Haven't posted for awhile, but I still read the group at least once a week.
Ya know how when you were but a babe, maybe
20, maybe a teenager, and you discovered the wonders of WD-40? When you sprayed it here and there, it made everything work easier, quieter? I was like that. Then I discovered Usenet and this group in particular. I read how the magical fluid in the blue can was not a lubricant. That anything it did would not last. That it could cause more problems then it solved. So, I believed it all and began using other recommended sprays and lubricants. And that is the way it has been for me for years. Oh, I still used WD-40 for certain things, mostly when one of my cast iron tools would get some surface rust on it. I would spray it on, let it set a bit and then scrub with a Scotch pad. That always worked and worked well. Other than that, haven't really used it for years.A while back, I had a sticking file cabinet lock at work. It just kept getting harder and harder to turn the key each day, but I put up with it. One day I thought I was going to break the key off. All we had in the office was a can of WD-40. From what I had learned, that was exactly the wrong thing to use. I needed some graphite! But, we didn't have any. I was frustrated and really didn't care. I took the blue can, aimed the tube into the lock and sprayed, just a little. I know how this stuff runs. I slipped in my key and voila! It turned like buttah. That was about 2 years ago. The lock still works great.
The other day, one of our screen door locks just wouldn't turn. It's a deadbolt on a little used door. It has a knob on the inside to turn it but it just wouldn't budge. I thought, "this isn't good, what if there's a fire?" There was a slight gap when I pushed on the door, just enough to get that little spray tube into, but it wasn't going to reach any part of the workings of the lock. I tried to take the lock apart, removing the screws and as much of the cylinder as I could, but that door wasn't going to open. I reassembled everything in frustration. Then I sprayed just a little WD-40 on the only part I could reach, the bolt itself through the crack in the door. I turned the knob again, and again, voila! It turned like buttah. I immediately went around to the other two screen doors and did the same and while I was there, I sprayed what I could reach and the key hole on all the locks. Everything has quieted down and turns easily. That was a couple weeks ago and I'm still amazed at how easily and quietly everything is working.
Now, back at work. We have a 60 cup coffee pot that plugs into a timer. I'm the coffee guy, mostly for self-preservation. At the end of the day, I unplug the cord from the timer so I can get enough room to wash up the pot for the next day. It has become increasingly difficult to remove the plug from the timer. I had to pull realllly hard to get it out. This has been going on for about three years. Today, I took a paper towel and sprayed a little WD-40 on it and wiped the blades of the plug. Slipped it in the outlet of the timer and, well, you get the idea. Like buttah.......
Recently purchased a couple Honda scooters, used. The lock to lift up the seat for the helmet holder was hard to turn on both of them. Pssst, psst, they work like new. The cargo door locks on my motorhome were difficult to turn. A little in the key hole and a little on the inside latch, good to go!
So, don't believe everything you hear or read. Yes, there are places where some other lubricant is more appropriate, but WD-40 has earned a spot right up front on my lubricant shelf, once again. Try it, you might like it, just like you used to.