Peter Gariepy Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Strange Questions - What Is The Main Ingredient of WD-40 ? Read to the Bottom - DON'T CHEAT!What Is The Main Ingredient of WD-40 ? Before you read to the end, does anybody know what the main ingredient of WD-40 is? Don't lie and don't cheat. WD-40. Who knew; I had a neighbor who bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do.... Probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew? 'Water Displacement #40'. 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 Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts. 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 stove top ... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed. WD-40 uses: 1. Protects silver from tarnishing. 2. Removes road tar and grime from cars. 3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings. 4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them 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. 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. 19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40! 20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide. 21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers... 22.. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises. 23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.. 24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close. 25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers. 26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles. 27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans 28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling. 29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly. 30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools. 31. Removes splattered grease on stove. 32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging. 33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs. 34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell). 35. Removes all traces of duct tape. 36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain. 37. Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.' 38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements. 39. 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. 40. Use it for fire ant bites.. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch. 41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag. 42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, satur ate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone! 43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start. P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Some truth, some mythsnopes.com: Uses for WD-40 Spray Lubricant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studemax Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I had no idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lebowski Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 The fish oil ingredient theory is an old myth which Wikipedia disagrees with...."There is a popular urban legend that the key ingredient in WD-40 is fish oil. However, the WD-40 web site states that it is a petroleum based product." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Sorry, no fish oil listed in the MSDS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Sounded kinda fishy to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coley Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 44. Will knock bumble bees down that come out of the seat cushions of the precious iron you just put in the garage.However, sweep them up and put them outside as they are NOT dead...just look that way for a while.It is NOT a good lube for bicycle chain either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Peter,Interesting post ...Thanks for sharing,Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest straight shooter Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I think that WD 40 is made up mostly of kerosene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Krooser Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 So who would need to oil a fish anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I agree, mostly kerosene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 snopes.com: Uses for WD-40 Spray Lubricant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryLime Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 You left out neuritis, neuralgia, the heartbreak of psoriasis, AND a boon to nursing mothers. But they won't tell us what's in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 WD40 is one half of of a Redneck Tool Kit.The other half is Duct Tape.If it doesn't move and it should...use the WD40.If it moves and it shouldn't...use the Duct Tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim_Edwards Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 So who would need to oil a fish anyway?If I remember correctly the full chassis "luber" systems that were around from the 1930's well into the 1950s as an accessory on many cars and/or were a dealer add-on relied on a Sturgeon Oil based lubricant. Wasn't a particularly good idea except on paper since it required a driver push a button on the dash every 50 or so miles because the darn stuff either ran off or evaporated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 It's about 99% Stoddard solvent which is next thing to Varsol. To me it is the most useless overhyped product on the market. I keep a can around for when I want to spray something with Varsol but don't expect it to do very much good or stay on more than a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 It does seem to be a pretty good water repellant. I sprayed it on some chrome parts that were going to be exposed to salt water and it would only come off with a good degreaser.It also works good to clean grease off your hands. Even really sticky grease that regular hand cleaner seems to have trouble with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Stoddard Solvent is mineral spirits which isn't much different from kerosene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 .....It also works good to clean grease off your hands. Even really sticky grease that regular hand cleaner seems to have trouble with.Honest, this is NOT a joke. Bill has found that the grease from fried chicken is the best thing for removing grease stains from his hands. Something about it will lift that dark stain off of his hands. (That does of course make us wonder what it does to his innards and arteries. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest billybird Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I KNOW for sure it cleans off bugs from painted surfaces quick and easy. Keeps my drill bits from rusting too. I have used it to displace moisture from a distributor cap many times. Dissappointed about the lack of fish oil though; I thought maybe a couple squirts a day might lower cholesterol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest straight shooter Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 WD 40 has helped me with a lot of projects over the years but the best is Kroil followed by PB blaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I have all kinds of penetrants, solvents, lubricants, etc etc on the shelf. I reach for the WD-40 when I really don't care too much how well it works and I'm too lazy to get the proper thing.............bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Saxton Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Kerosine I always expected. Fish oil in a viscous trigyceride form (as the fish makes it) is good rust protection we all know. Possibly the little hidden secret is that you have do do a trans-esterification to separate the fatty acids from the glycerine base. This is the same as you do to make good diesel fuel from used cooking oil. These trans-esterified fatty acids have a polar end, which is attracted to metal. If you do this yourself, you need to heat the oil to around 50 degrees centigrade, before adding and mixing in a pre-mix of potassium hydroxide in methyl alcohol. After completion of the reaction and separation of the glycerine, you can put that in the compost if you have no other purpose for it; and the potassium is major essential plant nutrient. Do not do this reaction unless you are experienced in handling chemicals, because methanol and KOH are individual nasties, and worse in combination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lebowski Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I know an older guy who rubs WD-40 on his arthritic knees and says that it relieves the pain, but I wouldn't recommend doing that. :eek:Walmart sells products called "Goof Off" and "Goo Gone" which will also remove tough grease and dirt from the hands. It also works great if you have tree sap or anything sticky on your hands or other body parts. They both have some kind of oil additive which you wash off with soap after using but both have worked great for me for years.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcarfudd Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I believe Goof Off is xylene. It will soften some paints. In fact, it's sold specifically to clean up latex paint drips. It will take oil and grease off tires, but it will soften the rubber, too. WD-40 works better in such applications.Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trainguy Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Now for the real mystery!! MARVEL MYSTERY OIL.Now this is a real mystery.The late and great Harold Sharron at a seminar in Phila. declared it more of a mystery than a oil. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim_Edwards Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I know an older guy who rubs WD-40 on his arthritic knees and says that it relieves the pain, but I wouldn't recommend doing that. :eek:Walmart sells products called "Goof Off" and "Goo Gone" which will also remove tough grease and dirt from the hands. It also works great if you have tree sap or anything sticky on your hands or other body parts. They both have some kind of oil additive which you wash off with soap after using but both have worked great for me for years.... There are a lot of "older" folks who think WD-40 is good for dealing with Arthritis. I have a feeling that is about as effective as treating cancer with chicken soup.Sticky stuff on other body parts sounds a bit kinky......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Stoddard Solvent is mineral spirits which isn't much different from kerosene.Ha ha ha the last time this subject came up I called Stoddard Solvent "deodorized kerosene" and caught h*ll for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Well, Peter, you sure got a lot of mileage out of this one!! Way to go. Makes for an interesting start to the day. In addition to all of the comments, pro and con, it smells good. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dr. Strangelove Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) I believe Goof Off is xylene. It will soften some paints. In fact, it's sold specifically to clean up latex paint drips. It will take oil and grease off tires, but it will soften the rubber, too. WD-40 works better in such applications.Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ30 years ago, computer rooms were filled with reel-to-reel tape drives. Those tapes used gummed labels to record their content. In order for the label to survive a high-speed rewind, the adhesive had to be strong or else the label came off, got in the read-write heads, etc. The pecking order back then was to join the IS department at the entry level of 'Tape Librarian', a mostly unrewarding job. The smarter ones were evaluated to become computer operators. The more efficiently one worked in the tape library, the more you were noticed. Getting a tape label off in one piece was an 'iffy' situation - usually it ripped and left a gaggle of adhesive on the reel. One enterprising librarian simply laid the tapes on the counter, barely wet each label with lighter fluid, waited about a minute, then went about removing each and every label with 100% success and without leaving gummy residue.I remembered this and have had a container of lighter fluid by my side ever since. I test it on any surface I'm unsure of, but to date, it has not harmed a thing. The latest use was to remove those pesky labels attached to the cords of Christmas light sets and appliances which in 5 different languages tells you not to connect to wall power while standing in your hot tub.... Those labels are very gummy and attract dust and dirt if not cleaned up. Lighter fluid and an old sock leaves them clean as a whistle.I have purchased 'Goof-Off'. It is not nearly as effective a cleaner as lighter fluid and it leaves an over-powering citrus smell.The only problem with lighter fluid is finding it. Not as many smokers as there once were... Edited January 12, 2012 by Dr. Strangelove (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim_Edwards Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) Old fashioned lighter fluid is made up of mostly naphtha, a major ingredient in old time dry cleaning fluid. Far more effective at removing just about anything sticky or greasy is Acetone, just not real good for the skin because it will remove all the oil from that as well. Also not good for contact with most plastics. Of course your wife's fingernail polish remover is also very effective and doesn't smell like hell or dry out your skin nearly as badly as just Acetone which is also a common ingredient in some fingernail polish removers. Edited January 12, 2012 by Jim_Edwards (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Lighter fluid will also remove chewing gum from kid's hair and not damage the child's hair. I always have a can of lighter fluid handy and I have never smoked. It does removed most sticky type adhesives and is less likely to harm the surface it is being removed from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I have a customer whose daughter managed to spill an entire quart of red urethane paint on her head ( long story). Tried everything to get it out of her hair, ended up cutting almost all her long blonde hair off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim_Edwards Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I have a customer whose daughter managed to spill an entire quart of red urethane paint on her head ( long story). Tried everything to get it out of her hair, ended up cutting almost all her long blonde hair off.Now you have to tell that long story or we'll all be trying to figure out how in the heck anyone came to have an open container of auto paint above their head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 She was 17 or so and Dad had her doing chores around the house for extra spending money. One of the chores was to paint the enormous wheels of a stationary steam engine he had "collected" using bright red urethane left over from his Packard restoration. Of course she was using a brush. It was a hot summer's day. Easiest place to put the can of paint was on top of the wheel while she squatted and painted the lower part of the wheels using paint from a smaller container. Somehow the can fell dumping most of a quart right down on her head and shoulder length blonde hair. She rushed to her Mom who made the mistake of trying to remove the paint with cold water. She then called me for suggestions. By the time I got there with various solvents to try the paint had pretty much hardened. Some came out, most didn't. The young lady was mortified, being as how she was from the debutante set and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Sorry, no fish oil listed in the MSDS."Aliphatic hydrocarbon" describes paraffin wax, mineral oil, etc. The origin of material could well be a fish, but the MSDS does not need to disclose it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mochet Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Regarding Marvel Mystery Oil, it's pleasant smell is oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate). This was used by itself to free rusted nuts and fasteners back in WWII. I assume Marvel mixed it with petroleum oil. Here's something I didn't know (from Wikipedia): Methyl salicylate...is also a potentially entertaining source of triboluminescence; when mixed with sugar and dried, it gains the tendency to build up electrical charge when crushed or rubbed. This effect can be observed by crushing wintergreen Life Savers candy in a dark room.Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhb1999 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Old fashioned lighter fluid is made up of mostly naphtha, a major ingredient in old time dry cleaning fluid. Far more effective at removing just about anything sticky or greasy is Acetone, just not real good for the skin because it will remove all the oil from that as well. Also not good for contact with most plastics. Of course your wife's fingernail polish remover is also very effective and doesn't smell like hell or dry out your skin nearly as badly as just Acetone which is also a common ingredient in some fingernail polish removers. Speaking of acetone, when I was building and repairing yachts, acetone was the solvent that we used for epoxy and polyester resins they kept the drums outside for insurance reasons and in the winter if you got any on your hands, it felt like they were going to get FROST BITE. and if you had just gotten a cut, BOY did it sting, oddly enough though the acetone seemed to heel the cut, BUT I don't know if that's a good thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealthbob Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 One spray lube product that is no mystery...Fluid Film.It is a life saver for Sewage plants, keeps chains and gears from corrosion....made from Wool Wax! Great stuff and you can use it to wax the car as well as it contains no solvents.Crazy expensive though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startergenrebuilder Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I'm a big fan and user of the Fluid Film also. Great Stuff! As for Penetrating Oil, you guys should try "Rust Reaper". I've had really good luck with it. It doesn't have an awful odor, it has a needle type applicator so it eliminates overspray and it's also a lubricant. If you buy the value pack it should last a long time since your not spraying it everywhere you don't need it. The key is to let it sit. I was skeptical, as I am with most overhyped products. I tested it on something that I was sure wouldn't work and let it sit overnight. Sure enough it walked off the next day. JasonAdvanced Electrical Rebuilderswww.aerrebuild.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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