WD-40 should take care of everything.
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 Conveyer 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 it’s distinctive smell from a fragrance that is added to the brew. Ken East says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. Here are some of its uses:
1. Protects silver from tarnishing
2. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings
3. Gets oil spots off concrete driveways
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. Gives a children’s play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide
19. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers
20. Rids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises
21. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open
22. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close
23. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers
24. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles
25. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
26. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons and bicycles for easy handling
27. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
28. Removes splattered grease on stove
29. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging
30. Lubricates prosthetic limbs
31. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell)
32. Removes all traces of duct tape
33. I have even heard of folks spraying it on their arms, hands, knees, etc., to relieve arthritis pain.
34. One fellow claims spraying it on fishing lures attracts fish.
35. WD-40 has been designated the “official multi-purpose problem-solver of NASCAR,” a ringing endorsement if there ever was one.
In celebration of their 50th year, the company conducted a contest to learn the favorite uses of its customers and fan club members
(yes, there is a WD-40 Fan Club). They compiled the information to identify the favorite use in each of the 50 states. Naturally I was curious about Georgia and Alabama, and found thefavorite use in both states was that it “penetrates stuck bolts, lug nuts, and hose ends.”
Florida’s favorite use was “cleans and removes lovebugs from grills and bumpers.”
California’s favorite use was penetrating the bolts on the Golden Gate Bridge.
Let me close with one final, wonderful use, the favorite use in the State of New York —
WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
No wonder they have had 50 successful years. One person says one thing he has found that you do not get it on anything that is TO BE painted. You won’t be able to paint that item.
PS……..If you are bitten by a fire ant, spray the area immediately with WD40, it will take the sting away. We¹ve tried it, it works.
(Just don¹t get too oiled up my friend! a little spray will do ya!) Mosquito Remedy:
Pass this on to anyone who likes sitting out in the evening or when they’re having a cook out. So you don’t like those pesky mosquitoes, especially now that they have the potential to carry the West Nile Virus?
Here’s a tip that was given at a recent gardening forum. Put some water in a white dinner plate and add a couple drops of Lemon Fresh Joy dish detergent. Set the dish on your
porch, patio, or other outdoor area. Not sure what attracts them, the lemon smell, the white plate color, or what, but mosquitoes flock to it, and drop dead shortly after drinking the Lemon Fresh Joy/water mixture, and usually within about 10 feet of the plate. Check this out— it works just super!
May seem trivial, but it may help control mosquitoes around your home, especially in the South and elsewhere where the West Nile virus is reaching epidemic proportions in mosquitoes, birds, and humans.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming….
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Replies
Wow! I never knew. A carpenter friend said he uses it as a final coat of finish when polying boards. Never tried it.
Thanks for the info!
Love the stuff myself. Great for taking stickers off stuff...like new windows or the ones on precast sink/vanity top combos. Good for all the valves and stuff on my gas compressor too. A blast or two under the trailer's ball reciever does wonders.
Nice post though, very interesting. WD-40 and duct tape....the possibilities are endless!
"WD-40 and duct tape....the possibilities are endless!"
Only two tools you need.
If it's stuck and shouldn't be, use WD-40.
If it's not stuck but should be, use duct tape.David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
We used to drink the stuff, couldn't even afford moonshine way back when.
I know of one place where WD-40 failed. Ever get involved in kub kars? The little cars that cubs build to race in kub kar rally. The wheels are plastic and they spin on a metal axle. If you apply WD-40 to where the wheel spins on the axle it would run great for a few runs then the wheel seizes. Ask any kub dad and they will tell you graphite is the correct choice in this situation.
Ballistol is another miracle substance. My favorite "off label" uses, disinfecting cuts on the job or in the woods (old German hunter passed that one on) & mixing with H2O in a spray bottle to aid in brushing the burrs out of Fido's coat or (from my SIL)horse's tail/mane.
PS: it is now made in the US and smells much better than the European formulation ;~)
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
- Fyodor Dostoyevski
I heard somewhere gay guys use it...lol
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Andy....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
hey, I didnt say there was anything wrong with that did I ? lol...I heard even hetros use it.The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Aaaannddddiieeeeeeeee!!!
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
"hey, I didnt say there was anything wrong with that did I ? lol...I heard even hetros use it."
Not a myth.
A family member is an Emergency Physician. Several patients have come in with WD-40 rashes on their unmentionables. Like the kerosene that it is, it's not something you should be getting on your skin.
As Dr. Ruth would say... 'are you lubreecatink probpearlee?'
The solvent in it is a lighter cut than kerosene- it's closer to "petroleum ether" or mixed hexanes. The oily fraction in it is anyone's guess. It's not a cure-all, but it is a good water displacer and pretty good at redistributing whatever oil or grease was in an assembly to start with. That seems to do more lubrication than the stuff does by itself.
I use it for fire starter, but I don't think that's the kind of fire you meant.
;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Did you hear about the couple who had triplets?
After the delivery, they were talking about how they had 3....no fertility drugs, got to comparing notes.
Wife: "Remember that nite, we didnt have any KY jelly? You used some 3 in 1 oil.
Husband: "You are right ! Boy, I am sure glad I didn't use WD - 40!!!!!!"
As Dieselpig mentioned, the stuff is great for taking stickers off stuff. Just spray it on and let it soak for a few minuted. Don't know why it works, but it does.
I've heard that it can also be used to heat up stuck parts in a pinch. Spray some WD40 on the part and light it on fire. Then keep spraying as necessary to keep the fire going until the part is hot enough.
I've never done that, of course..................(-:
Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society [Mark Twain]
Boss, some how marshmellows and hotdogs by the WD-40 side doesn't quite seem right...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
it makes a servicable starting fluid also - a shot or three down the carb(FI) throught - works like ether..."there's enough for everyone"
wd-40 plus a bic lighter, great cockroach killer
A long time ago when I last owned a dodge truck, I was trying to waterproof the plug wires so the dam thing would start sometimes and sprayed them with WD40. Instant death. The water displacement is apparently powerful enough to force water inward through the insulation of a set of cheap. worn-out plug wires into the core.
Ron
It helps with the cleanup of 3M 5200.
If any of you have worked with 5200 you know how messyt it can be. WD-40 does the trick, and you can put it on your finger when "tooling" a corner bead of 5200 (like with water and silicone)
I know a guy who got tired of compounding his boat. It was a red boat and would chalk up in a couple of weeks. He started wiping WD-40 on it about once a month. The shinyest boat you ever seen.
WD-40 and bacardi, loosens up tight women.
I read a story once about WD 40 that said it was nothing more than kerosene and paraffin. if you spray it on somethin glong enough it will build up a yellow film that can be scraped off with your fingernails. I had a laundromat mechanic tell me he quit using it years ago because eventually it would gum up moving parts.
I dont know what its made from, and i dont care. My experience using it has proven very bad results after a time. It works ok for a short while until some type of corrosion action sets in. Then look out!
I'm with you and Rick... I think of as a crud collector and it does gum up stuff...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
>>17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
AAAAARRRRRRRGGGHGGGHHHHHHH!
It is NOT a lubricant!
Not. NOT. NOT!!!!!
It is the anti-lubricant: it quickly gets sticky and attracts grit and dirt.
I'll buy anyone here a can but they have to find one with the word "lubricant" printed on the label!
Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
I'm on your side,buddy,I tell clients it is a solvent for cleaning out grit, then it leaves no lubes behind,GET SOME OIL! (said the tin man!)Gun oil ,3 in One,silicone lube,Lithium(there is some great stuff!) both in aerosol,some one said graphite if you don't mind the "spy dust" effect, I like that...
Scribe once, cut once!
For breaking loose things that are stuck, corroded, or rusted there is a much better product called Silikroil from Kano Laboratories in Nashville, TN. It, too, will turn gummy with time, so it needs to be washed out with a solvent and replaced with whatever lubricant is right for the job.
-- J.S.
PB Blaster is the best I have found for freeing up rusted stuff.Who Dares Wins.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=46970.14
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
Lubricates... Says so right on the can.. Back lable -right hand side. 1/3rd the way down....
If you want split hairs or the word.. Split yur own and buy that can for anybody but me..
I don't like the stuff at all...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
Son of a gun, they must have changed the label on me - I haven't used it in years, myself.
Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
>>Son of a gun, they must have changed the label on me - I haven't used it in years, myself.
Bob,
I'm impressed. You could'nt find a way to blame Bush.
Maverick,
Most of us try to keep the political stuff in the tavern
Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
Want my mailing address? Or you can just send the money and I'll buy my own.
Who Dares Wins.
I don't like the stuff either except I have yet to find anything better for keeping trimmer bits from gumming up when using solvent based contact.
I find the best do everything lube etc in a can is the teflon based CRC
On a hill by the harbour
I prefer Tri-Flow....
try that on yur bits..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
real good shid..
so is boe-shield..
an PB Blaster
I got the bee wax from Doud, shaved it with a surform into turp..made a paste...like butta...put it on everything, 'cept salad.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
You better start buying a lot of it to pay off your debts.
We use it for cleaning and shining stainless steel.
Who Dares Wins.
Hello:
One more thing: it makes a great wire dryer!
I was under the impression that it is denatured kerosine?
All right Neil!
Good to see you've taken an interest in the forum! Hope you don't catch the "bug" like the rest of us. It's bad enough that my wife has to deal with football season, but Breaktime season is year-round.
(Brian in Natick)
Hi Brian:
Like I need *another* online Forum to spend time on! ;-) I have posted a few times so far, and I'll probably stick around...
It is a small world, huh?
Neil
Edited 9/5/2004 11:19 pm ET by NeilBlanchard
Edited 9/5/2004 11:21 pm ET by NeilBlanchard
My late wife used to say the only way anyone could get me to wear cologne is if it smelled like a blend of sawdust and WD-40.
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
Urban legend here has it that Boeing developed it for Minuteman, not Atlas/Convair (aka Conveyor<G>). Maybe it was on a subcontract? Never tired to get the true facts. Still working on using up the umpteem cases I got surplus 16 years ago for 10 cents/can.
Here you are...
http://www.wd40.com/AboutUs/our_history.html
Nobody's mentioned fish attractant. Never used it for that myself, but I've taken people fishing who said it works. That was back when it was illegal to use eggs, but scents were allowed. Supposedly it has some fish oil derivitaves?
My dad used to use it bluegill fishing. Spray the hook, drop it in. Worked great.