What is left, after WD40 is allowed to evaporate for a few weeks

dks · **on:** February 25, 2016, 07:23:52 PM

I often see that people ask what is WD40, and mainly whether it has any oil in it, is it just solvents, water dispensers etc...... Answers vary.

So, I filled a glass to a height of 1cm with WD40 (Sprayed in), as I wanted to soak and try and remove rust from some watch spring bars, that were exposed to salty water.

And then, I found some other spring bars to use, so I just left them there...

After two weeks nearly all of the liquid had disappeared.

What was left behind was a few ml of very thick, greasy oil, similar in flow properties to shampoo.
A week after, the oil has remained the same, in amount and flow properties.

Definitely not a lubricant you would use for surfaces very close together/rubbing, but seemingly OK for surfaces with a 1/10th of a mm or more between them.

So, WD40 contains a lot of volatile solvents, that evaporate, leaving behind a thick oil.

From a scientific point of view, the metal and rust may have affected the results, but not by much.
pictures:

anditsgone · **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2016, 08:06:52 PM

Yeah, i don't advise to use wd40 for any joints that are used a lot, think of fences, multitools, door hinges because as the study has shown it just evaporates. Oil is the right solution for that.

I only use wd40 for bolts that are rusted or stuck etc..

moonweasel · **Reply #2 on:** February 26, 2016, 08:12:20 AM

Do not like the stuff at all. So many better options. It gets really gummy when it dries, we tell our clients/customers to never use it.

ba-ta · **Reply #3 on:** February 27, 2016, 06:25:20 AM

I only use the stuff when I've washed my wave out to dry out the pivots. Figured the stuff was called water displacement for a reason.

powernoodle · **Reply #4 on:** February 27, 2016, 04:29:23 PM

Alternative viewpoint:

You didn't use the product in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, and produced something akin to a distillate.

If you ran the same experiment with a container of yogurt or a piece of ham, or an ounce of motor oil, and allowed them to experience entropy for a few weeks, you might conclude that the yogurt and ham aren't fit for human consumption and that motor oil will ruin your engine. It might take the motor oil longer to turn to goo, but it would eventually.

As with any product, it depends on how you use it.

dks · **Reply #5 on:** February 27, 2016, 05:01:07 PM

I could not care less what the manufacturer wants me to do and was just using it to dissolve rust, originally.

I was just answering the question below, that pops out often. Some people claim that WD40 evaporates totally, some claim that it is just oil.

Quote from: dks on February 25, 2016, 07:23:52 PM

I often see that people ask what is WD40, and mainly whether it has any oil in it, is it just solvents, water dispensers etc...... Answers vary.

sixracer · **Reply #6 on:** February 28, 2016, 06:13:55 AM

Anyone use PB Blaster?

NKlamerus · **Reply #7 on:** February 28, 2016, 06:56:46 AM

I use WD40 on all my salsmurfer lures. No signs of rust yet. Seems to work pretty well

That's one of my only uses for WD40. Everything else is PB Blaster. Unless it's for a hinge or moving part, that gets greased.

All my fishing reels are different, I try to match brands between Penn Lube, Shimano Bearing oil, and Ardent Reel Grease.

Dean51 · **Reply #8 on:** February 28, 2016, 03:23:10 PM

WD-40 makes a good cheap protectant for garden tools. I've used it free sticky door hinges, then when it's freed up I use oil on the hinge.

WD-40 makes a awful lubricant. By design the carrier evaporates leaving nothing but a light film behind.

I keep WD-40 and PB Blaster around the shop but never use either one as a lubricant.

Marcellus · **Reply #9 on:** February 28, 2016, 06:52:45 PM

I use it to free moving parts and remove rust, or to spray clean out a hard to reach area

I do not typically leave it after use, because....

If you leave it alone on knife pivots, small important firearm parts, etc, you can get a thin film residue that
can cause an issue

In the past, I found that knife pivots had a buildup of film, similar to the look of shellac that needed to be removed

No real harm, but I learned the result of a heavy application between close tolerance moving parts

Actually, I do like the smell of the stuff and use it as an aftershave lotion ( see below)

Naw, just kidding, but I do like the smell of WD40

Reinier · **Reply #10 on:** February 28, 2016, 07:22:41 PM

Quote from: NKlamerus on February 28, 2016, 06:56:46 AM

I use WD40 on all my salsmurfer lures.

This never stops being funny

kreisler · **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2019, 02:13:55 AM

Quote from: dks on February 25, 2016, 07:23:52 PM

After two weeks nearly all of the liquid had disappeared.

Thanks for the test. I was asking the same question myself, wondering why it is sold only pressurized. The other day i acquired some nice precision oiler products (i primarily mean the receptacle) which i plan to present later on the forum, and I was wondering if filling them up with WD40 were a good choice. It is difficult to precision-oil with a pressurized can of WD40, isn't it?

So never mind, i won't put WD40 liquid into my nice receptacles (i got two different ones). I'll use regular light oil, mineral oil, or massage oil lol. Not that anyone would really need the two products which i got, not for multitools anyway

, but this forum is the perfect place anyway to review such special geeky items hehe.

cody6268 · **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2019, 02:17:43 AM

Breaking something gunked up or rusted shut; evaporating grease, and protection from rust are my main uses for WD-40. Another WD-40 product, 3-in-1 is my preferred lubricant. Not as great as most gun oils, but inexpensive and easy to get.

WD-40 stands for "Water Drying Formula 40". It's not really a lubricant.