4 ms·

Lubricating a sliding door Quieting a squeaky door hinge Lubricating an HVAC register lever Wd-40 is not really a lubricant. You can use WD-40 to clean gun

Lubricating a sliding door Quieting a squeaky door hinge Lubricating an HVAC register lever Wd-40 is not really a lubricant. You can use WD-40 to clean gunk out of things, but you really need to follow it up with a proper lubricating oil

davekiss 2y ago
I learned a lot about WD-40 from this project! This is a highly debated topic, but their website leans into the fact that WD-40 is, indeed, a lubricant. > While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, WD-40 Multi-Use Product is a unique, special blend of lubricants. The product’s formulation also contains anti-corrosion agents and ingredients for penetration, water displacement and soil removal. Regardless of the facts, when all was said and done, they were the ones judging the entries, sooo… yep, it's a lubricant.
- jimnotgym 2y ago
  It is a lubricant, just not a very good one for most uses. It can't bear much load and it tends to just dissappear in a short time. I once replaced a series of mortice lever locks in a first house that were very worn after a decade of use. You had to shake the key to get them to open. I was amazed on opening them to find them completely dry, when they come greased. I suggested they lubricate the replacements occasionally. They replied that they sprayed them regularly with wd40. This has washed the grease out and left... virtually nothing.
  - snozolli 2y ago
    For what it's worth, old lock grease tends to move away from where it's needed and turn into a hard, waxy substance. It's arguably better to have a lock cleaned and slightly lubricated with WD-40 than one gummed up with ancient grease and dirt, or worse, rusted. I've heard a lot of anecdotes in every direction: only use graphite, only use a cleaning solvent. I've never read anything authoritative and I suspect the ideal approach is to regularly (e.g. every decade) disassemble the lock, clean it thoroughly, and inject grease, but nobody is going to do that.
    - arcanemachiner 2y ago
      I'm pretty sure with locks, you want a dry lubricant. So graphite, or better yet, a PTFE spray lubricant. Hasn't failed me yet.
  - rpcope1 2y ago
    I think that's one of the biggest screwups people make with WD-40 is that it's basically just a petroleum solvent and other than maybe initially unsticking things, it often makes the problem worse. As far as solvents go it's not particularly great, and in terms of lubricating or breaking free it's pretty bad. I'm surprised they still sell as much of it as they do (chalk it up to good marketing), when for basically everything there's a better choice (protip: if something is really stuck, the best tool provided you don't have dogs or children getting near is going to be acetone mixed with a good ATF).
    - jfengel 2y ago
      TIL that ATF=automatic transmission fluid. Still unclear on why this particular mix is optimal for unsticking things but Google suggests a lot of people use it.
      - winrid 2y ago
        Yes, I've used ATF to fix seized up motors. Just fill cylinder and let it sit for a few days.
    - GuB-42 2y ago
      Jack of all trades, master of none. It is a better lubricant than most solvants and a better solvant than most lubricants, it will always be worse than a specialized product, but if you are only allowed a single can, that's a good choice. Affordable and widely available too. Oh and the pressurized can form factor is convenient.
    - yial 2y ago
      Hate the smell of ATF but it was a life saver on some hinges that I wanted to save, but I couldn’t get to move after trying penetrating oil, wd-40, and some other things (not in that order ). ATF after a few hours succeeded.
  - dekhn 2y ago
    This was in fact one of my big learning experiences in mechanical work. As a kid, my bike was running rough so i took it apart, cleaned oout all that yucky/dirty grease from the bearings using WD-40, and then reassembled it all only to find it was even worse than before. Only a few years later did I learn that wd-40 is a terrible lubricant for bike ball bearings. You can see a similar effect with standard skate bearings used in fidget spinners - most bearings come pre-greased with a fairly high viscosity lubricant. If you spin the spinner, it will slow down quite fast, but if you take the bearing apart, clean out all the grease, and reassemble it, it will run wicked fast and long. Until some dirt gets in, at which point, grease would have worked better.
knodi123 2y ago
> Wd-40 is not really a lubricant And yet, it lubricates! I've heard your claim a lot, but the fact remains, it makes machinery work more smoothly, by reducing friction, and it is effective over significant time periods. By any definition, it is a lubricant. https://www.wd40.com/myths-legends-fun-facts/ https://www.wd40.com/myths-legends-fun-facts/ > Myth: WD-40 Multi-Use Product is not really a lubricant. > Fact: While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, WD-40 Multi-Use Product is a unique, special blend of lubricants. The product’s formulation also contains anti-corrosion agents and ingredients for penetration, water displacement and soil removal.
- eth0up 2y ago
  I don't remember the source and forget many details, but the test was very compelling. The guy used approximately a dozen different products, clp, wd40, etc. The test involved individual identical pieces of steel all coated with each product and left in wretched environment. The control, ie uncoated piece of steel fared better results that the regular WD40. I remember the best being Clenzoil (I had to grab my can to remember this). However, among the best was.... WD-40 specialist, specifically the "corrosion inhibitor" version. I think it was either the second or third best and I consulted my other can to remember this. Sadly, my favorite lube ranked very poorly, which was Balistol; however, I'll never give up my Balistol. I have put both the Clenzoil and Specialist to various 'tests' over the years and can vouch for their quality. But I'd use snot before regular WD-40 unless I was making a stink bomb. Edit: While not the test mentioned, ProjectFarm (youtoob), who does myriad high quality evaluations, did test various lubes, but I think mostly for lubricity. It was also revealing and I highly recommend it and the channel in general.
- winrid 2y ago
  And yet, if you want to actually lubricate things, there are much better, cheaper, options that will last longer. It's just marketing.
- wnissen 2y ago
  Water is a lubricant as well. And yet it is not a good lubricant for all applications. WD-40 is absolutely spectacular for certain things, but if what you want is a lubricant there are much better options. For instance, there is a silicone version that will make a sticky old lock work like new. https://www.wd40.com/products/silicone-lubricant/ https://www.wd40.com/products/silicone-lubricant/ You could probably burn WD-40 in a propane stove, but that doesn't mean it's a fuel.
HeyLaughingBoy 2y ago
For the right things, e.g., machining 6061 aluminum alloy, WD-40 is an excellent lubricant.
analog31 2y ago
It's a mixture of light mineral oil and light mineral spirits. As a lubricant, the mineral spirits carry the mixture into crevices, then evaporates, leaving an oil film behind. This is either useful and appropriate for a situation, or it's not. Also, the oil might not be a specialized oil for any particular use, but a lot of applications don't need a high performance oil. In my view, the drawbacks are: 1. Controlling overspray. This is why, even if I liked the stuff, I'd prefer to apply it with an eyedropper in many if not most cases. 2. General ignorance about lubrication needs, where something else is preferable, such as grease, a suspension of wax, penetrating oil, etc. On the other hand, keeping a supply of every possible lubricant can be a storage problem, and I've gradually come to prefer using the "wrong" stuff than buying yet another oversized container of something that I have to keep forever or dispose of.

davekiss 2y ago

I learned a lot about WD-40 from this project! This is a highly debated topic, but their website leans into the fact that WD-40 is, indeed, a lubricant. > While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, WD-40 Multi-Use Product is a unique, special blend of lubricants. The product’s formulation also contains anti-corrosion agents and ingredients for penetration, water displacement and soil removal. Regardless of the facts, when all was said and done, they were the ones judging the entries, sooo… yep, it's a lubricant.

jimnotgym 2y ago
It is a lubricant, just not a very good one for most uses. It can't bear much load and it tends to just dissappear in a short time. I once replaced a series of mortice lever locks in a first house that were very worn after a decade of use. You had to shake the key to get them to open. I was amazed on opening them to find them completely dry, when they come greased. I suggested they lubricate the replacements occasionally. They replied that they sprayed them regularly with wd40. This has washed the grease out and left... virtually nothing.
- snozolli 2y ago
  For what it's worth, old lock grease tends to move away from where it's needed and turn into a hard, waxy substance. It's arguably better to have a lock cleaned and slightly lubricated with WD-40 than one gummed up with ancient grease and dirt, or worse, rusted. I've heard a lot of anecdotes in every direction: only use graphite, only use a cleaning solvent. I've never read anything authoritative and I suspect the ideal approach is to regularly (e.g. every decade) disassemble the lock, clean it thoroughly, and inject grease, but nobody is going to do that.
  - arcanemachiner 2y ago
    I'm pretty sure with locks, you want a dry lubricant. So graphite, or better yet, a PTFE spray lubricant. Hasn't failed me yet.
- rpcope1 2y ago
  I think that's one of the biggest screwups people make with WD-40 is that it's basically just a petroleum solvent and other than maybe initially unsticking things, it often makes the problem worse. As far as solvents go it's not particularly great, and in terms of lubricating or breaking free it's pretty bad. I'm surprised they still sell as much of it as they do (chalk it up to good marketing), when for basically everything there's a better choice (protip: if something is really stuck, the best tool provided you don't have dogs or children getting near is going to be acetone mixed with a good ATF).
  - jfengel 2y ago
    TIL that ATF=automatic transmission fluid. Still unclear on why this particular mix is optimal for unsticking things but Google suggests a lot of people use it.
    - winrid 2y ago
      Yes, I've used ATF to fix seized up motors. Just fill cylinder and let it sit for a few days.
  - GuB-42 2y ago
    Jack of all trades, master of none. It is a better lubricant than most solvants and a better solvant than most lubricants, it will always be worse than a specialized product, but if you are only allowed a single can, that's a good choice. Affordable and widely available too. Oh and the pressurized can form factor is convenient.
  - yial 2y ago
    Hate the smell of ATF but it was a life saver on some hinges that I wanted to save, but I couldn’t get to move after trying penetrating oil, wd-40, and some other things (not in that order ). ATF after a few hours succeeded.
- dekhn 2y ago
  This was in fact one of my big learning experiences in mechanical work. As a kid, my bike was running rough so i took it apart, cleaned oout all that yucky/dirty grease from the bearings using WD-40, and then reassembled it all only to find it was even worse than before. Only a few years later did I learn that wd-40 is a terrible lubricant for bike ball bearings. You can see a similar effect with standard skate bearings used in fidget spinners - most bearings come pre-greased with a fairly high viscosity lubricant. If you spin the spinner, it will slow down quite fast, but if you take the bearing apart, clean out all the grease, and reassemble it, it will run wicked fast and long. Until some dirt gets in, at which point, grease would have worked better.

knodi123 2y ago

> Wd-40 is not really a lubricant And yet, it lubricates! I've heard your claim a lot, but the fact remains, it makes machinery work more smoothly, by reducing friction, and it is effective over significant time periods. By any definition, it is a lubricant. https://www.wd40.com/myths-legends-fun-facts/ https://www.wd40.com/myths-legends-fun-facts/ > Myth: WD-40 Multi-Use Product is not really a lubricant. > Fact: While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, WD-40 Multi-Use Product is a unique, special blend of lubricants. The product’s formulation also contains anti-corrosion agents and ingredients for penetration, water displacement and soil removal.

eth0up 2y ago
I don't remember the source and forget many details, but the test was very compelling. The guy used approximately a dozen different products, clp, wd40, etc. The test involved individual identical pieces of steel all coated with each product and left in wretched environment. The control, ie uncoated piece of steel fared better results that the regular WD40. I remember the best being Clenzoil (I had to grab my can to remember this). However, among the best was.... WD-40 specialist, specifically the "corrosion inhibitor" version. I think it was either the second or third best and I consulted my other can to remember this. Sadly, my favorite lube ranked very poorly, which was Balistol; however, I'll never give up my Balistol. I have put both the Clenzoil and Specialist to various 'tests' over the years and can vouch for their quality. But I'd use snot before regular WD-40 unless I was making a stink bomb. Edit: While not the test mentioned, ProjectFarm (youtoob), who does myriad high quality evaluations, did test various lubes, but I think mostly for lubricity. It was also revealing and I highly recommend it and the channel in general.
winrid 2y ago
And yet, if you want to actually lubricate things, there are much better, cheaper, options that will last longer. It's just marketing.
wnissen 2y ago
Water is a lubricant as well. And yet it is not a good lubricant for all applications. WD-40 is absolutely spectacular for certain things, but if what you want is a lubricant there are much better options. For instance, there is a silicone version that will make a sticky old lock work like new. https://www.wd40.com/products/silicone-lubricant/ https://www.wd40.com/products/silicone-lubricant/ You could probably burn WD-40 in a propane stove, but that doesn't mean it's a fuel.

HeyLaughingBoy 2y ago

For the right things, e.g., machining 6061 aluminum alloy, WD-40 is an excellent lubricant.

analog31 2y ago

It's a mixture of light mineral oil and light mineral spirits. As a lubricant, the mineral spirits carry the mixture into crevices, then evaporates, leaving an oil film behind. This is either useful and appropriate for a situation, or it's not. Also, the oil might not be a specialized oil for any particular use, but a lot of applications don't need a high performance oil. In my view, the drawbacks are: 1. Controlling overspray. This is why, even if I liked the stuff, I'd prefer to apply it with an eyedropper in many if not most cases. 2. General ignorance about lubrication needs, where something else is preferable, such as grease, a suspension of wax, penetrating oil, etc. On the other hand, keeping a supply of every possible lubricant can be a storage problem, and I've gradually come to prefer using the "wrong" stuff than buying yet another oversized container of something that I have to keep forever or dispose of.