Cheap DIY WD40 substitute

[Sclass]

I saw this video and decided to make some light lubricant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9dEwqAM2ws

I used up a free can of WD40 and was shocked to find the can ran over $5 to replace. I am using it on an O-ring motorycle chain. It seems good to keep the o-rings lubricated. This type of chain already has grease sealed into the links. The key to longevity is maintaining the o-rings so they can keep the grease in. I do not recommend WD40 on bicycle chains. It just evaporates away and doesn't seem to lubricate as well as the purpose made bicycle chain waxes.

Okay, so I got tired of paying $5 for the can then having to toss the empty can into the landfill. So I made this squeeze bottle. Dish detergent bottle. Hot glued a little plastic ink pen tube into the top. Melted the tube closed at the tip then rammed a hot pin into it to create a tiny nozzle for precision dropping of the lubricant on to the chain links. I hate dribbling the aerosol can all over the place and putting 50% of the can's contents on my floor to get 50% of it on my chain.



Then I need something to put in it. I don't want to use paint thinner or charcoal fluid because they're expensive. 10W40 motor oil is a little thick too. So I go to Autozone. Guys are changing oil in the parking lot. Light bulb goes off. I dig in the trash and find these empty jugs. Guys leave 1/4 cup of new oil in the bottom of these jugs because they're in too much of a hurry to drain them out when doing a parking lot oil change. I take the jugs - I picked ones with light 0W20 Mobil 1 synthetic oil in the bottoms. During a fill of my diesel car I put 3/4 cup of diesel into each jug and shook it up. I put the contents into my squeeze bottle. Diesel is close enough to paint thinner or kerosene and it costs less than $2/gallon right now.



Yay!!!! cheap lubricant in a precision oil dropper. Reduced landfill waste. Kind of stuff we like here.

I generally don't like WD40 because it is such a light lubricant. But it seems to work well on o-ring motorcycle chains. It has it's place in the DIY fixit world. Nice around the house on squeeky hinges, sticky door bolts etc. My bottle doesn't make tiny aerosol droplets that I hate inhaling. I love it. I think the WD40 empire has designed a nozzle specifically to waste as much of the contents of the can in short order. You know it kind of evaporates away after a few weeks leaving a squeaky hinge that needs more WD40...hmmm.

[tommytebco]

the "WD" in the brand name stands for "Water Displacement" that was the original design purpose. The lab guys found a bunch of alternate uses and someone finally decided to sell publically.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40

[Toska2]

I work in a lab and my boss bought a bunch of non-autoclavable drop dispenser bottles like this:

https://www.rei.com/product/634320/nalg ... le-2-fl-oz

Handy for smaller jobs

[jacob]

Actually I use WD-40 for the water-displacement ability where spraying comes in handy. Specifically, DW made a cloth roll where I keep my files. Whenever I use a file and put it back in the sleeve, I spray THAT sleeve, then I roll it up again. I got that trick from reading an account from the Pardeys (world sailors) ... they'd keep all their ship tools in a metal drawer. After using a tool they're hose the entire drawer with wd40. They never had any rust problems ... and that in a salt water environment.

The only place I use WD-40 on a bicycle is to remove handle grips. Squirt some WD40 in there with a tube and you can slide them off w/o cutting them. Use it anywhere else and you'll have a major debate on your hands (ala politics and eternal disagreements ... that level). For chains, I use drop application of chain oil (triflow and park tool)... still on my first two bottles.

[Sclass]

Anyone know what gives it the water displacing action? Silicone oil?

I also heard it has some rust inhibitors. Any ideas what chemicals might do that?

Those are nice dropper bottles. I never would have thought to check REI. I should drive over there. They have nice stuff like high quality ropes.

[Toska2]

Before you buy let me see what I can find and give away (legally).

I confirmed that contact solution bottle caps do come off with a tug. Thought about Heinz no spill ketchup bottles too.

[Gilberto de Piento]

Use Windex instead of wd40 to remove bike grips. Windex evaporates and wd40 does not. Even better is compressed air.

[vexed87]

WD40 is mostly solvent, and I used to use it a long time ago as a degreaser before I realised that citrus based degreasers existed. The oil is too light to use for lubrication without frequent applications, particularly in dusty/wet environments.

[Sclass]

Before you buy let me see what I can find and give away (legally).

I confirmed that contact solution bottle caps do come off with a tug. Thought about Heinz no spill ketchup bottles too.

Buy? That's a dirty word!

I just like going over to REI to look around. I rarely buy anything there because it's really expensive. Nice stuff to look at and touch though. I also like seeing the photos of the vacations and wondering how much they cost.

I buy ropes there. I'm not a climber but their ropes are just too nice to resist. Great for tying cargo.

I like striking up conversations there. It's an interesting clientele.

Sometimes I put one one of those fancy $300 jackets and pose for a selfie then hang it back on the rack.

Thanks for the offer but I'm covered. The soap bottle oiler is working great. It seals and it holds 8 oz of oil so I don't have to "make" batches often. The soap bottle has a screw top similar to a ketchup bottle. I didn't think of that one.

[Sclass]

the "WD" in the brand name stands for "Water Displacement" that was the original design purpose. The lab guys found a bunch of alternate uses and someone finally decided to sell publically.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40

I read the references on this wiki entry and got to the one about the CEO of WD40.

The stock has done well over the last decade. I didn't even know they were a public company. Small cap. I got the idea it was privately owned by some people laughing all the way to the bank.

[George the original one]

Anyone know what gives it the water displacing action? Silicone oil?

Rumour is originally contained fish oil(*). Cheap sources of fish oil went extinct as fish oil became used for other purposes in the '60s, so now is petroleum-based.

(*) Sport fishermen used to use it to remove human scent from lures. There are still some who stick to tradition, but most now use real fish scent products and/or wear gloves.

[tommytebco]

I make chain oil out of 1/2 engine oil and 1/2 automatic transmission fluid. This was recommended by a frugal bicycle magazine writer years ago.
Seems it work well. The previous post about using the dregs from purchased bottles would work fine. (SHAME CONFESSION HERE!!) I bought a quart of ATF myself.

[enigmaT120]

For a penetrating oil, the best is supposed to be a 50 - 50 mix of automatic tranny fluid (Dexron?) and acetone. I haven't tried it, I'm waiting to use up my cans of PB Blaster.

I use bicycle chain lube on my bike chains. It lasts a long time, so I never thought about making a substitute.

[jacob]

Not to hijack ... but any quick suggestions for substitutes for oils for fine mechanics like clocks, watches, binoculars, scopes, ... ?

[Sclass]

Not to hijack ... but any quick suggestions for substitutes for oils for fine mechanics like clocks, watches, binoculars, scopes, ... ?

I usually don't use cheap oil on this kind of stuff because ruining it can cost more than buying the appropriate lubricant. I recall stripping and cleaning a friend's pistol after she used salad oil to lube it. Another friend lubed her Swiss sewing machine with salad oil and that one went to a repairman. For watches I coughed up the $$$ for the Bergeon synthetic escapement oil.

If you wanted something like mainspring oil I'd feel confident using the following.

To lubricate the pivots in my Swiss Army knives I use mineral baby oil from Walmart. Equate brand. Thin and watery yet edible (I think) in case I cut a sandwich. It is petroleum based. Doesn't seem to oxidize (gel up) much when exposed to air for long periods. I don't know about its high temperature performance. It's cheap. Smells perfumy.

Go to the Walmart tool section and you can find air tool oil. This is another light machine oil. It is pretty cheap at about $5 for eight oz. Make sure you don't get the castor based stuff. You want petroleum/mineral or synthetic.

Honing oil. Not sure where to get this stuff locally. Neighborhood hardware stores used to carry it before the manufacture of disposable Chinese knives.

As mentioned in the OP 0W20 synthetic motor oil. Auto manufacturers have gone to really inviscid stuff for efficiency. This is not your grandad's motor oil. It's watery thin. And you can salvage the remaining oil left in the bottom of jugs and bottles at the Autozone dumpster. I was absolutely shocked what people left behind after an oil change. Drain the dregs from four jugs and you may get a cup of clean new oil for free. Since Accords, civics, corrollas, camrys etc use this it's the jug du jour in the trash.

[ChrisAtTTL]

"I think the WD40 empire has designed a nozzle specifically to waste as much of the contents of the can in short order."

Haha, yes -- perhaps that's the intention!

Thanks to the OP for some ideas on lubrication and the little DIY bottle idea.

In general, white lithium grease also a really solid lubricant from some applications where WD40 is way too light.

[Sclass]

Yeah this is an old post. I’m still doing this. Collect empty Mobil 1 jugs from the trash at the auto parts store and drain them into a pickle jar. I have a full jar (10 oz) full of oil now. Mix with a shot of diesel for a carrier oil and you have a great lube for chains, hinges, sewing machines, reloading presses, brake levers, car hood latches, etC.

I bought a used car two years ago from a premechanical idiot. His only tool was WD40. He left several full cans in the trunk so I have a new supply. Oddly I found $30 of loose change under the seat while cleaning up the car. He kept dropping coins and never picked them up. Took me half an hour to collect it all and wash all the soda syrup off it. Not bad on a $1400 car.

I’ve been using a lot of Equate brand Baby Oil for my pocket knives, hand mixer, bread machine. Supposedly it’s food grade.