Aspiring marksman.

[S.Kenton]

I’ve used WD40 ( the regular kind) after cleaning for over 15 years now. I don’t use it as a rust inhibitor only, but more of a cleaner/ short term inhibitor. I normally treat my bore with fluid film for long term storage. Bore butter is great for patch lubes, but not so much as a bore protector...I’ve been there and done that one. Humidity may play a large part in my experience with that stuff. I’m in Ohio and it can get very humid at times. Many years ago on this forum there was an experiment done with bore butter, wd40, barricade and a couple of others I can’t remmember... I can’t seem to locate the thread now.. I’ll keep looking.

 

[45man]

Never, ever WD-40 on anything even shop tools. If you use it to remove water, wash it off with something and apply a rust preventative. The stuff will cause rust or gum up so you can't remove it. I have repaired bolt guns with locked up firing pins and doing a lot of locksmith work, tumblers could not be fixed.

 

[Tumbledown]

WD-40 is not water based and not hydroscopic. It was designed to displace moisture and inhibit rust..It was even used on firearms in Vietnam.

Oils penetrate. That's why they call them PENETRATING OILS.

https://www.wd40.com/cool-stuff/history

 

[S.Kenton]

Never, ever WD-40 on anything even shop tools. If you use it to remove water, wash it off with something and apply a rust preventative. The stuff will cause rust or gum up so you can't remove it. I have repaired bolt guns with locked up firing pins and doing a lot of locksmith work, tumblers could not be fixed.

I don’t know about shop tools, but WD40 works great for me for a short term bore preservative. Dutch Shoultz’s early systems reccomends using it as such. I was already using it before I got my copy. Now I have a question for you, when smithing how do you actually A) know exactly what was used as a cleaner or preservative? B) how do you know exactly how long ago the said cleaner or preservative was applied? C) how do you know that it wasn’t accidentally mixed with somthing and it caused that effect? I’ve never experienced the effects of WD40 such as your describing.

 

[FishDFly]

Neither have I.

 

[Ontario47]

Use your computer to go to Wikipedia and look up WD-40. It is a hydrocarbon mixture (with carbon dioxide propellant in spray cans). Hydrocarbons (light and heavy oils etc.) are hydrophobic not hygroscopic or hydrophilic, they "push" water out of the way, not dissolve or bond with it.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Once again, the EXPERTS are not what they claim to be. Go to the source, ask the manufacturer. They will debunk the idea that WD40 is made with water. Who came up with that crazy idea in the first place? (Balistal salesman maybe?)

 

[NorthFork]

3 - Composition/Information on Ingredients Ingredient CAS # Weight Percent US Hazcom 2012/ GHS Classification LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon 64742-47-8 45-50% Aspiration Toxicity Category 1 Petroleum Base Oil 64742-56-9 64742-65-0 64742-53-6 64742-54-7 64742-71-8 <35% Not Hazardous Aliphatic Hydrocarbon 64742-47-8 <25% Flammable Liquid Category 3 Aspiration Toxicity Category 1 Specific Target Organ Toxicity Single Exposure Category 3 (nervous system effects) Carbon Dioxide 124-38-9 2-3% Simple Asphyxiant Gas Under Pressure, Compressed Gas

Exact copy/paste of WD-40 SDS. No water. SDS's are available for virtually everything. Want to know what's in it (or not) look up the SDS.

 

[Dead-Eye]

Without getting into classifications and every other detail concerning WD-40, it's a penetrating oil. I use it occasionally to penetrate and free up rusty nuts and bolts. It works fine for that. BUT.... WD-40 is NOT a lubricant, no matter what they say. The main ingredient is essentially Kerosene, and kerosene is an oil that EVAPORATES. So, while it works great to free up stuck items, it then evaporates in a short period of time, and all of the rust that it loosened originally combines with the WD-40 to create something like concrete. It'll lock up tighter than it ever was BEFORE the WD-40 was applied. I discourage my customers from keeping or using WD-40 in their office. I even buy them a can of a better spray oil if they feel they have to treat their own squeaks and such.
I've worked on medical and dental equipment for 40 years. Using WD-40 is an expensive mistake when you're working on a groaning $20,000.00 chair or a squeaky X-Ray arm. You may stop the squeak or squeal today, but it's likely to be catastrophic if left as the only step you took. At the very least, it could lose me a customer.
Sure. Use it to free up whatever is stuck. It will work great for that. THEN, clean the area if possible, and apply REAL oil - ANY other real oil - to the area, and you will have achieved your goal, and the item will stay freed up.


Jim

 

[Walkingeagle]

Without getting into classifications and every other detail concerning WD-40, it's a penetrating oil. I use it occasionally to penetrate and free up rusty nuts and bolts. It works fine for that. BUT.... WD-40 is NOT a lubricant, no matter what they say. The main ingredient is essentially Kerosene, and kerosene is an oil that EVAPORATES. So, while it works great to free up stuck items, it then evaporates in a short period of time, and all of the rust that it loosened originally combines with the WD-40 to create something like concrete. It'll lock up tighter than it ever was BEFORE the WD-40 was applied. I discourage my customers from keeping or using WD-40 in their office. I even buy them a can of a better spray oil if they feel they have to treat their own squeaks and such.
I've worked on medical and dental equipment for 40 years. Using WD-40 is an expensive mistake when you're working on a groaning $20,000.00 chair or a squeaky X-Ray arm. You may stop the squeak or squeal today, but it's likely to be catastrophic if left as the only step you took. At the very least, it could lose me a customer.
Sure. Use it to free up whatever is stuck. It will work great for that. THEN, clean the area if possible, and apply REAL oil - ANY other real oil - to the area, and you will have achieved your goal, and the item will stay freed up.


Jim

Exactly!
It will assist with the water removal inside your muzzleloader but must be followed with drying patches and a follow up oiling patch.
I am not afraid to use WD-40, and keep several cans on hand, but it gets wiped off after application and oil is then applied.
Walk

 

[FishDFly]

OP asked 3 questions, topic sure has wandered off course.

WD-40, opinions sure vary far and wide on the very same product, wonder why?

 

[springfield art]

There are so many new 'wonder' products available now, CLP's, etc., I can't imagine using WD-40 ever again! Great comments, fellows.

 

[FishDFly]

Some where the OP mentioned the need to eat breakfast prior to shooting, that is needed.

When shooting matches I take plenty of water to drink, need to keep your eyes hydrated.

Also take bunch of food to snack on.

Other thing I read somewhere, the need for bathroom breaks in matches.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Using a small compressor and blowing the WD or other cleaners out after using them and prior to oiling is also a big help. It will loosen and remove junk from those tiny spaces that you can't get to with even a q-tip. I have a small CH oiless compressor under my bench, noisy but only need it occasionally.

 

[45man]

I don’t know about shop tools, but WD40 works great for me for a short term bore preservative. Dutch Shoultz’s early systems reccomends using it as such. I was already using it before I got my copy. Now I have a question for you, when smithing how do you actually A) know exactly what was used as a cleaner or preservative? B) how do you know exactly how long ago the said cleaner or preservative was applied? C) how do you know that it wasn’t accidentally mixed with somthing and it caused that effect? I’ve never experienced the effects of WD40 such as your describing.

That part was easy. They were all from farmers that all had a 55 gallon drum of WD-40 in the barn. They used it on farm equipment and I never seen one that didn't rust. They told me they used it on the guns.

 

[hanshi]

I'm in the same camp as S.Kenton and use it the same way as he does. Instead of a spray can I buy it in gallon cans cause it's cheap that way. It's a good cleaner, short term preventative and remains a regular part of my cleaning regimen. Actually been using it for probably 60 years or more.

 

[David Veale]

Keep in mind that all liquids evaporate - even asphalt evaporates. As stated above WD 40 evaporates quickly, but it does still lubricate, and is this fine short term, since it does evaporate faster than heavier oils.

 

[Grenadier1758]

But there are other solid materials (heavy oils) in WD40 that don't evaporate and gum up later as the WD40 dries out. The practice to use WD40 as a water displacement liquid that is removed and then use a rust inhibitor that does not evaporate and leave a gummy deposit.

 

[45man]

WD-40 does not only gum but dries hard and nothing will dissolve it. Soak it forever with anything. Mechanical work is needed.

 

[Dead-Eye]

45man is right. It's like concrete, and once the kerosene oil evaporates, the loose rust (that it previously loosened) becomes an aggregate component of that concrete, like small stones or gravel added to a concrete mix. I call it liquid sabotage.
I often push regular heavier oil into the area after it's freed up, to displace the WD40 (or almost any penetrating type oil). I've disassembled the item and greased it and reassembled it. As long as the WD40 isn't left on its own. I remember loosening a bracket in an engine, and once it freed up, I pulled the dipstick and let it drain a few drops of oil onto the bracket's bolts. That's all it takes to keep it from locking up later. I learned about WD40 the hard and expensive way on Dental and Medical equipment. Sterilizers get hot, which hastens the drying and hardening. It's not that bad when you understand that it's really NOT a lubricant, and it has it uses. Follow up with a real lubricant, and you're good. For instance, I use it with some 3M Scotchbrite for scrubbing scale off metal, and apply oil afterwards.