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Wd-40

Started by Papaso, Mar 02, 2006, 10:10 PM

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Papaso

WD-40

[indent][indent] Or Water Displacement #40 as it is known. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser 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.
The workers were so pleased with the product, they began smuggling (also known as "shrinkage" or "stealing") it out to use at home. The executives decided there might be a consumer market for it and put it in aerosol cans. The rest, as they say, is history.
It is a carefully guarded recipe known only to four people. Only one of them is the "brew master." There are about 2.5 million gallons of the stuff manufactured each year. It gets its distinctive smell from a fragrance that is added to the brew.
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.
Here are some of the uses:

Protects silver from tarnishing.
Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
Keeps flies off cows.
Restores and cleans chalkboards.
Removes lipstick stains.
Loosens stubborn zippers.
Untangles jewelry chains
Removes stains from stainless steel sinks
Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
Removes tomato stains from clothing.
Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
Keeps scissors working smoothly.
Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
Removes splattered grease on stove. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
Removes all traces of duct tape.
Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers."
The favorite use in the state of New York--WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch
WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
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 rewash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor!
Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring &1 tbsp; 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.
Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL


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tlhdoc

WOW, I had no idea you could use it for so many things.:)

SpeakEasy

Didn't someone once say, WD-40 to make stuff go and duct tape to make it stop - between the two of them you've got a whole toolbox?

Old Goat

How about a  hiball garnished with WD-40?  Might even free up your internal work'ns and could be a good laxative.. Anybody tried it?.......

gager2002

We buy this at work by the pallet....My garage has at least 12 cans, and each car has one under the seat.  As well, and in the camping gear and in the storage under the kitchen seat in the trailer.

dthurk

My 91 year old FIL is a WD-40 fanatic.  (He also likes epoxy, not duct tape.)  He once tried to use it to clean his hearing aid.  When it stopped working, my DW took him back to the people he bought it from.  The gentleman said, "EEEWWW, this really needs to be cleaned out."  My FIL just looked at my wife and grinned.  He had to buy a new hearing aid.

wavery

I would not recommend WD40 for lubricating anything.

The truth is, WD40 is made up of nearly all solvents and very little lubricants. The reason that it temporarily stops squeaks is not because of it's lubricating qualities but because of it's cleaning qualities. Most squeaks are caused by dirt and debris in between moving parts.

What little lubricant that is present quickly washes away and evaporates because of the high amount of fast drying solvents.

Also, WD40 is highly flammable. Don't try the one that says, "Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans" or any other electrical devise. It can start a fire and if the motor is running, it can cause an explosion.

I wouldn't be without my can of WD40 but it is important not to rely on it as a lubricant. If you use it to stop a squeak, make sure that you follow up with a drop of 3-in-1 oil or a spray of "White Lithium Greese" :D  If you don't you may find that whatever you thought that you lubricated, is now worn out because of a lack of lubrication.

Use it to clean your lift cables on your PU but make sure to follow up with a good quality, light weight grease.

A couple of things that were left out:

WD40 is a great kick starting fluid for hard starting diesel engines.

WD40 is a must for displacing water from all of the parts of an outboard motor that has been dropped over-board :p

SpeakEasy

Quote from: waveryWD40 is a must for displacing water from all of the parts of an outboard motor that has been dropped over-board :p

I'm guessing that there might be a story behind this???? (Or is that a subject for a different forum?)

wavery

Quote from: SpeakEasyI'm guessing that there might be a story behind this???? (Or is that a subject for a different forum?)
Many stories :p  and definitely for another forum, although this may apply to some of our fishing friends on here :D .

kgravl

It also works great on getting gum out hair, or off clothing. Will help start a gas lawn mower too. Great to clean your hands after repacking those pup bearings.

wavery

Quote from: kgravlIt also works great on getting gum out hair, or off clothing. Will help start a gas lawn mower too. Great to clean your hands after repacking those pup bearings.
Try to avoid using it for gas engines because it washes the oil off of the cylinder walls, loosens the carbon and can cause damage to the engine.

It's OK on diesels because diesel fuel is an actual oil in itself and helps keep the cylinder walls lubricated.

unitydnk

Quote from: PapasoWD-40

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P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL


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is this why fisherman in my area says it atracts fish?they spray it on the water and lures

wavery

Quote from: unitydnkis this why fisherman in my area says it atracts fish?they spray it on the water and lures
Not sure where that info came from but I don't think that it is accurate. I think that he was just kidding :p . I think the only "Oil" in WD40 is a small amount of "3-in-1 oil" and most of that disipates as all of the various solvents disipate.
http://www.wd40.com/Brands/wd40_faqs.html

beacher

No fish oil.  What's in WD-40:

Aliphatic Petroleum Distillates, 45%-50%
Petroleum Base Oil, 15%-25 5%
LVP Hydrocarbon Fluid, 12%-18%
Carbon Dioxide, 2%-3%


Alot of physical health warnings on the MSDS  sheet.

unitydnk

Quote from: waveryNot sure where that info came from but I don't think that it is accurate. I think that he was just kidding :p . I think the only "Oil" in WD40 is a small amount of "3-in-1 oil" and most of that disipates as all of the various solvents disipate.
http://www.wd40.com/Brands/wd40_faqs.html
I still talk to a lot of fishermen that say that it works