WD-40, why not to use it

If it's just a mineral oil with other additives, then it's still not a great lube. Just like I don't use Hoppes #9 for lubing anything that needs more than a light lube.
There are a lot of newer lubes that work better, without attracting dirt or thickening in the cold as much.

It does gum up, but that normally takes a long time. Like years. I'm not worried about that.
 
Regarding 'food safe' or not (this made me curious):

It helps to keep these things in a rational and properly contextual perspective. If used for lubricating pivots in folding knives, at the very light levels at which it should be applied, it's a moot point and is no different from any other petroleum-based 'lube' product marketed as food-safe (many of which contain these same basic ingredients). The only potentially hazardous ingredient in the mix is the light solvent, which evaporates away very quickly. The mineral oil left behind is inert and non-toxic. Basically, one would have to actually drink or directly inhale the liquid product, to take in significant amounts of any toxins. This is even alluded to in the product MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), which only warns of any toxic effect if the product is directly ingested and/or aspirated (vomiting after ingesting & inhaling into lungs).

( from the WD-40 MSDS -->: http://wd40.com/files/pdf/msds-wd494716385.pdf )
"Ingestion: This product has low oral toxicity. Swallowing may cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. This product is an aspiration hazard. If swallowed, can enter the lungs and may cause chemical pneumonitis, severe lung damage and death."
Click to expand...

and...

"11 – Toxicological Information
The oral toxicity of this product is estimated to be greater than 5,000 mg/kg based on an assessment of the ingredients. This product is not classified as toxic by established criteria. It is an aspiration hazard. None of the components of this product is listed as a carcinogen or suspected carcinogen or is considered a reproductive hazard."
Click to expand...

And this part is what really lends perspective, as to it's perceived 'dangers'. Doing the math, based on the toxicity levels quoted in the MSDS info above:
To calculate the amount that would be considered 'toxic' for a 75 kg (165 lb.) person, multiplying 5000 mg x 75 kg of body weight, one would have to drink at least ~375 grams (or 13.2 ounces) of it, to ingest what the established criteria sets as a 'toxic' amount. A microns-thin application on a knife blade is therefore inconsequential. One would likely absorb more hazardous toxins by simply breathing polluted air outdoors, or handling a pump handle at the gas station. This is why I'm still not worried, at all, about using it on folding knives.


David
 
Last edited:
I got Craftsman tools that I have had in the same toolbox since around 1985 that I sprayed liberally over the years with WD-40 and, yes it gunks for a fact. My tools and the bottom of the tool box are coated with gunk.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
There is always some neophyte that starts up the "WD 40 Sucks" stuff. It doesn't.
I am a professional cutlery restorer, designer, maker, & collector, a steam/refrigeration engineer, was a custom gunsmith for 25 years, am a jeweler, hand engraver and a musician.
I have used WD 40 for over 40 years. I have never seen it gum. It's lubricant is exactly the same lube that is always recommended- mineral oil.
I use WD 40 every day in my cutlery business. Properly used, it is one of the handiest items in my shop. I use it when buffing, to clean, remove rust, as a light lube, as a moisture displacer, as a rust protectant, to lube gravers. I even use it on my bass strings! It's not toxic.
Professionally, if I was restricted to one spray lube, it would be WD 40.
So stop all the WD 40 bashing. It makes you look less than intelligent.
Click to expand...

Bill,

Preice and to the point as always

Thanks
 
Big D1 said:
I got Craftsman tools that I have had in the same toolbox since around 1985 that I sprayed liberally over the years with WD-40 and, yes it gunks for a fact. My tools and the bottom of the tool box are coated with gunk.
Click to expand...

If you had used the most high tech oils and sprayed them in the toolbox over the years, you would still have tools coated with gunk!
 
jac_solar said:
What do you guys use instead of WD-40, then?
Click to expand...

If you're asking about knives.

I use a high quality synthetic lube for the pivot ( Militech-1)and RemOil as a rust inhibitor. A coating of RemOil on a knife blade will evaporate and leave a light coat of oil without any buildup. There are other good products out there for rust protection, I use a product called "Birchwood Casey Shield" for long term storage.

If I had nothing else available WD-40 is better than nothing. But I can show a picture of a gun magazine I treated with a quick wipe of WD-40...it rusted in about a month.

As mentioned above WD-40 is a handy product and I always have a can in my garage, but it's not a good lube or a rust inhibitor. Of course if you live in a dry area it might be fine, but not here where I live.
 
JPD1998 said:
If you're asking about knives.

I use a high quality synthetic lube for the pivot ( Militech-1)and RemOil as a rust inhibitor. A coating of RemOil on a knife blade will evaporate and leave a light coat of oil without any buildup. There are other good products out there for rust protection, I use a product called "Birchwood Casey Shield" for long term storage.

If I had nothing else available WD-40 is better than nothing. But I can show a picture of a gun magazine I treated with a quick wipe of WD-40...it rusted in about a month.

As mentioned above WD-40 is a handy product and I always have a can in my garage, but it's not a good lube or a rust inhibitor. Of course if you live in a dry area it might be fine, but not here where I live.
Click to expand...

There was a guy on AR-15.com that did a corrosion test a while back. Had 6 pieces of raw steel and coated them with the latest rust inhibitors and also WD-40. WD-40 did very well compared to all the latest, high-priced lubes. Knives don't really need any lube, not the way firearms or automobile engines do. I use it on my firearms after handling and before storage. Don't use it as a lube per-se. Before storing a knife for any length of time I spray it on and wipe off excess. Never had a problem.

I started using WD-40 when I was 12y.o. to wipe down my firearms before storage. Why? The old dudes at the skeet range used it religiously before casing their VERY high dollar shotguns. Higher dollar than pretty much any knives I've ever seen. If it's good enough for a Perazzi it's good enough for a Sebenza....
 
sirupatespecial said:
There was a guy on AR-15.com that did a corrosion test a while back. Had 6 pieces of raw steel and coated them with the latest rust inhibitors and also WD-40. WD-40 did very well compared to all the latest, high-priced lubes. Knives don't really need any lube, not the way firearms or automobile engines do. I use it on my firearms after handling and before storage. Don't use it as a lube per-se. Before storing a knife for any length of time I spray it on and wipe off excess. Never had a problem.

I started using WD-40 when I was 12y.o. to wipe down my firearms before storage. Why? The old dudes at the skeet range used it religiously before casing their VERY high dollar shotguns. Higher dollar than pretty much any knives I've ever seen. If it's good enough for a Perazzi it's good enough for a Sebenza....
Click to expand...

It's all good .... :thumbup: Everyone has their favorite brand and cleaning regimen, but after having an expensive WWII Thompson mag ruined and a collectible Winchester lever action pit, this old gun dude uses something a little better. It might be psychological, but it works for me.
 
Just wanted to add: ALL liquid lubricants applied heavily will attract dust and dirt. To use them correctly you should apply lightly with a cloth or swab, or spray on and lightly wipe off. WD-40 is a lubricant and yes it can help prevent rust. Is it the best rust preventative? Not by a long shot IMO, but it does help and certainly works better than nothing. Do not ingest if you want to remain healthy - it does indeed contain petroleum products and as we all should know by now, those can cause cancer, as already mentioned.
 
A gunsmith friend always tells a story about an elderly gentleman that brought him some barrelled actions to work on.
When he put the actions away years earlier he'd soaked them in WD-40. They wouldn't open. My friend put them in a tub of gasoline to dissolve the WD-40. He checked them every morning to see if they'd open. They finally opened on the eighth day.
 
To clean something, WD40 does the trick, but then I wipe it off and/or flush it with another "simple" oil such as straight mineral oil for butcher blocks (food grade), then wipe most off again. And for moving parts, on knives specifically, I put a drop of nano oil on either side of pivot and work it in. So far that nano oil is butter smooth and makes stiff action turn into glass action... I hate taking folders apart, but somethings over used knives need full deconstuction and all parts "made fresh" with several oil treatments. Lots of clean rags to wipe, sooooooft rags.. can't recall what I use, but SOFT special :)
 
I will keep using WD-40 on my tools because they are still in good shape after almost 30 years plus it's cheap and easy to apply.

For everything else including guns, knives(not kitchen), and everything else in between I use CorrosionX. To me it has a very light and sweet smell of gear oil.
 
Kind of on a tangent topic but I have found nothing that works better to keep stainless steel kitchen appliances looking good and fingerprint free. With three kids, two dogs and a cat, those appliances take a beating.
 
sloth357 said:
To clean something, WD40 does the trick, but then I wipe it off and/or flush it with another "simple" oil such as straight mineral oil for butcher blocks (food grade), then wipe most off again. And for moving parts, on knives specifically, I put a drop of nano oil on either side of pivot and work it in. So far that nano oil is butter smooth and makes stiff action turn into glass action... I hate taking folders apart, but somethings over used knives need full deconstuction and all parts "made fresh" with several oil treatments. Lots of clean rags to wipe, sooooooft rags.. can't recall what I use, but SOFT special :)
Click to expand...

So, you wipe the mineral oil from the WD 40 off, and apply more mineral oil?
There are other oils that are better lubricants than WD 40. Lever lock automatics, for example, prefer lithium grease. The operating pressures in these knives are much greater than most knives. For most knives, WD 40 is fine as both a lube and rust protectant.
 
I can also show you a picture of 40 gun magazines wiped with WD 40 that DIDN'T rust after 25 years. Guns, too.
 
I've used WD-40 on my door locks, and a couple of outside padlocks for over 10 years now, and they still open with ease, and I live in a pretty dusty environment, not to mention the rain, snow, etc. they're exposed to. So, guess it works for me.
 
I live in the Tropics. Jungle. Wet, dusty, nasty environment where leather rots away quickly and carbon steel turns red seemingly over night.
WD-40, if used 'properly,' is a God-send here. There are three ingredients in the can; Plain mineral oil, Stoddard Solvent (white spirits, odorless paint thinner, etc. Lots of names for this stuff,) and an inert propellent. It's a great product that handles many problems... if used correctly. Mineral oil is a wonderful lubricant for applications that are not subjected to heat or high pressure. Are there better? Sure. But not at the price or the ease of use. Personally, I prefer urea grease for my knife pivots. When used correctly, it doesn't attract dust. I use it for my EDC and never have a problem with pivot binding or even slowing.

Obviously the propellent pushes the stuff out of the can. The Stoddard Solvent thins the plain mineral oil so that it can penetrate smaller spaces. (That's why it works so well to free suck nuts and screws.) The Solvent is extremely volatile so it evaporates very quickly leaving a thin coat of plain mineral oil behind.

Just as obviously, if you hold the bloody button down for several seconds, you're going to get a bloody puddle of mineral oil as a result! It's that puddle of oil that causes people to say 'WD-40 turns gummy.' It's that thick coat of oil that attracts the dust and grit. And it's that thick coat of oil that turns people away from using WD-40... Not the product, but the misuse of the product.

If you use a 'pin-point' oiler, as found on many other brands of lube, you never encounter a puddle of oil, so you assume that oil is better. If you wipe off the excess, as you might when lubing firearms actions, or folders before you put them away, you don't encounter the gummy residue. It's not the product. It's your technique that gives you the results you want.

WD-40 is great for removing sticky stuff. But it's the Stoddard Solvent that's doing the work. Why not just buy a pint of Odorless Paint Thinner at the Art Supply store, and have enough sticky-stuff remover to last a lifetime, and not lay down a coat of oil when you are simply trying to remove old sticker adhesive? On the other hand, while it might not do everything perfectly, isn't it nice that we can have ONE product that does so many things well?


Stitchawl
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top