WD-40 causes a sticky goo and hard varnish?

[stchman]

Why do people keep saying this. I've been using WD-40 and Walmart's version for years and no sticky residue or hard varnish.

I spray tools, hinges, other metal parts, etc. I will admit that WD-40 for tools needs to be reapplied more often than I like, but it does work.

Can people stop perpetuating this myth.

 

[nomas]

Why do people keep saying this. I've been using WD-40 and Walmart's version for years and no sticky residue or hard varnish.

I spray tools, hinges, other metal parts, etc. I will admit that WD-40 for tools needs to be reapplied more often than I like, but it does work.

Can people stop perpetuating this myth.

It's fashionable to bash WD40 .

 

[Astro14]

Why do people keep saying this. I've been using WD-40 and Walmart's version for years and no sticky residue or hard varnish.

I spray tools, hinges, other metal parts, etc. I will admit that WD-40 for tools needs to be reapplied more often than I like, but it does work.

Can people stop perpetuating this myth.

Because I spent hours cleaning sticky goo and hard varnish off my tap and die set?

I will never, ever, spray down tools with that garbage again.

I will put some on a rag, and wipe a tool.

But more than a thin film left behind from that kind of wipe always turns to sticky goo and hard varnish and will ruin your guns and tools.

Go ahead, hose down your expensive tools, leaving a lot of WD-40 on them.

Put them away for a while. A year or two, perhaps. Prove me “wrong”.

I’ll wait.

 

[stchman]

Because I spent hours cleaning sticky goo and hard varnish off my tap and die set?

I will never, ever, spray down tools with that garbage again.

I will put some on a rag, and wipe a tool.

But more than a thin film left behind from that kind of wipe always turns to sticky goo and hard varnish and will ruin your guns and tools.

Go ahead, hose down your expensive tools, leaving a lot of WD-40 on them.

Put them away for a while. A year or two, perhaps. Prove me “wrong”.

I’ll wait.

I have NEVER experienced this ever.

I have a bunch of tools that I have sprayed WD-40 on and they have to goo or varnish. I have a tray of bits that I sprayed WD-40 on years ago and the they have no goo or varnish.

I guess I am just lucky?

 

[nomas]

If you are " hosing down your tools and putting them away for a year or two" then there are products made specifically for long term storage . I don't think it's marketed for long term storage .

 

[Astro14]

If you are " hosing down your tools and putting them away for a year or two" then there are products made specifically for long term storage . I don't think it's marketed for long term storage .

I agree. I used it improperly.

But the thread took the position of “sticky goo and varnish is a myth”

And it is no myth.

For the teeth of a die, which I cannot wipe down, and thus holds a lot of product, I use Remoil or just motor oil from an old fashioned oil can.

Then I can put them away for an indefinite period without worry.

Or sticky goo and varnish.

 

[nomas]

WD40 is not a one size fits all product . It does some things well , and some things marginally . I have about four different spray lubes in my garage and none of them do it all . I will always have a can around .

 

[TomYoung]

It's fashionable to bash WD40 .

I agree. I use the stuff right, left and center, never to ill effect. It is the “too cool for school” crowd bashing, with due respect to Astro14.

 

[Jdeere562]

I learned not to use it on guns. It gummed up a revolver of mine once after sitting a year.
It was just a .22 cal that I carried fishing. Cylinder would turn, but it would not fire. Good thing my life was not at stake.
It's bad when a revolver won't fire. Not much to go wrong there.

Disassembled and cleaned it when I got home. It was almost like varnish in the firing pin area.

 

[Astro14]

I agree. I use the stuff right, left and center, never to ill effect. It is the “too cool for school” crowd bashing, with due respect to Astro14.

I don’t think that’s what I am doing - I am not a “too cool for school” guy - but I am a “once bitten, twice shy” type.

If a product performs badly for me, I won’t give it a second chance.

 

[TomYoung]

I don’t think that’s what I am doing - I am not a “too cool for school” guy - but I am a “once bitten, twice shy” type.

If a product performs badly for me, I won’t give it a second chance.

I think my post excluded you from the comment! Thank you for your service and I definitely appreciate the impetus to look after tools!

 

[Astro14]

To be fair to the product - I use it for what it was intended - water displacement. I have a can or two in my shop. It is also quite useful in removing labels, and more gentle than many options on plastics.

But, I will never spray it in a distributor again (long story, involving subsequent ignition failure) and I will never use it to spray down tools.

Wipe, yes.

Spray? No.

So, yeah, I was harsh in calling it “garbage” but I had to spend a lot of time cleaning the gunk and varnish off the tap and die set, and that frustration is still with me…

 

[Jetronic]

To be fair to the product - I use it for what it was intended - water displacement. I have a can or two in my shop. It is also quite useful in removing labels, and more gentle than many options on plastics.

But, I will never spray it in a distributor again (long story, involving subsequent ignition failure) and I will never use it to spray down tools.

Wipe, yes.

Spray? No.

So, yeah, I was harsh in calling it “garbage” but I had to spend a lot of time cleaning the gunk and varnish off the tap and die set, and that frustration is still with me…

Sprayed it into a connector once, something with about 30 pins and some with 24V on them. it sparkled! So I can see your distributor not working properly

 

[Astro14]

Sprayed it into a connector once, something with about 30 pins and some with 24V on them. it sparkled! So I can see your distributor not working properly

I was in college. My buddy’s girlfriend had driven up from Philadelphia to Western Massachusetts in her 1972 Triumph TR6.

Cute girl, made even more attractive by her choice in cars.

It was a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon when she tried to start it to head home. It wouldn’t start. Cranked and cranked and cranked but no spark.

I sprayed WD-40 in the distributor cap - it displaces water, right?

Car fired right up. I felt like I had really helped.

She hit the road, made it, perhaps 50 miles before the Triumph stopped running.

Mechanic where she stopped diagnosed no spark - and said “the distributor was full of goo…who the heck sprayed all that WD-40 in there!” - or so she said when she made it home and talked to my buddy.

So, yeah, once bitten, twice shy on that application, too. I might spray one in the future, but it would be wiped clean after.

 

[nomas]

I was in college. My buddy’s girlfriend had driven up from Philadelphia to Western Massachusetts in her 1972 Triumph TR6.

Cute girl, made even more attractive by her choice in cars.

It was a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon when she tried to start it to head home. It wouldn’t start. Cranked and cranked and cranked but no spark.

I sprayed WD-40 in the distributor cap - it displaces water, right?

Car fired right up. I felt like I had really helped.

She hit the road, made it, perhaps 50 miles before the Triumph stopped running.

Mechanic where she stopped diagnosed no spark - and said “the distributor was full of goo…who the heck sprayed all that WD-40 in there!” - or so she said when she made it home and talked to my buddy.

So, yeah, once bitten, twice shy on that application, too. I might spray one in the future, but it would be wiped clean after.

50 miles before it turned to goo ? I call BS on that . Millions of us have sprayed distributors , etc. with good results and no ill effects . Not buying that one at all .

 

[Astro14]

50 miles before it turned to goo ? I call BS on that . Millions of us have sprayed distributors , etc. with good results and no ill effects . Not buying that one at all .

Wasn’t there for when the car broke down again.

Can’t prove it either way.

It was about 40 years ago.

 

[D60]

I still love it for stubborn hoses. To remove, pry up in several locations and spray some under there, then twist.

To install I spray some just inside the end of the hose or on the male fitting.

I'm glad I don't have to spray down tools here. Too little humidity to matter. It does bother me when good tools get rusty.

 

[paulo57509]

When I used to go waterfowl/upland game hunting, at the end of the day, I would spray the smooth bores with WD-40 and push a rag thru. Put the shotgun in the rack for the next day. After the season, they'd get a proper cleaning.

I also use WD-40 to remove adhesive residue, and for hoses as mentioned (I've moved on to a smear of dish soap).

For tools and such, I use Starrett instrument oil.

 

[CarlB]

Strange that the oil forum isn't using oil or grease as a lubricant.

 

[hemioiler]

Strange that the oil forum isn't using oil or grease as a lubricant.

Hmm, some "HPL 50" perhaps?