Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Uses of WD-40........

Guys... while reading the tread on removing stickers, someone mentioned WD40, which caused me to remember the following e_mail sent recently from a friend. Some of you, I' sure, have already seen this.........

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 it's 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.

Here are some of the uses:

*Protects silver from tarnishing
*Cleans and lubricates guitar string
*Gets oil spots off concrete driveways
*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 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
*I have even heard of folks spraying it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
*Florida's favorite use was "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.
*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.
*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.(If I knew what a distributor cap was, it might help)
*WD-40, long known for its ability to remove leftover tape mung (sticky label tape), is also a lovely perfume and air freshener! Sprayed liberally on every hinge in the house, it leaves that distinctive clean fresh scent for up to two days!
*Seriously though, 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.
*Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!

You only need 2 tools for a motorbike...WD40 and duct tape. If it should move and it doesn't use WD40 and if if it moves and it shouldn't use duct tape....

Jan

Duct tape, the handymans secret weapon!

As Red Green always says, "If the woman don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!"

Cheers,
Brad

Quote:

---

*Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery
*Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide

---

Isn't that a little contradictory?

Quote:

---

As Red Green always says, "If the woman don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!"

---

The wife and I used to love that show when it was on.

I use it in my secret meatloaf recipe.

Brad, Can you recite the man's prayer? Love the show even though I am not a guy.

I'm a man... but I can change... if I have to... I guess...

"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (When all else fails, play dead)

ive heard the fish lure one a million times, fish are attracted to almost anything that is strange to them,cig butts ,licorice you name it . wd 40 is not an ecologically sound fish attractant.im no tree hugger but i do fish agood 30 to 50 days per year for salmon and steelhead .
keep yer stick on the ice

Matt,
Remind me, if we ever cook and eat together - It's a great mosquito repellent, and it makes me not want to eat also.

Wonder if the people that formulated this product ever got rich from it. Some chemists just sign off on their ideas to the company they work for and never get the kudos they should. Imagine Bill Gates working for, say ATT, when he had his idea. Also removes permanent magic marker writing, spray it on and use a green scratchy pad to take off the marker ink. TR

Imagine Bill Gates working for, say ATT, when he had his idea.

What _idea_ would that be?!?

Cheers,
Brad

But can it be used to degrease our chains?

Any guesses as to what the stuff is made of?

Soy?

Don't use WD-40 to clean? Why?

Or do you mean to lube? In the latter I agree.

When I bought my leather jacket, they cleaned it up real nice with wd 40. Spray it on a CLOTH, not the jacket itself, then wipe it down and it gives it a nice clean good look.
jeff

Using WD-40 for cleaning chains seems to be controversial. I have seen and read arguments both pro and con.

I believe someone on this forum said before that the basic molecular breakdown of WD-40 and Kerosene is pretty much the same? I dont know I could be wrong.

taken from Wikipedia...
Typical uses of WD-40 around the home include:

Stopping squeaks in door hinges and generally freeing up simple mechanical items found around the house, such as door locks
Loosening rusting components, such as nuts and screws, so they can be removed
Spraying on hand tools prior to storage to protect against rust
Cleaning objects affected by grease, caked-on dirt or adhesive residue (such as that left behind by sticky tape); however, its uses in this way are limited around the house because of its unpleasant smell, which tends to linger
Typical use of WD-40 in automotive repair include:

Driving moisture out of the high and low tension electrical components of a motor engine, so that it can start (particularly on cold days). E.g. cleaning and drying the inside of the cap of the ignition distributor.
Loosening nuts and screws
Cleaning car locks
Cleaning rims. Note: WD-40 should not end up on the brake pads or brake disc.
The WD-40 company claims it is safe for use on all motorcycle chains, but recommended cleaning products vary among chain manufacturers. Tsubaki Chain and RK Chain recommend WD-40 to clean or displace water on all types of chains, including sealed ring.
While its uses are many and varied, WD-40 should not be used as a general-purpose lubricant, as it dries very quickly and collects dust. This can result in serious damage to machinery and equipment designed for use with heavy oils when they are lubricated with lightweight WD-40.

Note the comments about motorscooter chains...

Ingredients...
50%: Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits, also commonly known as dry cleaning solvent)
25%: Liquified petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant, carbon dioxide is used now to reduce considerable flammability)
15+%: Mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
10-%: Inert ingredients

Have used it to clean the original chain(23,000 miles) on my BA for 6 years now. No problem with deteriorating O-rings as far as I can see.

Interesting posts Kevin & Dwight - thanks!

Oh boy looks like I stirred up some crap! I don't use it because it seems nobody can make up their mind if its safe for o-rings or not. There have been a dozen threads on this. 2 products I don't use on my bikes- wd40 or Simple green.

yeah but what oil........???

LOL Simple Green was reccomended for wheel cleaning to me in another thread! LOL

Thanx. On that heads up it will never touch my scoot.

I suppose its safe to use, but I learned the hard way to keep away from paint or vinyl products.

restores dryed, stiff and faded leather jackets (per the jacket mfg) I used liquid WD-40...(not the propelant can type) and a "spritz" bottle filled with wd-40...after 3 soakings, my "olive drab army camo patern leather Jacket went back to its original Black color and the sun baked stiffness had all but gone away... got to say I was very imnpressed...

Rob, I'm sorry I was talking about keeping simple green away from paint and vinyl.....

Hmmmm. I use simple green car wash on my bike and it sure does not seem to hurt the paint. If its recommended for auto surfaces .....no way its gonna hurt the paint on a scooter.

Are we talking about a different product?

Quote:

---

...just sign off on their ideas to the company they work for and never get the kudos they should.

---

Just to make a note, typically, anytime an engineer, chemist, biologist, etc. are hired by an employer they sign a document pretty much giving up any and all rights to any intellectual property developed for the company and or anything related to the company's business (within a designated time period after employment) if done outside of normal work hours. It's not that we just give this up. We don't have to sign that paper, but then again, that company doesn't have to hire us either. Just my thoughts on that. You would be truly surprised how many patents I see on engineer's desks while the company reaps all of those benefits. 'Tis just the way things work.

I used to use Simple green all the time, would buy the gallon jugs and dilute it into a big spray bottle, used it on my boat to get the river scum off until the overspray faded and dried the vinyl seats. Never sprayed directly on the seats. Used to use it on my TBS until I sprayed it on the headlight lens to take off some funky bugs and road grime. It turned the high gloss black headlight bucket to a milky dull black primer look. Had to have it repainted. Just my experience.

I have friends who coat their bikes in WD-40 for over the winter storage, and then clean the bikes off in the spring with simple green and water. (Hows that for a tie in).

Rob has got me hooked on cleaning the bike with windex, paint wise.

I just clean the chain with a tooth brush and 3 in 1 oil. Then I wax it let sit and let it sit overnight which reduces splatter.

Well, here is a good article on chain cleaning lubing where WD-40 is recommended, but then there is an addendum at the end indicating that it is probably not such a good idea for the O-rings.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/#wd40

But now for a stupid question. I keep searching for a diagram of a chain that shows me exactly what the o-ring is. I assume that the round, cylindrical part that connects the outer plates of both sides of the chain is the bushing. Where is the o-ring(s)?

The o-ring is the seal between the roller and the side plate.

Here's one (O-ring in red):