" _You need two things in life: WD 40 for things that don't move but should, and duct tape for things that move and shouldn't._ " Most of us are familiar with that one. But what I find so wonderful is that *WD40 is excellent for removing duct tape adhesive residu!*
and duct tape is great for making your wd40 inaccessible, if you wrap it in 20 layers of duct tape instead of rock paper scissors we should play wd40 duct tape, wd40 beats duct tape and duct tape beats wd40
Hi Fran, thanks for an interesting and informative video. I would surmise that I'm one of the very few people still around who worked on the Atlas-Centaur missile program. I worked for General Dynamics/Astronautics in San Diego from 1963 to 1965. I'm now 83.
I too David worked for General Dynamics as a technical illustrator for the Thor, Titan and Atlas missiles in 1962. We all hunkered down during the scary Cuban missile crisis in Oct. I enjoyed watching Fran in one of her videos on using a Leroy drafting set which I still have, and love showing my grandkids how to use it. I'm now 80 and cherish my years at VFB.......
I was stationed at Walker AFB where I worked as an Atlas F hydraulic pneumatic repairman until the program ended. Because of the complexity of the rp1 and liquid oxygen fuel system we accidentally blew 3 of them up. No other Atlas F squadron could say that, but other than that as I understand it we were the only squadron to have a successful PLX.
Twenty years ago, I had two angioplasties, about 6 weeks apart. For those unfamiliar with the procedure, a slender tube is inserted in a major blood vessel, and snaked along until the tip reaches the site of a blocked coronary or other artery. An even more slender tube is inserted inside the first one, ad when it reaches the open end of the first tube, it can be inflated, pushing all the "artery gunk" tightly against the arterial wall, creating more room for blood to flow. Anyhow, as they wheeled me into the surgical suite, I was a little sedated but awake. Happy drowsy. From the gurney, I could see a big spray can of WD-40 sitting on the counter off to the side. The familiar thin red tube sticking out of it is about the same size as the main tube they insert to guide the thinner tube. My first thought, when I saw that can with the long thin tube protruding was "WD-40, man. Is there anything it *can't* fix?" I had drugged visions of them inserting the red tube and giving a shpritz to lubricate my circulatory system.
Super Glue (butyl CA, not ethyl CA) is marketed as an alternative to sutures in surgery. So, I don't doubt WD-40 has saved a life or two in it's long history.
@@gregorythomas333 No, it was created as a glue many years ago. It's only been used in surgery since research done in the 1990s by a group of universities. I think you're thinking of Tampax.
I grew up with a boat with an outboard motor. At the end of every summer season, our mechanic would take of the engine's cover and spray it down with WD-40 he kept in an old windex bottle. That's when I learned it displaced water: in the 1980s. You are only the second person to confirm that function!
I find it useful as a solvent to remove other dried up oils and gunk without causing a lot of collateral damage. Products made to remove grease/oil will usually also strip paint, destroy rubber, and cause other problems.
WD40 is basically just expensive petroleum in a spraycan. Its a water dispensant, nothing more, and also has no real lubrication from a tribological perspektive. If you want to remove oil/grease residues I strongly recommend plain old Diesel fuel, its cheap (well, comparably...), works just as well, wont attack bearing or shaft seals and remains wont interfer with ISO Standard gear or hydraulic oils (GLP, HLP etc.) so it can be used to flush gear housings and transmissions. And during winter time after flushing/cleaning it will warm you nicely... ;D
@@cnoxey6898 But WD40 comes in a very convenient small can that goes anywhere and dispenses at the press of a button. Also smells great (to me). Isn't that worth a couple extra bucks?
@@cnoxey6898 wd40 isnt a lubricant. Many people think it is, but its really the removing of dirt and gunk that makes it *feel* lubricated again. It doesnt actually lubricate stuff. Silicone oil works great for that.
I had a roommate put thick grease on our patio door rollers/track before, it collected dirt and dust and the door became progressively more difficult to open over time. Once it got to the point that opening the door felt like a workout, I thought enough was enough. A generous spray of WD 40 and a paper towel cleaned it right up and it was smooth as butter again.
@@KjKase stuff works wonders for cleaning stuff up. Same for brake cleaner, its cheaper than wd40 and also gets rid of pretty much anything sticky, gunky and nasty. Almost never use it to clean brakes though... i've done it maybe once
I worked at General Dynamics during the early Atlas days and can offer some comments. WD40 wasn't the 40th attempt to develop a product, 40 was just a nice marketing number. WD40 is the most expensive kerosene on the market. I have no knowledge of WD40 being applied to the missile body before launch, I think it was related to protection of the spot welds that held the stainless sheets together. I ran some tests at the time and it didn't prevent rust on nails exposed to the weather. The vernier engines were an idea put forward by James Crooks, who was also a co-inventor of the AZUSA tracking system. According to Jim, there was some doubt about being able to shut off the main engines precisely so the verniers were used to control the final velocity by burning after the main (Center engine) was stopped. They also provided some steering assistance during main engine burn. The design thrust of the verniers was 1000 pounds each and they had single axis movement. During transport the Atlas missiles were not pressurized. Special trailers kept them in longitudinal tension during transportation. There is always a question about the long structures on each side of the Atlas body. Simple answer. They held the electronics for guidance and tracking. I was a designer of the tracking system airborne components. The AZUSA tracking system wasn't designed in the California city of AZUSA. Jim thought the tracking system was complex and had everything from A to Z in it.
My grandfather, Jim Mitchell, worked for McDonnell on the design of the capsule for the Mercury space vehicle. I'd sure like to hear more first hand accounts like yours.
Here in Louisiana when you bought a new Boat or just the Outboard Motor the first thing that we did was to remove the motor cover and spray WD-40 over the entire engine and let it sit in the Sun and give it several coats. This would prevent corrosion on the electrical connections as with the Powerhead and put a sticky coating on the engine for protection.
Advice: never use WD40 on a crankset or headset on a bicycle you want to take for a ride, it will mainly eliminate the old grease in the ball bearings, which will be damaged if you use them "dry". (yes I destroyed many bike parts with that...) But it's your friend when you try hard to loosen a bolt/screw.
Best household use of WD40: Creaking doors. About the rockets: Expect SpaceX to order a huge batch of WD40 soon. Their Starships and Superheavy rockets are also stainless.
Agree with not using WD40 on a bike unless you want to clean off all the old grease residue and replace with new. Tired it myself as chain lubricant and learned the hard way how much damage it does.
WD40 is a cleaning and water-dispersing agent, not a lubricant. You can run dry bearings, especially these days with ceramic balls. More of a thing on wheels, rather than cranks or headsets, but it's all friction.
@@paulmichaelfreedman8334 WD40 is for removing the old grease. if you just add WD40, then you will make stuff just worse. Go and get something containing either dry graphite, MoS or lithium. (just in case you want a lasting cure and not just intend to provoke regular revisits because you like to see the owner that door like a dentist just drilling out half what is neccesary in order to have regular visiting client.)
@Daniel Rodriguez i usually use industrial hand cleaner, keeps them soft and keeps the bristles nice and unstuck down low in and around the brush stock
I doubt I've ever commented on a video of yours, but I must confess, I think you and your projects / videos are pretty awesome. It's GREAT to see such a good, hands-on channel that looks and feels like an old "tinker shed" of someone who really knew their analog electronics. Flipping 150,000% amazing.
I belonged to a Sport Car Club that ran Rallies thru the back woods in central Missouri. The “roads” we traveled on our Road Rallies often forded small creaks as part of the fun. The car distributor however did not work well when wet. WD40 was essential to get a wet distributor working again. Thanks for your discussion - it brought back great memories.
This channel is awesome! I stumbled across it and enjoy the enthusiasm of the topics! Just wanted to shout out that you're an inspiration to all of us that have a shop or tinkering area. Keep on doing great things!
I keep a can handy, 'just in case'. And I recently found it very useful for dissolving burnt-on grease on my old apartment stove top. The handyman was very impressed, he said my stovetop was the cleanest looking one in the whole complex. Just don't try to cook anything until you remove all the residuals and allow it to evaporate, air out, etc., first. I sprayed it on the yucky places and let it sit for a few minutes, then scrubbed and it came right off, very easily.
It is excellent to get the tiny screws going again that control the condensor position in light microscopes, although orange peel oil (limonene / RotiHistol) does the trick quite as well
Used it as penetrating oil and is the best thing I know for noisy door hinges! Which I can see how a water displacement would help prevent rust from making a door squeak! Awesome back story! And though I have no idea how your video dropped to my feed, but I'm so impressed - I have to see what you create next and subscribed!
My late father worked at Vandenberg in the early 1960s (as an engineer for Martin on the Titan II) and related some great stories about Atlas failures. I wish I had recorded him. But in one case the dummy warhead sailed up several miles after an Atlas exploded, before falling back to Earth like, in his words "Will E. Coyote falling off a cliff," and bouncing over the sandy dunes.
Oh yeah, the early ones failed a lot. The ones they chose to launch the first few astronauts were not chosen because they were perfect; they were chosen because they didn’t fail as often as the others.
Watch the movie "The Right Stuff" and look for the poor guy who pushes the button on all the failed rocket launches, he looks like he's about to have a nervous breakdown!
The new cans with the swivel spout, AND the one with the bendy spout, plus all the specialty lubricants they make now, means I have a LOT of cans that say WD40 on them on my shelves.
I hate it so much when people say "I'll put some WD-40" on it when they want to lubricate something, but they actually mean WD-40 branded silicone or lithium spray.
About sewing machine oil: Did you know that the original sewing machine oil, and watch oil were sperm whale oil? So was Dexron, the first automatic transmission fluid. When I need a lightweight, non-gumming, high film strength oil I use automatic transmission fluid.
Interesting! I'm using ATF in my 2004 dirt jumper fork (basically it's a mountain bike with no rear suspension). I'm not doing dirt tracks but cross country, forest trails, needed faster action in all temperatures. Found it working really well.
I remember finding an original can made by the Rocket Chemical Co.. Being young and stupid, we threw it on the bonfire to see if it would make a big bang. It did.
Good to see some people were as stupid as me when i was young, the joy of chucking things into fires that you really shouldn't have, the joy of being young........
Apprenticed to a locksmith back in 1972'. He was also an ex-OSS operative. He swore by WD-40. We used it constantly in frozen and/or graphite clogged locksets and in auto doors, ignitions etc. Thanks for the FYI. Brings it all back home to roost. Cheers.🍾🥂🙏❤
When cleaning dirty machinery these days I've taken to using spray on canolia cooking oil: much cheeper, non toxic (edable) and no smell! Also does wonders for preserving wood in hot dry environments.
Nice! I knew is stood for Water Displacement but I'd never heard about it in regard to the Atlas rocket. Thanks! I use it mostly as a solvent for loosening gummed up parts, cleaning old grease off of things, etc., and for protecting steel surfaces in the unheated garage where there's often condensation in winter.
The most useful fluid in my workshop is Ballistol Universal Oil - Formulated for the German army prior to WW1 it'll serve for just about everything you need an oil for, not just a lubricant but also a preservative for wood and leather. It'll even double as a linament and wound cleaner at a stretch - a certified medical grade version of the same stuff is available. I use it for practically everything now, particularly where 3 in1 oil was often too viscous.
I am a cyclist. I keep a clean and lubed chain. I use a chain cleaner with a degreaser, rinsed with a lot of water. Afterwards, I use WD-40 to disperse water at the chain pin before applying chain lube (to each pin separately) Happy chain, happy cyclist. We lost an Atlas on static display at the National Museum of the United States Airforce years ago when a compressor failed (or a leak formed) and the missile displayed upright collapsed under its own weight.
Bicycle mechanic & long distance rider: WD “works” on a lot of things in a pinch, but it’s not a lubricant and it “picks up” SO MUCH road grime. I’d say it’s okay - but not recommended - on some places like your chain, but it almost seems to help grit get inside hubs, cassettes/freewheels.
@@jonathannagel7427 I once dry lubed my chain - warm it in paraffin to clean out the sh1te, then drape into (carefully!) melted parafiin wax. Remove and hang to dry/solidify. More work than modern chemicals, but highly effective as it reaches the internal bearing surfaces, I believe.
Thank you, Fran. This was enlightening. I've always used WD-40 for door hinges and rusty bike chains. I had no idea it had anything to do with nuclear war lol
Thanks for this fact, I'm a teacher in the UK and will spread your knowledge. This explains why it works so well on a whiteboard in my classroom, it stops the water-based Ink from drying too much so iot's easy to wipe off
Yep, my dad said much the same. He worked for General Dynamics before I was born, in the early 60s, and I did indeed grow up in Huntsville. (Though by that time he worked for a different contractor)
This was very interesting and I did not realise its connection to the Atlas rocket. I first used it in the 1970s in England and remember that the can was marked with a rocket image and I seem to recall it was actually called 'Rocket WD40'.
Used it just yesterday to loosen seized bolts so decided to look up on RUclips what is this stuff so delighted to have come across your channel. I also used it beneath the windscreen wiper motor of my car, the open drain that takes rainwater away from the windscreen and dumps it via the wheel arch.
I also use silicone grease... BUT. From WD-40's own website (not sure where everyone is getting that WD40 isn't a lubricant) : Myth: WD-40 Multi-Use Product is not really a lubricant. Fact: While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, WD-40 Multi-Use Product is a unique, special blend of lubricants. The product’s formulation also contains anti-corrosion agents and ingredients for penetration, water displacement and soil removal.
Fran your knowledge is immense and I wish I could learn electronics from someone like you. Number one you’re extremely knowledgeable and you seem like the type of person that can teach! Keep up the good work! I’m so into old-school HI-FI and rebuilding amplifiers and even my old Jukebox etc. I wish I could have a teacher like you to take me to the next level!!
I remember my old man telling me in the 70's that WD-40 had been used on rockets although I don't think he went in to the details, he swore by it for water replants properties too, on a cold damp British winter morning if the car didn't feel like starting, he'd spray the inside of the spark plug caps and leads with WD-40 to dispel moisture. I am not too sure if it was even generally available in the UK at that time, but he worked for an American company that made garage equipment Sun Electric and I'm sure they had something to do with the distribution in Europe of wd-40.
If you lived in the U.K. in the 70s and owned a Mini you would have a can of this in the door pocket to spray over your distributor cap to dispel water in the wet weather.
You are absolutely right about sewing machine oil. For years I used 3 in 1 oil, until another engineer convinced me of the virtues of Singer oil. There was still a sewing machine service shop in town at that time, and we'd go buy a case lots of the stuff at a time. Very finely made lubricant.
It saved me from being stranded because of tired, old spark plugs wires which were shorting out, causing my old Chevy Nova to stumble and barely run due to high humidity. Sprayed 'em down, and it got me home. Great motivation to change out the spark plugs wires.
I really like your advice about using Motor oil for gears. I tend to use lithium grease for that sort of thing but a motor oil or like you were saying, a light sewing machine oil would be appropriate depending on the duty of the gears
Worth also pointing out that despite the fact that I STILL see posts in various places from people saying it contains fish oil and silicone, it doesn't and never has done.
the Huntsville Space Museum has an Atlas V. It is on its side and you can walk right up to it and bang on its thin shell. You can also poke your head into the engines and see all the plumbing and wiring.
I've heard the water displacement part of the WD40 story before. A very good penetrating lubricant is Kroil by Kano Labs (they also make gauge oils thinner than sewing machine oil), I was discussing it one day with a Jet Engine mechanic and he told me that one of their secrets is just ordinary Wintergreen oil. It's a very fine oil that creeps into the smallest crevices.
Worst oil is silicone oil, because it will contaminate surfaces almost forever, and, due to it's combustion product being silicon dioxide ( otherwise known as carborundum, silicon dioxide, or garnet, the major abrasive used in grinding pastes and sandpaper) getting it into a combustion reaction spells bad things in the future for that engine. however, when blended with a soap to make a grease, you can get it to be very tenacious, and also to have a massive operating temperature range, from cryogenic all the way almost to red hot, though not all the way for the same formulation, but over a 200C range the viscosity can be nearly constant. WD40 is a preservative and cleaner, it has almost no long term lubricity, and in contrast will actually hasten wear by removing the existing oil films. It also is a very light oil, so evaporates reasonably rapidly, leaving only a thin film of the heavier components behind, acting as a barrier layer to reduce corrosion. in the rocket application this was desired, to save the carrying of the few dozen kilograms of oil up to orbit, as it was really only there for the fuelling operation and the first minute of flight, being scoured off after that by friction and heat. It enabled long term storage of the Atlas rocket, though you were forever doing fresh applications of it in storage, to keep the thin barrier layer intact. Still used for that on modern munitions, though there they often use a soaked sponge in the inside of the hermetic container to hold the oil, so the vapour as it evaporates permeates the inner of the container, but does not leave a thick film behind. Also done with vacuum packed materials to have a thin film in storage that will not otherwise affect performance.
@@Fireship1 interesting, was wondering if one of the other "propriety ingredients" might be pine oil, the toxicity data is a match, and to not much else Pine-sol did contain a lot of pine oil, though now I think its just scent. Wintergreen is kinda toxic, especially to kids- it is basically liquid aspirin, methyl salicylate rather than acetyl, so it probably doesn't make up too much of the total
@@AngDavies someone once told me that Kroil is a form of diesel oil. If that’s true, maybe they put the pine scent in there to hide the evidence as well as the diesel smell? When I use it I always think of Pine Sol. My mother used it for years when I was a kid, so it’s a scent I know well!
hi Fran... how u can answer my question. What is the current method of de-icing modern rockets during take-off? Do they use non-stick coating and the vibrations just shake-off the ice?
I'm from Germany and I can tell you that in every shop here we have WD40 too... a very informative video, far away from being silly... thanks a lot. Some fun? I'm 58 and I heard a conversation between some young ladys at a party. They talk about their first road trips, new driver licence and so on, but than they talked about changing the motoroil. And one of them say: "Oh yes, with WD40...." They looked very angry about my hard laughing...
once I learned this I started to use proper spray lubricants for squeaky things. One that worked really well on an office chair for me was the stuff we use for the spring and chain on our garage door.
When I was at Indiana State University (1981 - 1984) they had a Nova computer that used paper tape to load programs. The company provided a can of lubricant. Removing the label revealed that it was a can of WD-40.
I remember using a Data General Nova at a bank I worked at back in the late 70’s. It was replaced at some point by a Digital PDP-11. Both great mini-computers for their time.
@@Boris_Chang Yep, ISU had a PDP-11 when I was there. I remember a Professor going through the hallway with a digital camera. It was so big, it had to be placed on a cart. If I remember correctly, they imported the pictures into the PDP-11.
I love learning new things! Here in the UK there are two things virtually guaranteed to be found in every house: Tea in the kitchen and a can of WD-40 in the garage. 😁 🇬🇧
I always used it for the outside gates hinges to keep them quiet, makes sense that it would still be working after multiple rain falls considering what the WD stands for.
Yes it's design was for displacing water, but it is still a great lubricant and penetrating oil too, people usually have a can around the house for those annoying squeaky hinges, instant fix that lasts. Great degreaser too, although brake cleaner is better if you want the surface dry and free of any oily film. Great for rust prevention too, but I feel ACF-50 does a better/longer term job for that. WD-40 is also more the company name now too, they have many different products these days, including brake cleaners, chain oil etc.
It's one of the worst things you can use for door hinges. It makes dust and dirt stick to the bearing surfaces. Grease is what you want. You could also use dry graphite.
Back in the early 80s there were a couple of men's colognes,,, and a friend of mine was trying to remember which one he was wearing,, he said he was wearing 'Eternity',,, or was it,, 'Infinity'???,, I sniffed him and said,,, Double You Dee,,, Forty!!! you kinda had to be there
Most of the user would die of cancer or some other horrible disease before even engaged in the torpedo tubes. (If u need an explanation ur clearly not old enough.)
Fran, you are great to listen to and you are very intelligent! Being a petroIhead I usually look at classic car and mechanics videos but, you have caught my attention. Great videos, extremely informative and educational .thank you.
Thanks for the video, I knew about the 40 time they got it to be a water displacement , but I had no idea about the history behind why it was made . I work as an A&P , aircraft mechanic. No matter were I'v worked there is always a can of W40 .
WD-40 was used on all of the Atlas rockets that had the stainless steel tanks throughout the assembly process to prevent corrosion. I worked on the Atlas in the early '90s. The mechanics would apply it with large dust mops. My desk was in the BAR (Booster Assembly Room). One cold morning I almost caused one to collapse. I opened one of the large hangar doors to vent some diesel exhaust and as the cold air rushed in, the pumps that kept up the inter pressure of one of the rocket tanks failed to keep up and and a large dent the tank began to form as it slowly began collapsing. I saw this and ran over to close the door. Fortunately in a couple of minutes, the pump caught up again and rigidity was restored.
@@user2C47, the incident was never reported and I don’t think it was all that uncommon. My understanding was the worst thing that would happen was the inner hemispherical bullhead could reverse, causing the tank to be scrapped, but I never heard of any structural integrity being compromised by a little buckle like that one and in fact, there were no issues wit that rocket at all.
I work in the heavy industry and i use it for making a conductive surface for a 360A CNC Plasma cutter. Also the oil makes the pierce on a 40 millimeter sheet spatter free. Love it. From Sweden.
Learned this as a kid. Turn off the outside light, removed the bulb, spray WD-40 into the outlet, put the bulb back in and use as intended (without moisture). Thanks Fran.
A really enjoyable video. Only just discovered your channel today. I'm finally learning electronics and electrics and my head is not hurting. Thank you!
Laughing, turns spa blowers into rocket engines also. Used to deliver spas and sometimes water would get into the blower and a co-worker would drown the electric motor with it and hit the reset button with the customers out of sight. Probably not good for the thin insulation on the windings, but it displaced the water!
I knew WD-40 was water displacement but I never realised it was originally space age application. WD-40 always works great on my water soaked distributor on my old HK Holden.
I enjoyed this video. Reminds me of my grandfather who worked for rockidine machining parts for the thrusters. He always had a can of WD-40 on his work bench. He later died of cancer as a result of working on those space shuttle parts. My son wants to be a astronaut scientist when he grows up. Just subscribed as a result of your pleasant video here. Thanks.
I knew it was WD= water displacement and 40 was the 40th formula try. I was told it was to displace water on the switches witch would form on Apollo, Gemini and Mercury as water would condensate in the capsule. But your explanation brings it back many years before those vehicles. Was it also used on the Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury flights?
I agree. WD-40, which, I might add, I don't have on hand, has lots of uses, but for general lube/protection stuff I use a far older product called Ballistol.
It's better, anyway. Insects are smothered by the oil in insecticide sprays (breathing thru spiracles on the body skin). The bug spray deposits poison everywhere that didn't kill em.
@@firealarmsandrc43 Breakclean works better and faster than any bug spray I have ever used. The red can that is, not sure about the more environmentally friendly green can stuff. The green can stuff sucks and absolutely doesn't work on the things I need it to at work so I stopped buying it.
I find it interesting that SpaceX is using a similar though updated Atlas construction in its Starship with the wall being stainless and comprising the sides of the tanks. At least SpaceX's ships can stand unpressurized. Yeah I only found out last year that the WD stood for water displacer, LOL. I always used it as a lube because I could never find my oil and the WD40 was everywhere.
Singer sewing machine oil or generics are excellent. Motor oils can be tricky. Tuntables like Singer. WD40 cleans switches almost as well as Prof solutions. Thanks Fran.
RUclips randomly offered this video and what a great piece. I was supposed to go to bed and now I have to view a few more because this looks like a great channel to explore.
When I was in high school, just a few years ago (cough, cough 87’), I drove a 1959 Ford pick-up that would mostly get you where you wanted to go. Not always in the timeframe that you expected, but you get the picture. If it rained you had to have a can of WD-40 behind the seat. After 15-20 minutes of sloshing down a wet road the engine would die out and I’d have to get out and pop the distributor cap off and WD-40 the points. After that it would fire right up and run for another 15-20! In that same truck you also needed a passenger along when it rained due to the holes in the floorboards. Turning left wasn’t a problem, but when you made a right turn it shot water all over the driver! No radio in that truck. Also didn’t go over 45mph, and that was downhill with a tailwind. Loved that truck!
@@asherael It was! The first rockets used to launch humans were all derived from missiles. Yuri Gagarin rode on a rocket adapted from the R-7 Semyorka (and the Soyuz rocket used today is still an evolution of that). The Redstone, Atlas and Titan used by the US Mercury and Gemini programs all started out as missiles too--the Redstone that launched Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom on suborbital flights was actually a short-range missile, and the Atlas and Titan were ICBMs.
@@MattMcIrvin MMHM! I knew the Russian one was. I'd assumed there was some dialogue, but hadn't processed that our early rockets were just the ICBMS wearing a different hat.
While serving in the Royal Australian Air Force, Canberra in 1969-70, the equipment store had a WD-40 advert on the wall. It read: Do you have tight nuts, rusty tools? Then you need WD-40. It lubricates those dry passages and makes screwing a pleasure!
I believe you have Some omissions. It's primary ingredient is fish oil. Oil by nature is a lubricant. It doesn't have a SAE viscosity assignment, if it was tested it would likely test below SAE 2. It's very light viscosity is why it is a great product when used as a penatrating oil on threads or seized mechanisms in addition to its water displacement characteristics. WD40 is great for preventing rust, especially in humid coastal areas. But to grab your tools and have them slip away, or makes me question you assessment it's not a lubricant, it absolutely reduces surface tention. Ît also collects dust and debris just like a SAE rated lubricant. It is also a safe lubricant for equipment used in food perperation with incremental food contact. I feel WD40 is a very useful product and by the sheer number of daily applications as a high quality lubricant justifies that claim as true. Sincerely Fran, it walks like a duck, Scott
" _You need two things in life: WD 40 for things that don't move but should, and duct tape for things that move and shouldn't._ " Most of us are familiar with that one. But what I find so wonderful is that *WD40 is excellent for removing duct tape adhesive residu!*
Failing that CDrazy Gkue or Epozy, or Red Tyvek Tape.
and duct tape is great for making your wd40 inaccessible, if you wrap it in 20 layers of duct tape
instead of rock paper scissors we should play wd40 duct tape, wd40 beats duct tape and duct tape beats wd40
You forgot the welder.
It is also a decent liniment for joint pain....
I’ve actually found hand sanitiser is pretty bloody good for removing all sorts, from tree-sap on cars to tape residue on scissors.... who knew!
Hi Fran, thanks for an interesting and informative video. I would surmise that I'm one of the very few people still around who worked on the Atlas-Centaur missile program. I worked for General Dynamics/Astronautics in San Diego from 1963 to 1965. I'm now 83.
That's incredible. I'd love 5 minutes and a coffee with you !
hello sir.. thanks for your contribution
Those floppy tanks must have been disheartening when they buckled like that!
I too David worked for General Dynamics as a technical illustrator for the Thor, Titan and Atlas missiles in 1962. We all hunkered down during the scary Cuban missile crisis in Oct. I enjoyed watching Fran in one of her videos on using a Leroy drafting set which I still have, and love showing my grandkids how to use it. I'm now 80 and cherish my years at VFB.......
I was stationed at Walker AFB where I worked as an Atlas F hydraulic pneumatic repairman until the program ended. Because of the complexity of the rp1 and liquid oxygen fuel system we accidentally blew 3 of them up. No other Atlas F squadron could say that, but other than that as I understand it we were the only squadron to have a successful PLX.
Twenty years ago, I had two angioplasties, about 6 weeks apart. For those unfamiliar with the procedure, a slender tube is inserted in a major blood vessel, and snaked along until the tip reaches the site of a blocked coronary or other artery. An even more slender tube is inserted inside the first one, ad when it reaches the open end of the first tube, it can be inflated, pushing all the "artery gunk" tightly against the arterial wall, creating more room for blood to flow.
Anyhow, as they wheeled me into the surgical suite, I was a little sedated but awake. Happy drowsy. From the gurney, I could see a big spray can of WD-40 sitting on the counter off to the side. The familiar thin red tube sticking out of it is about the same size as the main tube they insert to guide the thinner tube. My first thought, when I saw that can with the long thin tube protruding was "WD-40, man. Is there anything it *can't* fix?" I had drugged visions of them inserting the red tube and giving a shpritz to lubricate my circulatory system.
Mark Hammer Mark, that's something you'll never forget as certain things are burned into our minds. 🤓
If you had taken a moment to look to the other side, you'd have seen the roll of duct tape, and all of medicine had been revealed a hoax.
Super Glue (butyl CA, not ethyl CA) is marketed as an alternative to sutures in surgery. So, I don't doubt WD-40 has saved a life or two in it's long history.
@@Rick_Foley That's what is was created for...trauma use in battlefield situations
@@gregorythomas333 No, it was created as a glue many years ago. It's only been used in surgery since research done in the 1990s by a group of universities.
I think you're thinking of Tampax.
I grew up with a boat with an outboard motor. At the end of every summer season, our mechanic would take of the engine's cover and spray it down with WD-40 he kept in an old windex bottle. That's when I learned it displaced water: in the 1980s. You are only the second person to confirm that function!
I find it useful as a solvent to remove other dried up oils and gunk without causing a lot of collateral damage. Products made to remove grease/oil will usually also strip paint, destroy rubber, and cause other problems.
WD40 is basically just expensive petroleum in a spraycan. Its a water dispensant, nothing more, and also has no real lubrication from a tribological perspektive. If you want to remove oil/grease residues I strongly recommend plain old Diesel fuel, its cheap (well, comparably...), works just as well, wont attack bearing or shaft seals and remains wont interfer with ISO Standard gear or hydraulic oils (GLP, HLP etc.) so it can be used to flush gear housings and transmissions. And during winter time after flushing/cleaning it will warm you nicely... ;D
@@cnoxey6898 But WD40 comes in a very convenient small can that goes anywhere and dispenses at the press of a button. Also smells great (to me). Isn't that worth a couple extra bucks?
@@cnoxey6898 wd40 isnt a lubricant. Many people think it is, but its really the removing of dirt and gunk that makes it *feel* lubricated again. It doesnt actually lubricate stuff. Silicone oil works great for that.
I had a roommate put thick grease on our patio door rollers/track before, it collected dirt and dust and the door became progressively more difficult to open over time. Once it got to the point that opening the door felt like a workout, I thought enough was enough. A generous spray of WD 40 and a paper towel cleaned it right up and it was smooth as butter again.
@@KjKase stuff works wonders for cleaning stuff up. Same for brake cleaner, its cheaper than wd40 and also gets rid of pretty much anything sticky, gunky and nasty. Almost never use it to clean brakes though... i've done it maybe once
Not silly at all! Great video, very informative! I had no idea of the WD-40 rocketry origins. The Atlas footage and explanations are fascinating.
That's why the early cans used to say "Rocket WD-40". They dropped the Rocket tag years ago,
I worked at General Dynamics during the early Atlas days and can offer some comments.
WD40 wasn't the 40th attempt to develop a product, 40 was just a nice marketing number.
WD40 is the most expensive kerosene on the market.
I have no knowledge of WD40 being applied to the missile body before launch, I think it was related to protection of the spot welds that held the stainless sheets together. I ran some tests at the time and it didn't prevent rust on nails exposed to the weather.
The vernier engines were an idea put forward by James Crooks, who was also a co-inventor of the AZUSA tracking system. According to Jim, there was some doubt about being able to shut off the main engines precisely so the verniers were used to control the final velocity by burning after the main (Center engine) was stopped. They also provided some steering assistance during main engine burn. The design thrust of the verniers was 1000 pounds each and they had single axis movement.
During transport the Atlas missiles were not pressurized. Special trailers kept them in longitudinal tension during transportation.
There is always a question about the long structures on each side of the Atlas body. Simple answer. They held the electronics for guidance and tracking. I was a designer of the tracking system airborne components.
The AZUSA tracking system wasn't designed in the California city of AZUSA. Jim thought the tracking system was complex and had everything from A to Z in it.
My grandfather, Jim Mitchell, worked for McDonnell on the design of the capsule for the Mercury space vehicle. I'd sure like to hear more first hand accounts like yours.
Military project engineers are very much aligned with the crimes nations commit in every war.
You should of made the video 😂
I thought it was closer to mineral spirits/stoddard solvent than it was kerosene, am I wrong?
Where did you and mr crooks work? What state?
I used to work with an old fella that would spray WD on his elbows and knees before work .
Was he ashy? And was he named Larry?
Wasn't his name the tin woodman?
No shit both my parents used to do the same thing
They swear by it
🤣🤣🤣
Did it work?
I had a professor in college that was on the design team for the Atlas. He was very proud of the pressurized fuselage.
I'm guessing the pressurised fuselage was filled with pure oxygen.
@@Afrocanuk probably nitrogen because it is inert
Here in Louisiana when you bought a new Boat or just the Outboard Motor the first thing that we did was to remove the motor cover and spray WD-40 over the entire engine and let it sit in the Sun and give it several coats. This would prevent corrosion on the electrical connections as with the Powerhead and put a sticky coating on the engine for protection.
Did they have lithium grease back then it works well for that
Advice: never use WD40 on a crankset or headset on a bicycle you want to take for a ride, it will mainly eliminate the old grease in the ball bearings, which will be damaged if you use them "dry". (yes I destroyed many bike parts with that...)
But it's your friend when you try hard to loosen a bolt/screw.
first flush: WD40, second flush: acetone, then new lubricant.
Best household use of WD40: Creaking doors.
About the rockets: Expect SpaceX to order a huge batch of WD40 soon. Their Starships and Superheavy rockets are also stainless.
Agree with not using WD40 on a bike unless you want to clean off all the old grease residue and replace with new. Tired it myself as chain lubricant and learned the hard way how much damage it does.
WD40 is a cleaning and water-dispersing agent, not a lubricant.
You can run dry bearings, especially these days with ceramic balls. More of a thing on wheels, rather than cranks or headsets, but it's all friction.
@@paulmichaelfreedman8334 WD40 is for removing the old grease. if you just add WD40, then you will make stuff just worse. Go and get something containing either dry graphite, MoS or lithium. (just in case you want a lasting cure and not just intend to provoke regular revisits because you like to see the owner that door like a dentist just drilling out half what is neccesary in order to have regular visiting client.)
I use WD on my paint brushes after use , keeps them nice and soft , especially with enamels after cleaning
Great tip. Thanks
f@$k yeah never thought of that, cheers bro from 1 painter to another :)
@Daniel Rodriguez i usually use industrial hand cleaner, keeps them soft and keeps the bristles nice and unstuck down low in and around the brush stock
wow - another gem. thanks
Nice. Fk I 💗 YT
I doubt I've ever commented on a video of yours, but I must confess, I think you and your projects / videos are pretty awesome. It's GREAT to see such a good, hands-on channel that looks and feels like an old "tinker shed" of someone who really knew their analog electronics. Flipping 150,000% amazing.
I belonged to a Sport Car Club that ran Rallies thru the back woods in central Missouri. The “roads” we traveled on our Road Rallies often forded small creaks as part of the fun. The car distributor however did not work well when wet. WD40 was essential to get a wet distributor working again. Thanks for your discussion - it brought back great memories.
This channel is awesome! I stumbled across it and enjoy the enthusiasm of the topics! Just wanted to shout out that you're an inspiration to all of us that have a shop or tinkering area. Keep on doing great things!
I keep a can handy, 'just in case'. And I recently found it very useful for dissolving burnt-on grease on my old apartment stove top. The handyman was very impressed, he said my stovetop was the cleanest looking one in the whole complex. Just don't try to cook anything until you remove all the residuals and allow it to evaporate, air out, etc., first. I sprayed it on the yucky places and let it sit for a few minutes, then scrubbed and it came right off, very easily.
I'm going to have to try this, damn my love of bacon.
I use it mostly for cleaning things... Gets dirty old grease off things pretty well, also removes crayon from walls and other things.
Yep, Doom2pro. It makes a great degreaser.
It is excellent to get the tiny screws going again that control the condensor position in light microscopes, although orange peel oil (limonene / RotiHistol) does the trick quite as well
@Chris Deaven yeah sure but not in a pinch
Hardly a "silly" video, Fran! That was damn cool.
Used it as penetrating oil and is the best thing I know for noisy door hinges! Which I can see how a water displacement would help prevent rust from making a door squeak!
Awesome back story! And though I have no idea how your video dropped to my feed, but I'm so impressed - I have to see what you create next and subscribed!
Two great uses for WD-40
1, taking off and putting on bike grips
2, removing adhesive resdue of labels and stickers
My late father worked at Vandenberg in the early 1960s (as an engineer for Martin on the Titan II) and related some great stories about Atlas failures. I wish I had recorded him. But in one case the dummy warhead sailed up several miles after an Atlas exploded, before falling back to Earth like, in his words "Will E. Coyote falling off a cliff," and bouncing over the sandy dunes.
I don't even care if this is true, it's awesome.
From Redondo Beach we could see some rocket launches at explosions.
@@DanielBrownsan why do you think I'm fabricating this?
Oh yeah, the early ones failed a lot. The ones they chose to launch the first few astronauts were not chosen because they were perfect; they were chosen because they didn’t fail as often as the others.
Watch the movie "The Right Stuff" and look for the poor guy who pushes the button on all the failed rocket launches, he looks like he's about to have a nervous breakdown!
I recall that the old aerosol used to have a chequer pattern design, reminiscent of the markings on some early rockets.
The new cans with the swivel spout, AND the one with the bendy spout, plus all the specialty lubricants they make now, means I have a LOT of cans that say WD40 on them on my shelves.
New cans? For about 12 years already....at least!
I hate it so much when people say "I'll put some WD-40" on it when they want to lubricate something, but they actually mean WD-40 branded silicone or lithium spray.
Just missing the social lubricant. Then they would have it all covered.
About sewing machine oil: Did you know that the original sewing machine oil, and watch oil were sperm whale oil? So was Dexron, the first automatic transmission fluid. When I need a lightweight, non-gumming, high film strength oil I use automatic transmission fluid.
Interesting! I'm using ATF in my 2004 dirt jumper fork (basically it's a mountain bike with no rear suspension). I'm not doing dirt tracks but cross country, forest trails, needed faster action in all temperatures. Found it working really well.
Tak!
I remember finding an original can made by the Rocket Chemical Co.. Being young and stupid, we threw it on the bonfire to see if it would make a big bang. It did.
Your whole universe was in a hot dense state..
@@kellyjackson7889 That's a dad level joke. Game recognizes game.
Good to see some people were as stupid as me when i was young, the joy of chucking things into fires that you really shouldn't have, the joy of being young........
Not stupid, curious!
oh yea in the lab its were i work oh yeeeeeeeeah
Apprenticed to a locksmith back in 1972'. He was also an ex-OSS operative. He swore by WD-40. We used it constantly in frozen and/or graphite clogged locksets and in auto doors, ignitions etc. Thanks for the FYI. Brings it all back home to roost. Cheers.🍾🥂🙏❤
When cleaning dirty machinery these days I've taken to using spray on canolia cooking oil: much cheeper, non toxic (edable) and no smell! Also does wonders for preserving wood in hot dry environments.
In Australian weather that stuff can go rancid in under a day :O
Nice! I knew is stood for Water Displacement but I'd never heard about it in regard to the Atlas rocket. Thanks! I use it mostly as a solvent for loosening gummed up parts, cleaning old grease off of things, etc., and for protecting steel surfaces in the unheated garage where there's often condensation in winter.
The most useful fluid in my workshop is Ballistol Universal Oil - Formulated for the German army prior to WW1 it'll serve for just about everything you need an oil for, not just a lubricant but also a preservative for wood and leather. It'll even double as a linament and wound cleaner at a stretch - a certified medical grade version of the same stuff is available.
I use it for practically everything now, particularly where 3 in1 oil was often too viscous.
💞❤️💫🌟💫❤️💞
A cup of coffee and a squirt of that stuff under the armpits really gets me up to speed in the morning ...
👍 priceless😂
Thought it was just me.
Thank you Robocop. 👍
@@jamesbarisitz4794
😂👍
@@jamesbarisitz4794 I'd buy that for a dollar.
I am a cyclist. I keep a clean and lubed chain. I use a chain cleaner with a degreaser, rinsed with a lot of water. Afterwards, I use WD-40 to disperse water at the chain pin before applying chain lube (to each pin separately) Happy chain, happy cyclist. We lost an Atlas on static display at the National Museum of the United States Airforce years ago when a compressor failed (or a leak formed) and the missile displayed upright collapsed under its own weight.
You’d think they’d replace a structural fuel tank that is only strong pressurized with, like, a wooden frame or something.
Bicycle mechanic & long distance rider: WD “works” on a lot of things in a pinch, but it’s not a lubricant and it “picks up” SO MUCH road grime. I’d say it’s okay - but not recommended - on some places like your chain, but it almost seems to help grit get inside hubs, cassettes/freewheels.
@@jonathannagel7427 I once dry lubed my chain - warm it in paraffin to clean out the sh1te, then drape into (carefully!) melted parafiin wax. Remove and hang to dry/solidify. More work than modern chemicals, but highly effective as it reaches the internal bearing surfaces, I believe.
@@benpotter614 Old school!!!
@@ivorjawa The museum walks that line when preserving and conserving its artifacts. As close to as it was as possible.
Thank you, Fran. This was enlightening. I've always used WD-40 for door hinges and rusty bike chains. I had no idea it had anything to do with nuclear war lol
Thanks for this fact, I'm a teacher in the UK and will spread your knowledge. This explains why it works so well on a whiteboard in my classroom, it stops the water-based Ink from drying too much so iot's easy to wipe off
Don't use it on your blackboard, it'll go all flaky on the corners!
So glad to see your channel has grown, you deserve it! Always enjoyed the content you put out as a fellow electronic technician / tinkerer.
The episode of king of the hill, when hank uses the small can of WD40 on his belt to lubricate and loosen the lid of a large can of WD40.
That’s my favourite “king of the hill moment!”... thanks!
The best
😂
That was awesome, I spend 25 years in the Rocket business and everything Fran said is true.
Tony- You must live near Huntsville.
Yep, my dad said much the same. He worked for General Dynamics before I was born, in the early 60s, and I did indeed grow up in Huntsville. (Though by that time he worked for a different contractor)
Hibbeler productions channel may help
We'll need to see some credentials
This was very interesting and I did not realise its connection to the Atlas rocket. I first used it in the 1970s in England and remember that the can was marked with a rocket image and I seem to recall it was actually called 'Rocket WD40'.
Used it just yesterday to loosen seized bolts so decided to look up on RUclips what is this stuff so delighted to have come across your channel. I also used it beneath the windscreen wiper motor of my car, the open drain that takes rainwater away from the windscreen and dumps it via the wheel arch.
Fact : I mostly use it to prevent rust on machinery that won't be used for a while. For lubrication I actually use silicone grease.
I also use silicone grease... BUT. From WD-40's own website (not sure where everyone is getting that WD40 isn't a lubricant) :
Myth: WD-40 Multi-Use Product is not really a lubricant.
Fact: While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, WD-40 Multi-Use Product is a unique, special blend of lubricants. The product’s formulation also contains anti-corrosion agents and ingredients for penetration, water displacement and soil removal.
@@urwholefamilydied well, I'd say it's a lubricant by accident, kinda like banana peels.
Stuff I thought I knew set straight by Fran. Again. Awesome stuff! Fabulous post credits end segment!!!
Totally love the end segment. Came here to say this.
Fran your knowledge is immense and I wish I could learn electronics from someone like you. Number one you’re extremely knowledgeable and you seem like the type of person that can teach! Keep up the good work! I’m so into old-school HI-FI and rebuilding amplifiers and even my old Jukebox etc. I wish I could have a teacher like you to take me to the next level!!
I remember my old man telling me in the 70's that WD-40 had been used on rockets although I don't think he went in to the details, he swore by it for water replants properties too, on a cold damp British winter morning if the car didn't feel like starting, he'd spray the inside of the spark plug caps and leads with WD-40 to dispel moisture. I am not too sure if it was even generally available in the UK at that time, but he worked for an American company that made garage equipment Sun Electric and I'm sure they had something to do with the distribution in Europe of wd-40.
It was redily available I must have used gallons of the stuff also the other one Contec aka Duck Oil.
If you lived in the U.K. in the 70s and owned a Mini you would have a can of this in the door pocket to spray over your distributor cap to dispel water in the wet weather.
You are absolutely right about sewing machine oil. For years I used 3 in 1 oil, until another engineer convinced me of the virtues of Singer oil. There was still a sewing machine service shop in town at that time, and we'd go buy a case lots of the stuff at a time. Very finely made lubricant.
This video holds really valuable information. It is a gem. You did really good with this.
I did not know it was used in the rocket series. Thank you for teaching me a new fact. You're the best.
Years ago WD40 cans had "as used on the Atlas missile" printed on them.
It saved me from being stranded because of tired, old spark plugs wires which were shorting out, causing my old Chevy Nova to stumble and barely run due to high humidity. Sprayed 'em down, and it got me home. Great motivation to change out the spark plugs wires.
I really like your advice about using Motor oil for gears. I tend to use lithium grease for that sort of thing but a motor oil or like you were saying, a light sewing machine oil would be appropriate depending on the duty of the gears
Transmission oil would be even better since that's literally gear oil.
Worth also pointing out that despite the fact that I STILL see posts in various places from people saying it contains fish oil and silicone, it doesn't and never has done.
Kerosene and a bit of oil. Removes road tar fast. The 40 designation probably designates the ratio that worked the best.
Fish oil is my go-to emergency lube, chains, screws, drill bits, etc.
Hi Fran, your Frantone site also needs updates for security
Our Apple iPad shows “not secure”
the Huntsville Space Museum has an Atlas V. It is on its side and you can walk right up to it and bang on its thin shell. You can also poke your head into the engines and see all the plumbing and wiring.
I actually knew this. We sprayed it in "old distributor caps", after going thru water/rain...
... or the car wash.
I've heard the water displacement part of the WD40 story before.
A very good penetrating lubricant is Kroil by Kano Labs (they also make gauge oils thinner than sewing machine oil), I was discussing it one day with a Jet Engine mechanic and he told me that one of their secrets is just ordinary Wintergreen oil. It's a very fine oil that creeps into the smallest crevices.
Worst oil is silicone oil, because it will contaminate surfaces almost forever, and, due to it's combustion product being silicon dioxide ( otherwise known as carborundum, silicon dioxide, or garnet, the major abrasive used in grinding pastes and sandpaper) getting it into a combustion reaction spells bad things in the future for that engine. however, when blended with a soap to make a grease, you can get it to be very tenacious, and also to have a massive operating temperature range, from cryogenic all the way almost to red hot, though not all the way for the same formulation, but over a 200C range the viscosity can be nearly constant.
WD40 is a preservative and cleaner, it has almost no long term lubricity, and in contrast will actually hasten wear by removing the existing oil films. It also is a very light oil, so evaporates reasonably rapidly, leaving only a thin film of the heavier components behind, acting as a barrier layer to reduce corrosion. in the rocket application this was desired, to save the carrying of the few dozen kilograms of oil up to orbit, as it was really only there for the fuelling operation and the first minute of flight, being scoured off after that by friction and heat. It enabled long term storage of the Atlas rocket, though you were forever doing fresh applications of it in storage, to keep the thin barrier layer intact.
Still used for that on modern munitions, though there they often use a soaked sponge in the inside of the hermetic container to hold the oil, so the vapour as it evaporates permeates the inner of the container, but does not leave a thick film behind. Also done with vacuum packed materials to have a thin film in storage that will not otherwise affect performance.
Would you say kroil smelled like pine at all?
@@AngDavies like pine sol cleaner.
@@Fireship1 interesting, was wondering if one of the other "propriety ingredients" might be pine oil, the toxicity data is a match, and to not much else
Pine-sol did contain a lot of pine oil, though now I think its just scent.
Wintergreen is kinda toxic, especially to kids- it is basically liquid aspirin, methyl salicylate rather than acetyl, so it probably doesn't make up too much of the total
@@AngDavies someone once told me that Kroil is a form of diesel oil. If that’s true, maybe they put the pine scent in there to hide the evidence as well as the diesel smell? When I use it I always think of Pine Sol. My mother used it for years when I was a kid, so it’s a scent I know well!
Fran is incredible. I'm very impressed.
hi Fran... how u can answer my question. What is the current method of de-icing modern rockets during take-off? Do they use non-stick coating and the vibrations just shake-off the ice?
I'm from Germany and I can tell you that in every shop here we have WD40 too... a very informative video, far away from being silly... thanks a lot.
Some fun? I'm 58 and I heard a conversation between some young ladys at a party. They talk about their first road trips, new driver licence and so on, but than they talked about changing the motoroil. And one of them say: "Oh yes, with WD40...."
They looked very angry about my hard laughing...
WD-40 isn't a lubricant; it's more like an *anti* -lubricant. It flushes away whatever lubricant was there before.
That's one thing that I use it for.
Another is to freshen up dried-out printer/typewriter ribbons.
once I learned this I started to use proper spray lubricants for squeaky things. One that worked really well on an office chair for me was the stuff we use for the spring and chain on our garage door.
When I was at Indiana State University (1981 - 1984) they had a Nova computer that used paper tape to load programs. The company provided a can of lubricant. Removing the label revealed that it was a can of WD-40.
I remember using a Data General Nova at a bank I worked at back in the late 70’s. It was replaced at some point by a Digital PDP-11. Both great mini-computers for their time.
@@Boris_Chang Yep, ISU had a PDP-11 when I was there.
I remember a Professor going through the hallway with a digital camera. It was so big, it had to be placed on a cart.
If I remember correctly, they imported the pictures into the PDP-11.
I love learning new things!
Here in the UK there are two things virtually guaranteed to be found in every house: Tea in the kitchen and a can of WD-40 in the garage.
😁
🇬🇧
Here in Germany, too. Well, either tea or coffee in the kitchen.
I always used it for the outside gates hinges to keep them quiet, makes sense that it would still be working after multiple rain falls considering what the WD stands for.
Yes it's design was for displacing water, but it is still a great lubricant and penetrating oil too, people usually have a can around the house for those annoying squeaky hinges, instant fix that lasts. Great degreaser too, although brake cleaner is better if you want the surface dry and free of any oily film. Great for rust prevention too, but I feel ACF-50 does a better/longer term job for that. WD-40 is also more the company name now too, they have many different products these days, including brake cleaners, chain oil etc.
It's one of the worst things you can use for door hinges. It makes dust and dirt stick to the bearing surfaces. Grease is what you want. You could also use dry graphite.
@@thePretendgineer grease is much worse, with WD-40, you spray, wipe and your sorted for years. There are no bearings btw 😂
I love the smell of WD40 if my wife would have used it as perfume we would of had more kids.
40 kids maybe.😂😂
*would have
@@angolin9352 as my wife says still have not mastered the english language.
Back in the early 80s there were a couple of men's colognes,,, and a friend of mine was trying to remember which one he was wearing,, he said he was wearing 'Eternity',,, or was it,, 'Infinity'???,, I sniffed him and said,,, Double You Dee,,, Forty!!! you kinda had to be there
Most of the user would die of cancer or some other horrible disease before even engaged in the torpedo tubes.
(If u need an explanation ur clearly not old enough.)
Wow. Just knowing where it’s name came from helps me understand its uses. Thankyou Fran.... you’re the best!
Fran, you are great to listen to and you are very intelligent! Being a petroIhead I usually look at classic car and mechanics videos but, you have caught my attention. Great videos, extremely informative and educational .thank you.
Thanks!
Thanks for the video, I knew about the 40 time they got it to be a water displacement , but I had no idea about the history behind why it was made . I work as an A&P , aircraft mechanic. No matter were I'v worked there is always a can of W40 .
WD-40 was used on all of the Atlas rockets that had the stainless steel tanks throughout the assembly process to prevent corrosion. I worked on the Atlas in the early '90s. The mechanics would apply it with large dust mops. My desk was in the BAR (Booster Assembly Room). One cold morning I almost caused one to collapse. I opened one of the large hangar doors to vent some diesel exhaust and as the cold air rushed in, the pumps that kept up the inter pressure of one of the rocket tanks failed to keep up and and a large dent the tank began to form as it slowly began collapsing. I saw this and ran over to close the door. Fortunately in a couple of minutes, the pump caught up again and rigidity was restored.
Sounds like my sex life.
Was the tank inspected after that happened?
@@alext8828 , it does. It’s actually corrosion resistant, not corrosion proof. And the ratio of the alloy makes a difference.
@@user2C47, the incident was never reported and I don’t think it was all that uncommon. My understanding was the worst thing that would happen was the inner hemispherical bullhead could reverse, causing the tank to be scrapped, but I never heard of any structural integrity being compromised by a little buckle like that one and in fact, there were no issues wit that rocket at all.
This is becoming one of my favorite informative channels. I enjoyed that clip at the end, you've earned a new subscriber.
I work in the heavy industry and i use it for making a conductive surface for a 360A CNC Plasma cutter. Also the oil makes the pierce on a 40 millimeter sheet spatter free. Love it. From Sweden.
Learned this as a kid. Turn off the outside light, removed the bulb, spray WD-40 into the outlet, put the bulb back in and use as intended (without moisture). Thanks Fran.
That last piece of footage from the exploded Atlas-rocket was used (at the end) in Koyaanisqatsi; imho one of the best films ever made!
That film certainly caused a "consciousness shift" for me back in the 80's ...
(and introduced me to the music of Philip Glass)
Love the last piece of footage.... now I need to look up Koyaanisqatsi.
RIP center engine.
Ditto best watched in a cinema
Supposedly WD-40 is a good lubricant for machining aluminum.
It actually is, for small jobs. Big jobs still call for water soluble oil coolant.
Strong agreement, from experience, to both of these comments!
Use windshield antifreeze !
You will never use WD40 again !
Use dry ice if the Aluminum is to soft ...
What a legend you are Fran ! I love it how you just randomly take time out to explain all this stuff to us / it’s so cool 😎 thankyou 😊
A really enjoyable video. Only just discovered your channel today. I'm finally learning electronics and electrics and my head is not hurting. Thank you!
Good refresher i only remembered it was for spare use and something freezing. ? What ever happened to tryflow
As a kid I thought WD-40 was designed to set tennis balls on fire.
Well isn't it?!?
Me too lol
What no
I skipped the tennis balls and set the fire free directly from the can
Laughing, turns spa blowers into rocket engines also. Used to deliver spas and sometimes water would get into the blower and a co-worker would drown the electric motor with it and hit the reset button with the customers out of sight. Probably not good for the thin insulation on the windings, but it displaced the water!
I knew WD-40 was water displacement but I never realised it was originally space age application. WD-40 always works great on my water soaked distributor on my old HK Holden.
I actually learned some today. How the Atlas actually worked and what WD-40 is actually used for. Thanks for the video.
I enjoyed this video. Reminds me of my grandfather who worked for rockidine machining parts for the thrusters. He always had a can of WD-40 on his work bench. He later died of cancer as a result of working on those space shuttle parts. My son wants to be a astronaut scientist when he grows up. Just subscribed as a result of your pleasant video here. Thanks.
I knew it was WD= water displacement and 40 was the 40th formula try. I was told it was to displace water on the switches witch would form on Apollo, Gemini and Mercury as water would condensate in the capsule. But your explanation brings it back many years before those vehicles. Was it also used on the Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury flights?
I agree. WD-40, which, I might add, I don't have on hand, has lots of uses, but for general lube/protection stuff I use a far older product called Ballistol.
I use CLP and lubriplate SFL-0 for a variety of things, never liked the fish component of ballistol
Best all-round oil for metal, wood and even your skin if you want 😉
@@keeganwebber There's nothing in Ballistol derived from fish.
@@excavatoree that must be an urban legend due to the smell lol
it's good stuff - too bad it literally stinks.
I love the retro future lettering on your shirt. I wish I knew the name of that font.
its the star trek font
It's called Nasalization, designed by Ray Larabie maybe 20 years ago, based on the official NASA logo of the mid 70s.
🤔👍🇬🇧
I use it on wasps when I'm out of wasp spray.
It's better, anyway. Insects are smothered by the oil in insecticide sprays (breathing thru spiracles on the body skin). The bug spray deposits poison everywhere that didn't kill em.
I've heard that brake cleaner makes wasps drop out of the sky on contact.
Carb cleaner works good for wasps
@@firealarmsandrc43 Breakclean works better and faster than any bug spray I have ever used. The red can that is, not sure about the more environmentally friendly green can stuff. The green can stuff sucks and absolutely doesn't work on the things I need it to at work so I stopped buying it.
i heard that “weight” in oil is actually referred to “winter”. Is that true?
Is there anything by Fran on the Saturn 5 flight computers (hand woven bits)
Not silly at all; never knew this! Quite interesting. Thanks once again, Fran!
I find it interesting that SpaceX is using a similar though updated Atlas construction in its Starship with the wall being stainless and comprising the sides of the tanks. At least SpaceX's ships can stand unpressurized. Yeah I only found out last year that the WD stood for water displacer, LOL. I always used it as a lube because I could never find my oil and the WD40 was everywhere.
Some cool footage there, some of which was seen in Koyanisquatsi I believe.
I take it you know of Samsara as well then.
Singer sewing machine oil or generics are excellent. Motor oils can be tricky. Tuntables like Singer. WD40 cleans switches almost as well as Prof solutions. Thanks Fran.
RUclips randomly offered this video and what a great piece. I was supposed to go to bed and now I have to view a few more because this looks like a great channel to explore.
Once again, absolutely fascinating Fran!
Who knew that something as common as WD40 had such an interesting origin.
Thank you 😊
You literally made a commercial for wd40 a history lesson well done great job 👏
When I was in high school, just a few years ago (cough, cough 87’), I drove a 1959 Ford pick-up that would mostly get you where you wanted to go. Not always in the timeframe that you expected, but you get the picture. If it rained you had to have a can of WD-40 behind the seat. After 15-20 minutes of sloshing down a wet road the engine would die out and I’d have to get out and pop the distributor cap off and WD-40 the points. After that it would fire right up and run for another 15-20! In that same truck you also needed a passenger along when it rained due to the holes in the floorboards. Turning left wasn’t a problem, but when you made a right turn it shot water all over the driver! No radio in that truck. Also didn’t go over 45mph, and that was downhill with a tailwind. Loved that truck!
Got a good laugh out of that, thanks for sharing! Would’ve loved to have seen that truck in action firsthand.
The footage during the atlas explanation was amazing. That made the whole video! Thanks for the knowledge
So if my windshield is frozen over, I can spray some wd-40 on it to clear it faster?
What about spraying it the night before pre-emptivley?
Why did it take this many years to learn the early nasa rockets ejected the rockets instead of the tanks!
ICBMs weren't nasa rockets
@@asherael Early rockets used by NASA, to place humans (briefely) in space.
Before that they added a system to escape the dangerous balloon rocket.
@@ReinoGoo Did I miss talk of Nasa using that system? I only heard mention of the ICBMs. If I'm mistaken and that was covered, I'm sorry
@@asherael It was!
The first rockets used to launch humans were all derived from missiles. Yuri Gagarin rode on a rocket adapted from the R-7 Semyorka (and the Soyuz rocket used today is still an evolution of that). The Redstone, Atlas and Titan used by the US Mercury and Gemini programs all started out as missiles too--the Redstone that launched Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom on suborbital flights was actually a short-range missile, and the Atlas and Titan were ICBMs.
@@MattMcIrvin MMHM! I knew the Russian one was. I'd assumed there was some dialogue, but hadn't processed that our early rockets were just the ICBMS wearing a different hat.
Very interesting. As an Aerospace Engineer who specialized in rockets after graduating in the mid-70s, this was a flashback in history for me.
While serving in the Royal Australian Air Force, Canberra in 1969-70, the equipment store had a WD-40 advert on the wall.
It read: Do you have tight nuts, rusty tools? Then you need WD-40. It lubricates those dry passages and makes screwing a pleasure!
That's funny. Thanks
This was very informative and educational. Thank you!
I use it as a cutting fluid when machining or drilling Aluminium.
I believe you have Some omissions. It's primary ingredient is fish oil. Oil by nature is a lubricant. It doesn't have a SAE viscosity assignment, if it was tested it would likely test below SAE 2. It's very light viscosity is why it is a great product when used as a penatrating oil on threads or seized mechanisms in addition to its water displacement characteristics. WD40 is great for preventing rust, especially in humid coastal areas. But to grab your tools and have them slip away, or makes me question you assessment it's not a lubricant, it absolutely reduces surface tention. Ît also collects dust and debris just like a SAE rated lubricant. It is also a safe lubricant for equipment used in food perperation with incremental food contact. I feel WD40 is a very useful product and by the sheer number of daily applications as a high quality lubricant justifies that claim as true. Sincerely Fran, it walks like a duck, Scott
What an interesting little history lesson. Thank you!