Reply To: WD40 alternative – any good?

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Richard Taylor 17 on 21/07/2022 11:35:43:

I was interested to validate some of the claims regarding the corrosion protection provided by various products. I cleaned and coated four samples of mild steel sheet with Muckoff, 3-in-1, WD40 and Waxoil respectively. I supended the samples together with an untreated control sample on PVC insulated wire under the eaves of my workshop where they were exposed to outside conditions but not direct rainfall or sunlight. The samples after exposure – control, Muckoff, 3-in1, WD40 and Waxoil

The results suggest that most effective treatment was the Waxoil, so I use that product for long term protection of materials and surfaces which I would not normally touch. It requires white spirit to remove it. For protection of tools, there is not a lot to choose between WD40 and 3-in-1. Even the Waxoil treated sample showed some signs of corrosion, so it would benefit from an extra coat.

I have no commercial interest in any of these products.

Nice test, even better because they match my understanding of the products:

• Muckoff or Muc-off? The latter is a cleaner rather than a corrosion protective product. Might leave a thin layer of wax, but it's for frequent use
• 3-in-1 is a general purpose household lubricant, a mixture of mineral and vegetable oils. Repels water but not sticky or weatherproof, so it's anti-corrosion properties are short-term rather than long-lasting. Best used indoors.
• WD-40 is a light oil that repels water and then evaporates leaving a thin sticky layer. Advantages: deep penetration, easily applied, and the sticky layer is equally easily cleaned off, which is often important. Good for providing temporary protection when bare metal is being worked on, discouraging corrosion inside sheet metal enclosures, and handy for drying off old-fashioned car electrics. When wet has a useful short lube effect, so can free up rusty joints. The sticky layer is delicate and attracts dirt. Good at everything, master of none. Could be the most useful misused product in the world!
• Waxoil leaves a thick, moderately tough, water-proof layer which protects for many years in favourable conditions, and does reasonably well when exposed. The layer is harder to clean off.

Other choices – the notorious 'Chicken Fat', a cheap thick sticky grease providing medium term protection in high-humidity countries. Cosmoline is a long-term protective much used to mothball guns: apparently putting it on and removing it was a full time career for some National Servicemen!

Dave