WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

On 2017/05/12 12:49 AM, gregz wrote:
John Robertson <spam@flippers.com> wrote:
On 2017/05/11 1:17 AM, gregz wrote:
Foxs Mercantile <jdangus@att.net> wrote:
On 5/3/2017 4:47 AM, Ian Jackson wrote:
You are obviously the sort of person who believes in do things
thoroughly, and using the right tool for the job.

I can understand this if your doing it professionally, or if
it's the sort of thing you find you need to quite often - but
are you convinced that the end result is substantially better
than a quick squirt of WD?

As a professional, I don't like things coming back. Period.

As to using WD-40, some time ago, I acquired several 5-tube
table radios at an estate sale. Basically worthless, and with
all the usual age related issues you'd expect. I tried WD-40
on the volume controls. Yes it works (are you paying attention
Phil?)

I just don't feel comfortable using it.


I never had a problem using WD40 on anything, except pots would need more
at some point. Just does not last as a lube.

Greg


Um, why do you think WD-40 is anything but a rust preventative? The rest
is simply marketing hype.

Much like you can lubricate anything with H2O if you want to, but there
are better products DESIGNED for lubrication, etc.

The fact that WD-40 CAN lubricate, doesn't mean it SHOULD. it wasn't
designed for that purpose and so is third or fourth choice at best.

Emergency usage, sure, then clean it off as soon as you can, unles syou
don't want the item to rust. Use it on something that I care about working reliably, never.

After all - that is why we have brains, so we can think about what we are
doing and apply the best solution.

John :-#(#

I think an oil based and mineral spirits based product used like WD40, as
well as Caig Deoxit, will stay on the item to be cleaned longer. Longer
cleaning, better. You can always wash off later with non residue cleaner.
In fact, one of the best cleaners Cramolin Contaclean, says to wash off
after cleaning. There are a number of products for electronics that have a
base carrier and a type of oil, might seem unfair to pick on WD40. Plenty
of non residue cleaners or electronics. The CRC 2-26 somewhat similar to
WD40, says right on can, improves electrical properties, plastic safe. I'm
not seeing much difference in ingredients. There are far fewer only
lubricants, Caig Faderlube being one.

Greg

I just hate dealing with customers machines after they use WD-40 as a
'lubricant'. In all cases, after a few years, the gear systems are
frozen with some sort of glue like substance that take soaking in
mineral spirits/paint thinner overnight to soften enough to take apart.

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
(604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."
 
John Robertson wrote:

-----------------------
I just hate dealing with customers machines after they use WD-40 as a
'lubricant'. In all cases, after a few years, the gear systems are
frozen with some sort of glue like substance that take soaking in
mineral spirits/paint thinner overnight to soften enough to take apart.

** Or another squirt of WD-40 will dissolve in seconds.


...... Phil
 
In message <2e3af282-b420-4229-885e-d10fcc372ef6@googlegroups.com>, Phil
Allison <pallison49@gmail.com> writes
John Robertson wrote:

-----------------------

I just hate dealing with customers machines after they use WD-40 as a
'lubricant'. In all cases, after a few years, the gear systems are
frozen with some sort of glue like substance that take soaking in
mineral spirits/paint thinner overnight to soften enough to take apart.



** Or another squirt of WD-40 will dissolve in seconds.
Indeed. WD40 never sets 'hard'..
--
Ian
 
Ian Jackson wrote:

-------------------

I just hate dealing with customers machines after they use WD-40 as a
'lubricant'. In all cases, after a few years, the gear systems are
frozen with some sort of glue like substance that take soaking in
mineral spirits/paint thinner overnight to soften enough to take apart.



** Or another squirt of WD-40 will dissolve in seconds.

Indeed. WD40 never sets 'hard'..
--

** The certainly ARE oils and greases that can turn into glue.

Anecdote:

I bought one of the very first CD players available for purchase in Australia ( Sony CDP101 ) in May of 1983.

I still have it and it works perfectly.

But after about 15 years, the drawer mechanism became VERY slow and eventually would not allow a CD to be played. The reason was the white grease applied to all the nylon gears had turned into brown glue.

I found that some WD-40 instantly softened the grease and operation returned to normal - but not for that long. After another couple of years the same problem returned.

So I bit the bullet, pulled the mechanism apart and cleaned all the nylon parts thoroughly - in WD-40. Then re-lubed with Valvoline "X-All Grease", a product intended mainly for marine use.

No problem since.


..... Phil
 
On 13/05/17 19:18, Phil Allison wrote:
Ian Jackson wrote:
-------------------
I just hate dealing with customers machines after they use WD-40 as a
'lubricant'. In all cases, after a few years, the gear systems are
frozen with some sort of glue like substance that take soaking in
mineral spirits/paint thinner overnight to soften enough to take apart.
** Or another squirt of WD-40 will dissolve in seconds.
Indeed. WD40 never sets 'hard'..
--
** The certainly ARE oils and greases that can turn into glue.
Anecdote:
I bought one of the very first CD players available for purchase in Australia ( Sony CDP101 )
in May of 1983. I still have it and it works perfectly.

Nice one! On the now rare occasion that I play a CD, I still use
my Sony D-22 CD Diskman that I bought 2nd hand in the late 80's.
Still works fine. Just don't try to play a data CD - it'll spit
out high volume white noise! It's the only home CD player I'll
ever own.
 
On Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 3:07:58 AM UTC-4, Ian Jackson wrote:

Indeed. WD40 never sets 'hard'..
--
Ian

WD-40 does not set "hard". However, it redistributes all the hardened grease into a thin layer throughout the sprayed area that, indeed *DOES* set hard once the volatiles dissipate. Unless thoroughly rinsed away.

WD-40 is wonderful stuff if properly used and well understood.

Too damned bad that, although some here appear to have this in hand, such basic knowledge seems to be scarce in one small corner, under one small rock deep in the Antipodes.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA
 
"pfjw@aol.com" <pfjw@aol.com> wrote:
On Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 3:07:58 AM UTC-4, Ian Jackson wrote:

Indeed. WD40 never sets 'hard'..
--
Ian

WD-40 does not set "hard". However, it redistributes all the hardened
grease into a thin layer throughout the sprayed area that, indeed *DOES*
set hard once the volatiles dissipate. Unless thoroughly rinsed away.

WD-40 is wonderful stuff if properly used and well understood.

Too damned bad that, although some here appear to have this in hand, such
basic knowledge seems to be scarce in one small corner, under one small
rock deep in the Antipodes.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

How long have I used it on stuff? I keep wondering, at least over 40 years.
I know in the 60s I had some electronic cleaner that really melted some
plastics good.

Greg
 
On 2017/05/02 12:39 AM, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message <v6udnTMQQbl1JprEnZ2dnUU7-K-dnZ2d@giganews.com>, John
Robertson <spam@flippers.com> writes
On 2017/05/01 1:24 PM, Wade Garrett wrote:
On 5/1/17 3:08 PM, Foxs Mercantile wrote:
On 5/1/2017 12:00 PM, Retired wrote:
According to WD-40's "List of 2000+ Uses" at
https://wd40.com/files/pdf/wd_40_2000_uses_updated_jan_2017.pdf
"• Cleans gunk from electrical contacts" is one of them

And most of the 2000 ideas are marketing hype.


You're a regular party-pooper!


Having cleaned the residue (glue like substance) of WD-40 from many an
electrical unit I would say that it's only practical use is for
preventing rust on tools.

Everything else is hype.

There are FAR better solvents out there than WD-40...and cheaper!

Cheaper than the old can you've had in the tool-shed for the last 20
years, but which has been your saviour on the odd occasion when you've
suddenly needed a general-purpose lubricant / switch cleaner / rusty nut
freer / corrosion inhibitor ?

ATF and acetone are better at loosening rusted nuts that WD-40 will ever be.

As per Machinist's Workshop Magazine March/April (and May/June?) 2007:

No lube 516 lbs
WD-40 238 lbs
PB-Blaster 214 lbs
Liquid Wrench 127 lbs
Kano Kroll 106 lbs
ATF-Acetone 50:50 mix 53 lbs (yes, Fifty-Three pounds)

However I did find that an Army/Navy/Air Force repair manual for
oscilloscope 0S-261/U (NSN 6625-00-127-0079)(Techtronics 475) says:

"There are three recommended switch lubricants. They are Silicone
Versilube (General Electric Co.), Rykon R (Standard Oil),
and WD-40 (Rocket Chemical Co.)."

Which I find surprising based on my experience (seized up shafts),
however note that this is a SWITCH lubricant, not a potentiometer. In
the manual they specifically state that you don't lubricate sealed pots.

So, I will revise my comments accordingly, it would appear that WD-40 is
OK for switch contacts - at least in the mid-70s. Use sparingly!

Anyone here know anyone at Techtronics who can confirm if they still
ahve it on the list of recommended lubricants for switches?

Live and learn, eh?

John
 
On 5/1/2017 9:07 AM, Micky wrote:
WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

WD-40 will spit shine those contacts, and it smells good, too.
 
On Monday, May 15, 2017 at 11:03:36 AM UTC-4, John Robertson wrote:

As per Machinist's Workshop Magazine March/April (and May/June?) 2007:

No lube 516 lbs
WD-40 238 lbs
PB-Blaster 214 lbs
Liquid Wrench 127 lbs
Kano Kroll 106 lbs
ATF-Acetone 50:50 mix 53 lbs (yes, Fifty-Three pounds)

I read that article and have seen it quoted many times. A few years ago I mixed up some in a small pinpoint squeeze bottle and found that ATF doesn't really mix with acetone, at least the ATF I used (don't remember if it was Dextron, Mercon, or something else). I did not use the mixture and certainly did no instrumented tests but it seems that getting them into a suspension is problematic. Shaking furiously to mix them seemed to make a pink goo.

I use the Kroil the day before I wrench anything on my older trucks.
 
In article <4e92949b-8ca3-47df-a749-d515f6adcac5@googlegroups.com>,
<ohger1s@gmail.com> wrote:

I read that article and have seen it quoted many times. A few years ago I mixed up some in a small pinpoint
squeeze bottle and found that ATF doesn't really mix with acetone, at least the ATF I used (don't remember if it
was Dextron, Mercon, or something else). I did not use the mixture and certainly did no instrumented tests but
it seems that getting them into a suspension is problematic. Shaking furiously to mix them seemed to make a pink
goo.

I did some experimentation over the last couple of weeks with various
oils plus acetone (based on a friend's recommendation of the
ATF+acetone mixture). I didn't have any ATF sitting around, so I
tried using chainsaw bar oil as a poor substitute.

Chain-bar oil and acetone do not mix at all well. The oil tended to
sit on the bottom of the jar, or break up into discrete drops.

On a hunch, I added a capful of odorless mineral spirits.

Shazam! The lumpy suspension dissolved into a nice consistent
pink-colored liquid which flowed very nicely. I used up the last of
it on Sunday, as a cutting fluid while flattening the bottom of an old
plane I had de-rusted.

Apparently, mineral spirits is miscible in both heavy oil and acetone,
and makes them more compatible with one another. A similar trick
might work with an ATF+acetone mixture.
 
YIKES!

Acetone is explosive as a vapor from 2.5% to 12.5%.
Meaning, essentially, that Acetone is highly volatile.
Mineral Spirits from 0.7% to 7%.
Not quite so volatile but a much lower explosive limit.

They are solvents. Solvents, eventually, evaporate 100%.

Leaving only the admixtures behind. And, in some cases, taking the smaller fractions of those admixtures with them. Mono-molecular admixtures will not be affected anywhere near as much as multi-fraction mixtures. Meaning that one could get pretty quickly to that sticky sludge via these means.

I use naptha at 95/5% mix with Oleic acid for de-oxidizing. I put it on a 1-ounce glass eye-dropper bottle with a neoprene bulb, filling about half the bottle. I have a compressed-air aerosol bottle that I use (rarely) with flammable mixes, but 100% outside. If my goal was to deliver ATF to some tiny place, I would use capillary tubes. Not a spray with volatiles, not anything with volatiles.

https://www.testsymptomsathome.com/POL6C.asp?affiliate=TMS:MER:GMC&baseterm=CardioChek&gclid=Cj0KEQjwo-XIBRCOycL7hsuI_NoBEiQAuS6HtJdDskB65mISTMXyyTOuTfMR1aTYbYg0dgJJVBQ2T58aAoCB8P8HAQ

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA
 
On 5/15/2017 2:25 PM, pfjw@aol.com wrote:
If my goal was to deliver ATF to some tiny place, I
would use capillary tubes. Not a spray with volatiles,
not anything with volatiles.

The goal isn't to deliver ATF to some tiny place.
The goal is to prove how clever you are by making some
home brew concoction instead of just buying something
that works exactly as it is advertised to do.

A quart of ATF is about $6, a quart of Acetone is about
$13 and a quart of Mineral Spirits is about $6.
So you can spend $25 to prove how clever you are, then
deal with storing your concoction and the hazards involved
in using it, or you can just order a frigging can of Kroil
from Kano Labs for $13 and be done with it.



--
Jeff-1.0
wa6fwi
http://www.foxsmercantile.com

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
http://www.avg.com
 
On Mon, 15 May 2017 15:03:32 -0500, Foxs Mercantile <jdangus@att.net>
wrote:

On 5/15/2017 2:25 PM, pfjw@aol.com wrote:
If my goal was to deliver ATF to some tiny place, I
would use capillary tubes. Not a spray with volatiles,
not anything with volatiles.

The goal isn't to deliver ATF to some tiny place.
The goal is to prove how clever you are by making some
home brew concoction instead of just buying something
that works exactly as it is advertised to do.

A quart of ATF is about $6, a quart of Acetone is about
$13 and a quart of Mineral Spirits is about $6.
So you can spend $25 to prove how clever you are, then
deal with storing your concoction and the hazards involved
in using it, or you can just order a frigging can of Kroil
from Kano Labs for $13 and be done with it.

Nobody is going to mix two quarts (1.9 liters) of acetone+ATF+etc and
put it on the shelf for when needed. One might mix perhaps 50 ml of
for use when needed for much less, or scround the ingredients in small
quantities for free. My car has a manual transmission. Therefore I
don't have any ATF in my automotive chemistry set. So, I borrowed
some from the neighborhood mechanic.

The original cite, allegedly from a machinery magazine, included the
cost per fluid ounce in 2007:
Penetrating oil .... Average load .. Price per fluid ounce
None ................. 516 pounds
WD-40 ................ 238 pounds .. $0.25
PB Blaster ........... 214 pounds .. $0.35
Liquid Wrench .........127 pounds .. $0.21
Kano Kroil ........... 106 pounds .. $0.75
ATF-Acetone mix........ 53 pounds .. $0.10

Same as above from a different source:
<http://www.antiquemodeler.org/sam_new/news_letters/assets/wham_2011_07.pdf>

However, there's a problem. If you google for the original author,
Lloyd Bender, you'll find various conflicting claims as to the
original formulation. He allegedly originally used power steering
fluid plus trichloroethane or trichlorethylene, which are currently
banned.
<http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?pid=112831#p112831>
There was a followup to that article in the February/March
2010 issue of Machinist's Workshop. A reader complained
that acetone and ATF do not mix. They actually form an
emulsion that quickly separates.

The editor then pointed out that the photo with the original
article showed a bottle of power steering fluid, not ATF.
So the reader tried PSF and got the same results.

The editor then contacted the author (Lloyd Bender) of the
original article (April/May 2007 Machinist's Workshop), who
admitted that the original solvent was not acetone, but
trichloroethelyne! He said that he substituted acetone in
the article because he didn't want want to be recommending
the use of TCE.

In a followup posting, this appeared:
Here's a response from the guy who did the tests.
"Allow me to appologize one more time. The test material
was intended to be automatic transmission fluid. In the auto
parts department, I grabbed a bottle of power steering
fluid by mistake. If you read the article, the power steering
fluid shown was used. The table you quoted has not been corrected.

One salient point not covered in your question -- these are loads
required to free the test piece after 8 hours of immersion in
penetrating oil. This is probably not representative of a quick
squirt just before a wrench is applied."

At this time, nobody seems to have found a copy of the original
article or know the real ingredients.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
 
On 5/15/2017 6:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
At this time, nobody seems to have found a copy of the
original article or know the real ingredients.

So, in other words, this has all the markings of a typical
Usenet bullshit story that has taken on a life of it's own.

Kroil works and using WD-40 is about as useful as pissing
on it.


--
Jeff-1.0
wa6fwi
http://www.foxsmercantile.com

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
http://www.avg.com
 
On 2017/05/15 4:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 15 May 2017 15:03:32 -0500, Foxs Mercantile <jdangus@att.net
wrote:

On 5/15/2017 2:25 PM, pfjw@aol.com wrote:
If my goal was to deliver ATF to some tiny place, I
would use capillary tubes. Not a spray with volatiles,
not anything with volatiles.

The goal isn't to deliver ATF to some tiny place.
The goal is to prove how clever you are by making some
home brew concoction instead of just buying something
that works exactly as it is advertised to do.

A quart of ATF is about $6, a quart of Acetone is about
$13 and a quart of Mineral Spirits is about $6.
So you can spend $25 to prove how clever you are, then
deal with storing your concoction and the hazards involved
in using it, or you can just order a frigging can of Kroil
from Kano Labs for $13 and be done with it.

Nobody is going to mix two quarts (1.9 liters) of acetone+ATF+etc and
put it on the shelf for when needed. One might mix perhaps 50 ml of
for use when needed for much less, or scround the ingredients in small
quantities for free. My car has a manual transmission. Therefore I
don't have any ATF in my automotive chemistry set. So, I borrowed
some from the neighborhood mechanic.

The original cite, allegedly from a machinery magazine, included the
cost per fluid ounce in 2007:
Penetrating oil .... Average load .. Price per fluid ounce
None ................. 516 pounds
WD-40 ................ 238 pounds .. $0.25
PB Blaster ........... 214 pounds .. $0.35
Liquid Wrench .........127 pounds .. $0.21
Kano Kroil ........... 106 pounds .. $0.75
ATF-Acetone mix........ 53 pounds .. $0.10

Same as above from a different source:
http://www.antiquemodeler.org/sam_new/news_letters/assets/wham_2011_07.pdf

However, there's a problem. If you google for the original author,
Lloyd Bender, you'll find various conflicting claims as to the
original formulation. He allegedly originally used power steering
fluid plus trichloroethane or trichlorethylene, which are currently
banned.
http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?pid=112831#p112831
There was a followup to that article in the February/March
2010 issue of Machinist's Workshop. A reader complained
that acetone and ATF do not mix. They actually form an
emulsion that quickly separates.

The editor then pointed out that the photo with the original
article showed a bottle of power steering fluid, not ATF.
So the reader tried PSF and got the same results.

The editor then contacted the author (Lloyd Bender) of the
original article (April/May 2007 Machinist's Workshop), who
admitted that the original solvent was not acetone, but
trichloroethelyne! He said that he substituted acetone in
the article because he didn't want want to be recommending
the use of TCE.

In a followup posting, this appeared:
Here's a response from the guy who did the tests.
"Allow me to appologize one more time. The test material
was intended to be automatic transmission fluid. In the auto
parts department, I grabbed a bottle of power steering
fluid by mistake. If you read the article, the power steering
fluid shown was used. The table you quoted has not been corrected.

One salient point not covered in your question -- these are loads
required to free the test piece after 8 hours of immersion in
penetrating oil. This is probably not representative of a quick
squirt just before a wrench is applied."

At this time, nobody seems to have found a copy of the original
article or know the real ingredients.

You have mail!

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
(604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."
 
In article <ofddbs$s4$1@gioia.aioe.org>, jdangus@att.net says...
On 5/15/2017 6:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
At this time, nobody seems to have found a copy of the
original article or know the real ingredients.

So, in other words, this has all the markings of a typical
Usenet bullshit story that has taken on a life of it's own.

Kroil works and using WD-40 is about as useful as pissing
on it.

When I was working I used Kroil by the case. Well, probably averaged 3
or 4 cans a week. Works well for many things. I have even used it on
some 150 watt mercury vapor lights. They almost unscrew theirselves.

I use something called Ed's Red, a mix of ATF, Acetone, stotards
solvent, and kerosene. It is a cleaner for guns that works well. One of
these days I am going to have to give it a try for rusted bolts to
compair it with the Kroil.
 
On Mon, 15 May 2017 18:24:41 -0500, Foxs Mercantile <jdangus@att.net>
wrote:

On 5/15/2017 6:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
At this time, nobody seems to have found a copy of the
original article or know the real ingredients.

So, in other words, this has all the markings of a typical
Usenet bullshit story that has taken on a life of it's own.

Yep, that's about it. After excavating some of the history, it
appears to me that the original source, ingredients, test results, and
anecdotal testimonials have all changed over the last 10 years and
cannot be relied upon to be accurate.

BTW: The acetone + ATF mix is the basis of Ed's Red bore cleaner for
your home artillery:
<http://handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=9>

Kroil works and using WD-40 is about as useful as pissing
on it.

Everything works if you also use a large hammer.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
 
On Mon, 15 May 2017 16:54:08 -0700, John Robertson <spam@flippers.com>
wrote:

On 2017/05/15 4:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
(...)
At this time, nobody seems to have found a copy of the original
article or know the real ingredients.

You have mail!
John :-#)#

Thanks. Copy of the original kerosene and ATF article posted at:
<http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/crud/Machinist's%20Workshop%20penetrating%20oils%20April_May%202007-rust.pdf>
(1.3MB) Now, all I need to do is investigate the claims of formula
changes by the author and editor. Sigh.

John mentioned that an updated test would be useful. That's already
been done in numerous YouTube videos on penetrating oils:
<https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=penetrating+oil+test>
However, no double blind tests.
--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
 
John Robertson wrote:

---------------------
However I did find that an Army/Navy/Air Force repair manual for
oscilloscope 0S-261/U (NSN 6625-00-127-0079)(Techtronics 475) says:

"There are three recommended switch lubricants. They are Silicone
Versilube (General Electric Co.), Rykon R (Standard Oil),
and WD-40 (Rocket Chemical Co.)."

Which I find surprising based on my experience (seized up shafts),
however note that this is a SWITCH lubricant, not a potentiometer. In
the manual they specifically state that you don't lubricate sealed pots.

** It is not possible to "lubricate" a sealed pot, you need to make a small hole in it first. Sealing a pot does not prevent it becoming noisy.

The vast majority of pots have an opening that allows fluid to enter and a short squirt of WD-40 does the job in seconds. Of course you DO have to rotate the pot a few times as well.



..... Phil




So, I will revise my comments accordingly, it would appear that WD-40 is
OK for switch contacts - at least in the mid-70s. Use sparingly!

Anyone here know anyone at Techtronics who can confirm if they still
ahve it on the list of recommended lubricants for switches?

Live and learn, eh?

John
 

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