubricates, cleans and displaces moisture to prevent rust. Manufacturer recommended for firearms and other sporting equipment. Easy to apply formula contains petroleum distillates that could affect certain stock finishes. May cause gumming on internal components and inside receivers. Long-term use on gunmetals has been thought to limit the effectiveness of certain bluing solutions. WD-40 has been around a long time and earned the reputation as an excellent rust preventive for exterior surfaces of firearms. A favorite among old timers.

Test plates show excellent moisture displacement. Minimal rust formation is present; almost no pitting is visible after degreasing.

Since it's made from fish oil, I wonder if I could use it to unclog my old arteries instead of taking my fish oil pills?
It is great stuff.

I wonder if fish have trouble getting 'gummed up' ?

Don

__________________
OGCA Life
NRA Life

I've never had any trouble with wiskey delta four zero. In fact I used some this morning as part of the gunk removal from a 90 year old K frame that did not appear to have ever had the screws turned. I did not leave any WD-40 in the action but I don't like wet lubes in my actions. I personally suspect that leaving a wet solvent of any type in the lock work continues to work dissolving stuff and then evaporates leaving behind a concentrated layer of caked up stuff. I'm sure some are worse than others but hosing down any action with a solvent then just leaving it is a bad idea. IMNAAHO

I tend to agree with bagolden's assesment that it disolves and loosens caked up crud in the action. Not properly cleaned out, it spreads out nicely and then is left to reharden/thicken as the WD40 solvent evaporates.

I've used it for many years to initially clean out a dirty action or part, loosen screws and parts up, etc.. It's not a substitute for a good long term lube, but will do for some short term non critical applications.

It's very useful for it's WD namesake of removing water from parts that have taken an untimely dunking. Excellent oil for 'stoning'.

It's not quite the magic liquid some forever lengthening lists seem to tout it as. But it is generally inexpensive and useful for what it does and doesn't smell all that bad compared to some of the other options.

As bad as some feel it is,,it's very useful in initially cleaning/clearing up a Parker shotgun that was oiled up and set away in storage with the Parker Factory recommended lube.....'3 in 1 oil'.
But I do follow it up with another lube for operation and storage afterwards.

Nothings perfect.

Have you been talking to my 90-yr old mother?

I agree, that and Duct Tape.

Two rules to live by:
1) If it won't move and it should, use WD 40.
2) If it moves and it shouldn't, use Duct Tape.

Don

__________________
OGCA Life
NRA Life

Ok, from Snopes... we find that the fish oil idea is just bogus. I've read (and not checked with any reliable source) this is at least the 3rd forumula of "WD40" we can purchase. The first one is widely thought to have a base of varnish. It did tend to gum if repeatedly used without removal of prior coatings.

We also have no idea if the gum people have found is the WD itself, other lubricants or solvents that its dissolved, or something completely different. No one seems to have the ability to investigate this stuff. We all tend to believe what we want without any consideration of what really took place.

WD40 is a great thin lubricant for very short term use. Its not as good as penetrating oil on rusted or frozen bolts. But the penetrating oil isn't as good for any lubrication uses. Even water is a decent lubricant for a few things. WD40 may last a few days to a week or two.

What I've always operated under is the assumption that if you use WD in a pinch, when you get out of the pinch, use an appropriate solvent to remove it and put a more appropriate long term lubricant or protectant for the job at hand.

Then another consideration is everyones uses or needs the same? What's the weather outside? How hot or cold will it be getting while my product is still on the surface? If there is blowing dirt or dust, is a wet lubricant a good thing? But by far the most important question seems to be "what do I have avaiable, right now?" If I've got nothing, what are my chances of getting something better than WD at the only convenience store for 50 miles?

Finally, is the gum we've found on a gun we've just bought really WD40? Or do we blame every conceivable ill we find on it because its fun?

__________________
Dick Burg

Dick, Well stated. I've found it to be an excellent product. I have found its' best gun use is as a surficant cleaner with OOOO steel wool to remove minor rust/staining.

Have you ever tried brass wool? Its less abrasive than steel wool. Steel wool and stainless wool have different qualities. Using a lubricant like WD or any other oil seems to prevent some or most of the transfer to the surface. If you use it dry, you end up almost plating the surface with transfered wool material. Its best to minimize it.

__________________
Dick Burg

Back in the 1980s somebody gave me a bulk pack of X-acto knife blades. I dumped them into a tray in a plastic parts cabinet. To prevent rust, I sprayed a lot of WD-40 all over them. A couple of years later, when I finally needed an X-acto blade, I found them very tightly stuck together by a stiff, gummy substance. Maybe that "gum" was a reaction of the plastic with the WD-40, but I doubt it.

WD 40 will get somewhat gummy, and eventualy harden up. (after several months/yrs) If you use it on something you clean often, no problem.

For firearms use there are much better lubricants/rust preventatives. But WD40, will work.

For door hinges, etc. WD 40 is a 'wonder chemical.' It even smells nice.

For 20 years, I have used a gun soak that works on the cruddiest and oldest guns. In a 50 cal ammo can, half WD-40, half kerosene and about 2 cups of Marvel Mystery Oil. If you soak a gun, and then scrub it, all the grime, dried oil, everything comes out. Blow it out with compressed air or a blow drier and its done. You can go through with the lubricating oil of your choice later if you want, but, its servicable right out of the tank.

Some really old gunsmith gave me the recipe years ago. It works, and, it works well. If my guns get caught in a downpour, they get dunked and blown out. I have never had one rust.

I will not let WD 40 anywhere near any of my guns.

Not because it will gum up (it will, though), but because it simply is too thin. It is NOT a good lubricant, NOR is it a good rust preventative. It is a penetrating oil, and that's about it. It is too thin and runny, and it will run off...taking any good oil or grease that was on the gun along with it. Because it will run off, it leaves the metal bare.

I used to work for a company that sold industrial sewing machines. We had several of different types set up as display models or for whatever other purposes, and they were over in the warehouse. They were perfectly fine as they were, but I was ordered to take some WD40, spray them down "so they wouldn't rust". Well, I did it, and within days..****st City. Any good oil that was on them ran off with the WD 40.

It's just too blame thin. It does do fairly well as a quenching oil. Otherwise, I have no use for it.

I blissfully used WD-40 on guns for years and thought it was great and never had the slightest hint of a problem. Suddenly I started reading all kinds of negative stuff from "gun experts" that it was better to use sulfuric acid on guns than WD-40! It was awful stuff that would destroy ammunition and gun finishes from fifty feet away and would not prevent rust in a desert. I just ignored all that advice and continued using it for all sorts of things, and twenty-five years later I still haven't had a problem. Still waiting for disaster to strike......

n4zov,
Like you, I'm (evidentally) an ignoramus when it comes to uses for WD-40.
Actually used it to DE-gum the third lock on a Triplelock years ago.
Son of a gun...the TL continues to work flawlessly, and I continue to bumble around my shop...
Don

__________________
OGCA Life
NRA Life

Trap shooters used to love it, they sprayed their guns down librally after a shoot. I worked in the gunsmithing department of Browning Arms and cleaned lots of WD-40 varnish out of the actions of BT99 trap guns. Most had been rendered inoperable by the sticky crud.

I've found WD-40 helpful in removing the last traces of Cosmoline from a firearm. Seems someone told me the primary base/carrier was kerosene-related.

Wouldn't dream of using it as an all-purpose lubricant on anything that isn't cleaned and re-lubed every week. It's absolutely deadly if sprayed into the 'innards' of a revolver...turns to sludge, then gum, then varnish. Complete lockup.

Don't much like that 3-in-1 oil, either...same sort of progression.

When such great products as Butch's and Break-Free CLP are available, why bother with the marginal stuff?

If you like mixing your own, try finding the Ed's Red recipe.

__________________
Cert. Armorer: AR-15/10/M16/M4