Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Any other ideas?

https://imgur.com/47180QO

On 29/08/2020 12:20, ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Hot air *might* work - but it will not tend to give the thermal shock
you get from a blow torch or similar. (ideally you want bits to expand /
contract bits of it at different rates to force some movement in the
rusted contact surfaces)


Any other ideas?

The yanks seem to get good results with Evapo-rust leaving it soaking
for a day or more.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.

WD40 isn't necessarily the best thing for freeing rusted joints,
'proper' penetrating oil such as Plus-Gas may do better and/or other
even more specialised formulae.

--
Chris Green
·

ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Any other ideas?

https://imgur.com/47180QO

From the picture (and not being wholly familiar with lathe mechanics)
I'm not quite clear what's supposed to slide on what.

I *looks* as if the threaded screw is meant to rotate and move the
lump of metal with a groove in it across the other U-section larger
piece of metal. Given that I'm not quite clear why tapping at the
green arrow points would help, especially the ones on the LHS.

The harder I look the less I'm clear about what's meant to slide! :-)

However, one thing that's worth trying (it's often worked for me) is
to hit the seized joint so that you squeeze it, preferably with a
heavy block or bigger hammer on the opposite side to increase the
effect of the hitting.

--
Chris Green
·

ss used his keyboard to write :
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit too
hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

WD40 is next to useless as a penetrating oil, try a proper penetrating
oil or diesel.

Hot air gun may help a little, I would hot and cold shock, spraying
penetrating oil at the thread block interface so the cold contraction
helps draw the oil in.

On Saturday, 29 August 2020 13:34:37 UTC+1, wrote:
ss used his keyboard to write :

I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit too
hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

WD40 is next to useless as a penetrating oil, try a proper penetrating
oil or diesel.

+1. The best penetrating oil is ATF. It's 100% detergent oil. If no solvent is added it's just slower to penetrate.


Hot air gun may help a little, I would hot and cold shock, spraying
penetrating oil at the thread block interface so the cold contraction
helps draw the oil in.

Check out youtube, there are numerous ways to free up rusted parts. Evaporust is sponsoring lots of youtubers to promote their overpriced solution. Project Farm trialled some options.


NT

On Sat, 29 Aug 2020 12:41:13 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.

WD40 isn't necessarily the best thing for freeing rusted joints,
'proper' penetrating oil such as Plus-Gas may do better and/or other
even more specialised formulae.

Plus Gas and all those kind of products are pretty useless TBH, esp if
they've been on the shelf for a while. Best results come from freshly
mixing isopropyl alcohol with a thin hydrocarbon oil and giving that
mixture time to penetrate.
A heat gun is far too puny and not worth bothering with IMO.

https://imgur.com/47180QO

From the picture (and not being wholly familiar with lathe mechanics)
I'm not quite clear what's supposed to slide on what.

I *looks* as if the threaded screw is meant to rotate and move the
lump of metal with a groove in it across the other U-section larger
piece of metal. Given that I'm not quite clear why tapping at the
green arrow points would help, especially the ones on the LHS.

The harder I look the less I'm clear about what's meant to slide! :-)

However, one thing that's worth trying (it's often worked for me) is
to hit the seized joint so that you squeeze it, preferably with a
heavy block or bigger hammer on the opposite side to increase the
effect of the hitting.

The threaded screw turns and moves the smaller metal part along the 2
rods. The 2 rods should just push out and locked with grub screws, so in
theory tapping at the green arrows should push out the 2 metal slides.
I dont want to thump too hard in case I break it.

ss wrote:


https://imgur.com/47180QO

From the picture (and not being wholly familiar with lathe mechanics)
I'm not quite clear what's supposed to slide on what.

I *looks* as if the threaded screw is meant to rotate and move the
lump of metal with a groove in it across the other U-section larger
piece of metal. Given that I'm not quite clear why tapping at the
green arrow points would help, especially the ones on the LHS.

The harder I look the less I'm clear about what's meant to slide! :-)

However, one thing that's worth trying (it's often worked for me) is
to hit the seized joint so that you squeeze it, preferably with a
heavy block or bigger hammer on the opposite side to increase the
effect of the hitting.

The threaded screw turns and moves the smaller metal part along the 2
rods. The 2 rods should just push out and locked with grub screws, so in
theory tapping at the green arrows should push out the 2 metal slides.
I dont want to thump too hard in case I break it.

Ah, so not only should the bit with a groove move across the other but
the two rods shpuld be possible to extract.

My suggestion still stands, put something large and heavey underneath
and bang the top with a hammer. No risk of breaking anything and it
might do the trick.

--
Chris Green
·

On Sat, 29 Aug 2020 06:10:03 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Saturday, 29 August 2020 13:34:37 UTC+1, wrote:
ss used his keyboard to write :

I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit too
hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

WD40 is next to useless as a penetrating oil, try a proper penetrating
oil or diesel.

+1. The best penetrating oil is ATF. It's 100% detergent oil. If no solvent is added it's just slower to penetrate.

+1 Tabs. ATF and IPA 50-50 mix. If that doesn't shift it then an oxy
torch surely will.

On 29/08/2020 14:45, ss wrote:


https://imgur.com/47180QO

Â*From the picture (and not being wholly familiar with lathe mechanics)
I'm not quite clear what's supposed to slide on what.

I *looks* as if the threaded screw is meant to rotate and move the
lump of metal with a groove in it across the other U-section larger
piece of metal.Â* Given that I'm not quite clear why tapping at the
green arrow points would help, especially the ones on the LHS.

The harder I look the less I'm clear about what's meant to slide! :-)

However, one thing that's worth trying (it's often worked for me) is
to hit the seized joint so that you squeeze it, preferably with a
heavy block or bigger hammer on the opposite side to increase the
effect of the hitting.

The threaded screw turns and moves the smaller metal part along the 2
rods. The 2 rods should just push out and locked with grub screws, so in
theory tapping at the green arrows should push out the 2 metal slides.
I dont want to thump too hard in case I break it.

I think I would immerse it in diesel for a week. Are the grub screws
out? If so, relatively light tapping should then move the rods with much
less force than it would take to break the casting.

On 29/08/2020 16:34, newshound wrote:
I think I would immerse it in diesel for a week. Are the grub screws
out? If so, relatively light tapping should then move the rods with much
less force than it would take to break the casting.

The grub screws are out, I have hit it quite hard, I believe the part
has been sitting in a shed for a few years unused.

On 29/08/2020 16:34, newshound wrote:

I think I would immerse it in diesel for a week. Are the grub screws
out? If so, relatively light tapping should then move the rods with much
less force than it would take to break the casting.

+1 for not using WD40.

One other trick I've seen used on TV is to heat a thicker oil before
immersing the item.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

I wonder if some kind of reverse electrolysis is possible? The problem is
though, even if you get it all to move, how much damage has been done to the
surfaces and hence any kind of precision movement.
Brian

--
--
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"John Rumm" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 29/08/2020 12:20, ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit too
hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint stripper
gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be repainting
the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Hot air *might* work - but it will not tend to give the thermal shock you
get from a blow torch or similar. (ideally you want bits to expand /
contract bits of it at different rates to force some movement in the
rusted contact surfaces)


Any other ideas?

The yanks seem to get good results with Evapo-rust leaving it soaking for
a day or more.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

That is right, wd stands for water dispersion as far as I am aware, and
hence is supposed to actually stop water attacking the metal, its a bit
late after the event. In my experience wd 40 also degreases as well which is
not good in the long term, but might dislodge gunked up bits, though not
rusty ones.

Brian

--
--
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Chris Green" wrote in message
news
ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.

WD40 isn't necessarily the best thing for freeing rusted joints,
'proper' penetrating oil such as Plus-Gas may do better and/or other
even more specialised formulae.

--
Chris Green
·

On 29/08/2020 18:49, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
I wonder if some kind of reverse electrolysis is possible? The problem is
though, even if you get it all to move, how much damage has been done to the
surfaces and hence any kind of precision movement.

With cast stuff like that, usually surprisingly little. I have watched
the like of Keith Rucker restoring some old machine where you think that
a part is rusted beyond saving, and yet a good soak in evaporust seems
to have it back in a surprisingly good condition.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote

I wonder if some kind of reverse electrolysis is possible?

No its not. It can stop corrosion happening in the first place
in some situations but cant remove the rust once its happened.

The problem is though, even if you get it all to move, how much damage has
been done to the surfaces and hence any kind of precision movement.

True.

"John Rumm" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 29/08/2020 12:20, ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Hot air *might* work - but it will not tend to give the thermal shock you
get from a blow torch or similar. (ideally you want bits to expand /
contract bits of it at different rates to force some movement in the
rusted contact surfaces)


Any other ideas?

The yanks seem to get good results with Evapo-rust leaving it soaking for
a day or more.

On Sat, 29 Aug 2020 18:49:06 +0100
"Brian Gaff \(Sofa\)" wrote:

I wonder if some kind of reverse electrolysis is possible?

The term you're looking for is electroplating - doing it well is
not simple.

--
Steve O'Hara-Smith | Directable Mirror Arrays
C:\WIN | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins. | licences available see
You lose and Bill collects. | http://www.sohara.org/

On 29/08/2020 16:34, newshound wrote:

I think I would immerse it in diesel for a week. Are the grub screws
out? If so, relatively light tapping should then move the rods with much
less force than it would take to break the casting.


Two minutes before posting this I was watching a repeat of the "Repair
Shop". As others have suggested an overnight soak in Auto (Gearbox)
Transmission Fluid/Oil and an Acetone mix to remove rust and free up a
mechanism.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 29/08/2020 21:29, alan_m wrote:
On 29/08/2020 16:34, newshound wrote:

I think I would immerse it in diesel for a week. Are the grub screws
out? If so, relatively light tapping should then move the rods with
much less force than it would take to break the casting.


Two minutes before posting this I was watching a repeat of the "Repair
Shop". As others have suggested an overnight soak in Auto (Gearbox)
Transmission Fluid/Oil and an Acetone mix to remove rust and free up a
mechanism.

Yes, that is one of the classic mixes, but we don't all have ATF and
acetone to hand. Acetone helps by mopping up any free water, as well as
by thinning the mix. Good old Plus Gas contains some anti-rust agents, I
believe. Simmering it gently in engine oil is another option. When you
have deep close fitting parts like the rods it takes time for capilliary
action to get lubricant all the way in.

Unless it is actually urgent to get it apart I'd go low tech long time.

On 29/08/2020 12:20:12, ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Any other ideas?

https://imgur.com/47180QO

If you have managed to get oil in any gap don't heat it up too much to
carbonise the oil. On the occasions when things were tight all it did
was seize things up even more.

Does the threaded portion rotate? The prominent part seems to have a
left hand thread. Is the other part a right hand thread?

On Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 12:20:15 PM UTC+1, ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Any other ideas?

https://imgur.com/47180QO

It's the temperature/expansion difference that will free it off.
You need the application of strong heat to the circumferential parts.
If the whole thing is warmed, there's no expansion difference so it's less likely to work.
So you want something like a gas torch applied to the bit that needs to be made bigger.

On Sat, 29 Aug 2020 16:51:51 +0100, alan_m wrote:

On 29/08/2020 16:34, newshound wrote:

I think I would immerse it in diesel for a week. Are the grub screws
out? If so, relatively light tapping should then move the rods with much
less force than it would take to break the casting.

+1 for not using WD40.

One other trick I've seen used on TV is to heat a thicker oil before
immersing the item.

Perhaps immersing it in oil, heating up to about 150C (don't set fire to the
oil!) for a while then letting it cool might force in oil. If that doesn't
work then try immersing just the (cold) main lump in hot oil so that there's
differential expansion.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

On Sat, 29 Aug 2020 14:45:45 +0100, ss wrote:

The threaded screw turns and moves the smaller metal part along the 2
rods. The 2 rods should just push out and locked with grub screws, so in
theory tapping at the green arrows should push out the 2 metal slides.

Well the arrow heads aren't on the ends of the rods...

WD40 isn't very good, Plusgas is in a different league. Squirt all
the joints with Plusgas and go a way for a day or two (or diesel or
ATF).

Then tap the rods alternatly and from either end with something that
ensures all the impact hits the rod only. Thinking that you may be
able to free up the much smaller areas between rods and main casting
than the rods and cross slide.

What would drive the main screw? Can you get at that and perhaps free
that off an use it to stress either it to rods joint or rods to main
casting by jaming it somehow?

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 30/08/2020 07:46, harry wrote:
It's the temperature/expansion difference that will free it off.
You need the application of strong heat to the circumferential parts.
If the whole thing is warmed, there's no expansion difference so it's less likely to work.
So you want something like a gas torch applied to the bit that needs to be made bigger.

Now sorted, many hundreds of taps with a hammer, WD40, oil, wooden
wedges, clamps, vice, heat gun....but got there in the end.

Just one more piece to free, the jaws on the chuck (image 2)


https://imgur.com/X7wWRFd

https://imgur.com/X7wWRFd

On Sat, 29 Aug 2020 16:34:07 +0100, newshound
wrote:

I think I would immerse it in diesel for a week. Are the grub screws
out?

They're called *gib screws* IIRC. They bear against a shim located
against one of the V grooves to help eliminate lateral
movement/backlash in the cross slide.

On Sat, 29 Aug 2020 21:26:52 +0100, Ahem A Rivet's Shot
wrote:

On Sat, 29 Aug 2020 18:49:06 +0100
"Brian Gaff \(Sofa\)" wrote:

I wonder if some kind of reverse electrolysis is possible?

The term you're looking for is electroplating - doing it well is
not simple.

While electroplating is a black art, "electrolytic rust removal" isn't.

Gives excellent results, pretty simple, doesn't break anything* -- but it will
not remove rust in inaccessible spots, the current has to "see" the surface...


Thomas Prufer




* unless an electrode containing chrome is used: this can create carcinogenic
chrome salts.

On Sun, 30 Aug 2020 06:19:30 +1000, "Rod Speed" wrote:

Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote

I wonder if some kind of reverse electrolysis is possible?

No its not. It can stop corrosion happening in the first place
in some situations but cant remove the rust once its happened.

Wrong: it is called "electrolytic rust removal" for a reason.

Thomas Prufer

On 29/8/20 9:20 pm, ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Any other ideas?

https://imgur.com/47180QO
Soak it in molasses water mix,look it up in google

On 29/08/2020 12:20, ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Any other ideas?

https://imgur.com/47180QO

Leave it to soak in a can of diesel for a week.

Mike

On Saturday, 29 August 2020 22:16:20 UTC+1, newshound wrote:
On 29/08/2020 21:29, alan_m wrote:
On 29/08/2020 16:34, newshound wrote:

I think I would immerse it in diesel for a week. Are the grub screws
out? If so, relatively light tapping should then move the rods with
much less force than it would take to break the casting.


Two minutes before posting this I was watching a repeat of the "Repair
Shop". As others have suggested an overnight soak in Auto (Gearbox)
Transmission Fluid/Oil and an Acetone mix to remove rust and free up a
mechanism.

Yes, that is one of the classic mixes, but we don't all have ATF and
acetone to hand. Acetone helps by mopping up any free water, as well as
by thinning the mix.

ATF alone also works, just penetrates slower. ATF is something nearly every diyer should have in stock. If not, any car accessory shop has it. A single bottle will pay back its cost many times over by fixing seized things.


NT

In message , "Brian Gaff (Sofa)"
writes
That is right, wd stands for water dispersion as far as I am aware, and
hence is supposed to actually stop water attacking the metal, its a bit
late after the event. In my experience wd 40 also degreases as well which is
not good in the long term, but might dislodge gunked up bits, though not
rusty ones.

Brian

Although 'WD' does indeed stand for 'water dispersion', it does about
ten additional things. It might not do them as well as something
specifically designed to do some of these things, but it does do them.
--
Ian

On Saturday, 12 September 2020 08:26:00 UTC+1, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , "Brian Gaff (Sofa)"
writes

That is right, wd stands for water dispersion as far as I am aware, and
hence is supposed to actually stop water attacking the metal, its a bit
late after the event. In my experience wd 40 also degreases as well which is
not good in the long term, but might dislodge gunked up bits, though not
rusty ones.

Brian

Although 'WD' does indeed stand for 'water dispersion', it does about
ten additional things. It might not do them as well as something
specifically designed to do some of these things, but it does do them.

poorly and overpricedly at best.

In message ,
writes
On Saturday, 12 September 2020 08:26:00 UTC+1, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , "Brian Gaff (Sofa)"
writes

That is right, wd stands for water dispersion as far as I am aware, and
hence is supposed to actually stop water attacking the metal, its a bit
late after the event. In my experience wd 40 also degreases as well which is
not good in the long term, but might dislodge gunked up bits, though not
rusty ones.

Brian

Although 'WD' does indeed stand for 'water dispersion', it does about
ten additional things. It might not do them as well as something
specifically designed to do some of these things, but it does do them.

poorly and overpricedly at best.

Provided you are aware of its limitations, it generally doesn't do a bad
job. And unless you demand the best from every function, you only need
one can instead of ten.
--
Ian

On 29/08/2020 12:20, ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Any other ideas?

https://imgur.com/47180QO

Try PlusGas before anything more drastic.

On Sat, 12 Sep 2020 16:41:23 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Saturday, 12 September 2020 08:26:00 UTC+1, Ian Jackson wrote:

Although 'WD' does indeed stand for 'water dispersion', it does about
ten additional things. It might not do them as well as something
specifically designed to do some of these things, but it does do them.

poorly and overpricedly at best.

Indeed. The only thing it really excels at is as a cutting fluid for
turning aluminium on a lathe.

ss wrote:
Image below is the cross drive for a mini lathe. It is rusted solid.
I have soaked in WD40 for a couple of days and still stuck.
The arrows in green are points I can tap with hammer but dare not hit
too hard in case the `lug` breaks off.

Never used heat before on rusted items but would `hot air` paint
stripper gun work? I am not too bothered re the paintwork as I will be
repainting the main body before I re assemble the lathe.

Any other ideas?

https://imgur.com/47180QO


You could try soaking it in vinegar. Ive used it a few times on things
which were €˜do or dump €˜ and generally found it works.

On 13/09/2020 22:32, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Sat, 12 Sep 2020 16:41:23 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Saturday, 12 September 2020 08:26:00 UTC+1, Ian Jackson wrote:

Although 'WD' does indeed stand for 'water dispersion', it does about
ten additional things. It might not do them as well as something
specifically designed to do some of these things, but it does do them.

poorly and overpricedly at best.

Indeed. The only thing it really excels at is as a cutting fluid for
turning aluminium on a lathe.

It seem fashionable to moan about WD40, and yet I suspect we all keep
cans of it about.

Yes there are things that will do each job better, but often you just
need good enough.

(also worth remembering that these days the name represents a range of
products, including things like a spray white lithium grease, penetrant,
PTFE lubricant, silicone grease etc)


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Monday, 14 September 2020 00:27:51 UTC+1, John Rumm wrote:
On 13/09/2020 22:32, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Sat, 12 Sep 2020 16:41:23 -0700 (PDT), tabbypurr wrote:
On Saturday, 12 September 2020 08:26:00 UTC+1, Ian Jackson wrote:

Although 'WD' does indeed stand for 'water dispersion', it does about
ten additional things. It might not do them as well as something
specifically designed to do some of these things, but it does do them..

poorly and overpricedly at best.

Indeed. The only thing it really excels at is as a cutting fluid for
turning aluminium on a lathe.

It seem fashionable to moan about WD40, and yet I suspect we all keep
cans of it about.

Yes there are things that will do each job better, but often you just
need good enough.

(also worth remembering that these days the name represents a range of
products, including things like a spray white lithium grease, penetrant,
PTFE lubricant, silicone grease etc)

It's more fashionable to say it's great. The idea that it has numerous uses has really caught on. Trouble is it fails so much of the time. People seem to have unrealistic expectations of what is a poor product outside of its original purpose of water displacement from vehicle ignition systems.

If you only ever buy one liquid product for diy jobs, make it oil. Oils can lubricate, free up rust to a varying extent, prevent rust etc. Baby oil is typically cheapest, ATF is generally best. I'm saying nothing about the ethics of baby oil!


NT

In message ,
writes
On Monday, 14 September 2020 00:27:51 UTC+1, John Rumm wrote:
On 13/09/2020 22:32, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Sat, 12 Sep 2020 16:41:23 -0700 (PDT), tabbypurr wrote:
On Saturday, 12 September 2020 08:26:00 UTC+1, Ian Jackson wrote:

Although 'WD' does indeed stand for 'water dispersion', it does about
ten additional things. It might not do them as well as something
specifically designed to do some of these things, but it does do them.

poorly and overpricedly at best.

Indeed. The only thing it really excels at is as a cutting fluid for
turning aluminium on a lathe.

It seem fashionable to moan about WD40, and yet I suspect we all keep
cans of it about.

Yes there are things that will do each job better, but often you just
need good enough.

(also worth remembering that these days the name represents a range of
products, including things like a spray white lithium grease, penetrant,
PTFE lubricant, silicone grease etc)

It's more fashionable to say it's great. The idea that it has numerous
uses has really caught on. Trouble is it fails so much of the time.
People seem to have unrealistic expectations of what is a poor product
outside of its original purpose of water displacement from vehicle
ignition systems.

If you only ever buy one liquid product for diy jobs, make it oil. Oils
can lubricate, free up rust to a varying extent, prevent rust etc. Baby
oil is typically cheapest, ATF is generally best. I'm saying nothing
about the ethics of baby oil!

When fitting a new water pump, I once used Savlon and some cornflakes
packet as an emergency alternative to Hermetite and an asbestos gasket.
Does that count?
--
Ian