cleaning wheels with wd40

[h2w]

has anyone tried using wd40 to clean your engine wheels? I saw this video

. interreseting

[C855B]

Nope. Nope nope nope. As soon as I saw him just squirt it on the wheels with the straw I was done.

WD40 is not compatible with most plastics. That loco may have been a basket case to begin with so there was little to lose, but you just don't do that to a model you want to keep.

[lajmdlr]

The easiest way to clean loco wheels is to put some isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel then put that on powered track. Put one set of wheels on the towel & other set on track. Turn on the power & holding engine. keep checking & moving towel to see when wheels leave no more dirt. Then switch ends & repeat. Works fine & lasts a long time. If it doesn't, your track needs some serious cleaning. To clean track put some alcohol on a cloth & wipe them down ti no more dirt shows up. DON'T use a "Brightboy" because it scratches the rails which collect dirt & oils.

[davefoxx]

WD40 is a lubricant, so I think this would be a mistake to use on wheels and rails, where traction is desired.

I agree about using isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel to clean locomotive wheels, as suggested by lajmdir, but I think all the negative press that Bright Boys receive about scratching rails, causing dirt and excess oxidation to occur, is overblown.  YMMV.

DFF

[nkalanaga]

I haven't had trouble with WD40 damaging plastics, and it was developed for NASA to spray into satellites, but it can damage paint.  I certainly agree with DFF that using a lubricant to clean locomotive wheels doesn't sound like the best idea.  I would strongly recommend against it.

Trivia:  the name stands for "Water Displacement - formula 40".  It was developed to remove moisture from satellite electronics, and its use as a lubricant was accidental.  Also, the WD40 itself is claimed to be nontoxic, although the same can't necessarily be said for the other stuff in the spray can.  One of our local hardware stores sells it as a liquid in five gallon cans. 

[peteski]

Also, the WD40 itself is claimed to be nontoxic,...

I wouldn't go and start drinking it by a cupful - after all it is petroleum distillates. 

According to the MSDS for the liquid version http://wd40.com/files/pdf/msds-wd482671453.pdf and for the aerosol http://www.wd40company.com/files/pdf/msds-wd494716385.pdf

DANGER! Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Combustible Liquid. If swallowed, may be aspirated and cause lung damage. May cause eye irritation. Avoid eye contact. Use with adequate ventilation.

Symptoms of Overexposure:
Inhalation: High concentrations may cause nasal and respiratory irritation and central nervous system effects such as headache, dizziness and nausea. Intentional abuse may be harmful or fatal.
Skin Contact: Prolonged and/or repeated contact may produce mild irritation and defatting with possible dermatitis.
Eye Contact: Contact may be irritating to eyes. May cause redness and tearing.
Ingestion: This product has low oral toxicity. Swallowing may cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. This product is an aspiration hazard. If swallowed, can enter the lungs and may cause chemical pneumonitis, severe lung damage and death.

Low toxicity is not the same as nontoxic...

[wm-webb]

Every fall I would take a big can and spray my motorcycle down with it. Every spring I would drag it out and wash it off. Never damaged the paint or plastic. Actually the dealer recommend it.

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  Thank you.  Obviously the article I read wasn't completely accurate.  They said that the propellant was petroleum-based, and should be treated the same as spray paint, but that the WD-40 itself was nontoxic.  Low toxicity is a much better description.  This may be where the original report got confused:

"11 – Toxicological Information
The oral toxicity of this product is estimated to be greater than 5,000 mg/kg based on an assessment of the ingredients. This product is not classified as toxic by established criteria. It is an aspiration hazard.
None of the components of this product is listed as a carcinogen or suspected carcinogen or is considered a reproductive hazard."

Almost anything except air is an inhalation hazard, and even too much air (high pressure) is dangerous.  I would think that the immediate hazard of inhaling liquid WD40 would be drowning!

Some people use it to treat arthritic joints - just spray it on.  No, it doesn't work, and the company discourages it, but some do it anyway.  I can't imagine enough soaking through the skin to loosen a stuck knee, or it not having serious side effects if it did soak in.

[peteski]

Ok, I guess toxic and "bad for you" are two different things. If you look at the MSDS for the liquid (not aerosol) version at http://wd40.com/files/pdf/msds-wd482671453.pdf, specifically sections 3 and 8, the main ingredients are Aliphatic Hydrocarbon, Petroleum Base Oil, and LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon. Maybe those aren't toxic, but I would not want to eat them.  Those sound like something used in oil paints.

[nkalanaga]

I agree that it doesn't sound healthy, and suspect that "not classified as toxic" is a legal definition, requiring that a certain percentage of rats die after exposure to be considered "toxic".  Something can be "legally not toxic" and still not be "nontoxic", especially if misused or abused.  After all "petroleum jelly", trade named "Vaseline", is a petroleum product, and probably won't do one any good if swallowed or inhaled, but external applications are considered beneficial. 

From Wikipedia:
"Historically, it was also consumed for internal use and even promoted as "Vaseline confection"."
That sounds unhealthy today, doesn't it?

Trivia:  A few years ago someone decided to test the usefulness of rats in toxicity tests.  Most such tests use commercially bred lab rats.  This researcher, in Chicago, went out and caught wild ones.  He then put them on a diet of strychnine and water.  Eventually they all died - of starvation.  Strychnine apparently doesn't have any calories.  They were not poisoned, so by that standard, strychnine is "not toxic", which is certainly NOT true for humans.

[MVW]

DANGER! Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Combustible Liquid. If swallowed, may be aspirated and cause lung damage. May cause eye irritation. Avoid eye contact. Use with adequate ventilation.

Symptoms of Overexposure:
Inhalation: High concentrations may cause nasal and respiratory irritation and central nervous system effects such as headache, dizziness and nausea. Intentional abuse may be harmful or fatal.
Skin Contact: Prolonged and/or repeated contact may produce mild irritation and defatting with possible dermatitis.
Eye Contact: Contact may be irritating to eyes. May cause redness and tearing.
Ingestion: This product has low oral toxicity. Swallowing may cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

I wish there'd been a similar warning on the bottle of what I was drinking last night. 

Jim

[peteski]

I wish there'd been a similar warning on the bottle of what I was drinking last night. 

Jim

There is (if you're pregnant or operating heavy machinery).    By chance your last name wouldn't be Bean? 

[nkalanaga]

Bean, Human Bean.

Those warnings do sound very much like the effects of excessive alcohol consumption, don't they?

[basementcalling]

It does, however, work as a fish attractant with some species. Some anglers I know swear by it. I think they are nuts, but they do catch a lot of fish.

[peteski]

It does, however, work as a fish attractant with some species. Some anglers I know swear by it. I think they are nuts, but they do catch a lot of fish.

Ah, one of many uses for this wonder-substance!