3 in 1 penetrating oil

[Duncan Wood]

So buying a new nut & splitting the old one is by far the safest way.

[Tim+]

writes

Until you click on the "buy" button. Maybe I missed it but I couldn't see any option to buy the drip cans anywhere.

Tim

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Quite. Or any source of heat helps. A hot air gun, even, or simply pouring a kettle of boiling water over it.

The usual cause of a thread sticking is corrosion, and an 'oil' isn't going to get through that in a reasonable timescale - if ever.

[Tim+]

Yeah but, there any many more people without oxyacetylene, without nut splitters, who aren't working on safety critical stuff and would quite like to re-use the rusty old nut.

For many jobs, it's a handy and cheap thing to keep in stock.

Tim

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That would be fine if it actually worked.

Something that doesn't work is never cheap.

[Andy Champ]

Branding? The same as they make both WD40 branded AND 3-in-one branded products?

ANdy

[Tim+]

,

Works for me.

Tim

[Chris Wilson]

Humm, you're correct ...

... well as I do have more than half a can left I'll open the bidding at ...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You try to undo a nut, but it won't budge, then apply penetrating oil and it does? Or what?

[Tim+]

. Get out of bed the wrong side did we? Why is it so important to you to rubbish a product that many people find useful?

There's clearly no answer I can give that will change your views so I don't know why you bother asking.

Tim

[David Taylor]

I expect that sort of argument in support of homeopathy...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'm trying to find out what I might be doing wrong...

I've been working on old cars etc longer than I care to remember. If you always spray a thread with penetrating oil before undoing, you may well believe it works. I was simply trying to find out just where and when and how you use it. Of course if you apply it twice a day for a week before attempting to undo, it might work. I generally can't wait that long.

[Tim+]

Try this then.

This showed that you can make your own "home brew" penetrating oil which works better than many other products but clearly in the tests done, different products were producing an effect rather than no effect.

For me to make up a home brew cocktail would cost me more and not be packaged in the way I want.

Tim

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Love to know how they got hold of so many identical rusted up nuts and bolts. And a comparison with ordinary light oil would have been useful too.

[Peter Parry]

It seems the test (if it was originally done as no one seems to be able to find the article) used Hydraulic Fluid and Acetone, Dexron (Automatic Transmission Fluid) and Acetone don't mix (as someone mentions) and separate out quite quickly.

I tried a fairly crude test of my simple version (white spirit and Dexron) some years ago comparing it with WD40 (which at the time some publication had tested as a penetrating oil with good results) and a tin of Castrol penetrating oil I'd had for years.

I used 12 large (about 1"AF) bolts holding a rusted cast iron inspection hatch in place and a torque wrench to see what force was required to undo the bolts. In the end all worked more or less equally well and freed the bolts at similar torques while the three left untreated as a control still wouldn't move. This wasn't too surprising as the main penetrating and releasing component was the white spirit/napthalene common to all. HOWEVER, the bolts were surrounded by a blutack dam and flooded with the penetrating oils (three to each) for a week. As you say no penetrating oil is going to do much after a quick spray and a few minutes wait.

The Dexron/White spirit mix I find useful both as a penetrating oil and for general cleaning particularly of machine tools and short term protection of metal. It is far cheaper than buying small tins of penetrating oil.

[The Medway Handyman]

Yes, it does. So does WD40.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Sadly, that's what I usually need. On cars. Ain't got the time to wait a week. ;-) I'm usually happy if it just shears so I can fit a new nut and bolt.

Right - I've got both of those so will try it. 'Pukka' stuff is a silly price.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Right away?

[Tim+]

That can't be right. Dave says it doesn't work. ;-)

I'm sure it is if you use a lot of the stuff but could you price up how much it would cost to make up just 250ml (a lifetime's supply for me) including the storage container/dispenser?

Tim

[Dave Plowman (News)]

So you too soak things for a week or so? If you'd simply said that I'd not have commented.