WHY IS THE WD-40 SO BAD?

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Out of curiosity, what are you using WD40 for? Pure lubrication? Cleaning? Degreasing?

If you're using it for lubrication, I agree - my climate is very similar to yours and I'd advise against anyone using it solely for that purpose.

But cleaning a combination lock (or any lock for that matter) with years of dirt and grease combined? I'd absolutely clean it with WD-40 and then wipe dry and re-apply some white lithium grease/Tri Flow.

[Madhatta3]

I already gave one bit of advice on the subject and this is my final bit seeing as there are still people ranting about it. The best to use would be carburator cleaner for the cleaning(will clean alot of the gunk and stuff out) and then use a gun lubrication such as clp(according to the locks climate there are a multitude of CLP's like motor oil). Your really should not use a heavy lubricant on something that requires precise mechanical movements with small parts. As far as cleaning a lock out, Leave it in carburator cleaner/Hydorgenperoxide over night. If a water based lubricant was used previously and you are not in a dry/sandy climate or hot/humid climate WD-40 should be sufficient. As far as im concerned wd-40 is for large non technical mechanical objects I.E. Door hinges and the like. Ive worked in a multitude of climates from dry/cold (St.Paul) to hot/humid (Georgia) to hot/dry (Iraq) and many places inbetween. From Mechanic to Tactical Satelitte Commo and have had to clean locks out for my equiptment boxes and sensitive items.

[unlisted]

Yes, WD-40 Can work. Is it the best item to use? NO. There are far better lubricants and other cleaning methods out there. The stuff I use on my locks- I don't need to be out there respraying them every 4-6 months. (Which would happen in my climate) WD-40 is also very bad around winter months here- due to the high salt content in the snow/slush. I call it rust fertilizer in the winter... (spray it once, wait a week or two, and you got instant rust if exposed to snow/slush)

Does it work for you is the question. If it does, all the power to you.

Personally, I have about 8 cans of the stuff, but I never use it on locks, or hinges. I got more expensive stuff for that. Actually, other than a very thin coat on the lawnmower blades (when totally clean) I don't really use it much anymore...

[shaothegreat]

My method for fixing a jammed up lock:

1. Tap on it firmly
2. WD-40
3. Tap some more
4. Contact cleaner
5. Tap some more
6. Repeat if necessary
7. Lube with silicone or gun oil if necessary

[WolfSpring]

LOL CLP and any dusty climate is a bad combination. That is why M16 jams so much to much CLP so I'm assuming using it to lubricate a lock will do the same thing, dust/dirt will cling to it. Out here in Kuwait we are cutting locks every few months because of people running out there WD-40ing them to open them and then a few weeks later forget there WD-40 they get the key jammed in there and break it off. All of my locks now have littl plastic bags around the key holes and rubber bands around the shackles with the shackle running through the bottom of the bag so you can unzip the bag to access the key, not the best way but it will cut down on some of the drit from getting in the keyholes.

[globallockytoo]

Out of curiosity, what are you using WD40 for? Pure lubrication? Cleaning? Degreasing?

If you're using it for lubrication, I agree - my climate is very similar to yours and I'd advise against anyone using it solely for that purpose.

But cleaning a combination lock (or any lock for that matter) with years of dirt and grease combined? I'd absolutely clean it with WD-40 and then wipe dry and re-apply some white lithium grease/Tri Flow.

I use WD40 to displace water. That is what it is designed to do and what it does best of all.
Spray it on a part that has been sitting in kerosene and later washed in water. Lay out the part on a towel and spray it liberally with WD40. about 15 minutes later the part has usually dried out naturally, allowing for proper lubrication before using.

Another use is on welded parts after being cooled in water. WD40 will help to dry the parts much quicker and actually prevents rust build up.

[Madhatta3]

LOL CLP and any dusty climate is a bad combination. That is why M16 jams so much to much CLP so I'm assuming using it to lubricate a lock will do the same thing, dust/dirt will cling to it. Out here in Kuwait we are cutting locks every few months because of people running out there WD-40ing them to open them and then a few weeks later forget there WD-40 they get the key jammed in there and break it off. All of my locks now have littl plastic bags around the key holes and rubber bands around the shackles with the shackle running through the bottom of the bag so you can unzip the bag to access the key, not the best way but it will cut down on some of the drit from getting in the keyholes.

Any kind of lubricant is going to get dust and sand stuck in it. You dont drown something in clp, you use a very light coating. I did 15 months over there, used clp and had very few jams on m-16 or saw. Besides over there, its not sand and its not dirt, its more like a moon dust type substance =P.

[LocksmithArmy]

lol I dont use any CLP for lubrication...

I clean with CLP then I wipe it all off... never had a jam...

I dont go outside the wire but I go to the range often here...

Madhatta has a point its not sand or dirt. its dust. I have dust in areas i ddnt know I had before I got here. and locks that have been lubricated with WD40 up here are filled with dust in a week. Sometimes its so bad the key wont go in anymore. But if you dont lubricate them at all you can knock the dust out as easy as it went in.

[Madhatta3]

Yea CLP as a cleaner is alright with carbon but carburator cleaner is the best to spray down a barrel a few times leave it tilted at an angle for 15-20 min repeat about 3 times and then do a regular clean. When you whipe off the clp you are still leaving a little coating and thats what I was getting at. I never had a jam out there myself and I carried m-16A4 and m249. Mind you the 249 + baisic combat load for 15 months leads to back issues.

[jailersmith]

I,ve been locksmithing for 35years, WD 40 will dry and leave the lubricant on parts while displacing moisture. Excellent product for Oregon's wet climate. Use a little at a time. Never had a problem. However, it will melt styrofoam.

[Eyes_Only]

In one of the LSS+ Supplement DVDs an institutional locksmith named Brian Chan recommended that if you use graphite as a lubricant you need to have the lock (or the plug itself that's already loaded with the pins) in your hand and taking a very soft and fine artisan brush thats dipped in graphite, lightly go over the top of the lock (plug) with it.

He noted that after dipping the brush in the graphite, tap the brush on a piece of paper to get the excess off. The lock also had to be clean, dry and free of any other type of lubricant by using some solvent to clean it or the graphite will mix with any previous leftover residue and muck up the lock.

I've been on many calls where the customer had unloaded an entire tube of graphite they bought at Pep Boys into a lock in an attempt to lubricate it and actually made things a whole lot worse and my job much harder. This is why if a customer asks me what lubricant I would recommend, I tell them to just stick with WD-40 and stay far far far away from graphite from being used on any lock thats exposed to the elements. SoCal area gets too humid for these dry dusty lubes.

For institutional locksmiths using graphite might be alright where they may have a little more time to go through all this trouble to apply it properly and with most of the locks inside a closed, dry and cool climate controlled building (or maybe also for a hobbyist) but most locksmiths from a small independent shop don't have the time and luxury to do all this so I think WD-40 is still a better alternative IMO than graphite cos its cheap, easily obtainable and is a pretty good temporary penetrating lube.

I personally prefer to use Ballistol if a reach for a lubricant in most cases and CRC Lectra Motive Cleaner when I need a strong solvent and cleaner that won't damage paint jobs like brake cleaner can.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Using graphite on a cylinder is also a nice way to piss off the next person that has to re-key or work on it. It'll effectively stain their fingers for the rest of that day.

[Madhatta3]

Using graphite on a cylinder is also a nice way to piss off the next person that has to re-key or work on it. It'll effectively stain their fingers for the rest of that day.

Well that will certainly clear up the mrs's accusation of cheating =P

[jdislandlock]

i strongly recomend not using it, like other people have said,
wd40 = water displacement on the 40th try
generally used for "cleaning" then i would lubricate the object.
it also seems to pt and corode the metal faster if you leave it
in the object. i would recomend using a Oil based lubricant such as Tri-flow.
I swear by this shit

[thelockpickkid]

Myself I agree with the Carb cleaner, because it cleans and then disappears. I do use PB Blaster to get the gunk out of old locks, it works really well, it doesn't seem to have a gumming affect like WD-40 tends to have, but I too am in Oregon, and if we don't use a lubricant of some kind these locks, mainly a Master, will or can rust up really quick, I have actually seen shackles of these locks have so much rust on them that a hammer attack would probably break them into two pieces.