Quote:
Originally Posted by Scimitar
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Philpott
i found wd40 superior to all of them
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The only thing WD40 is superior to, is nothing. |
As I said earlier, a penetrating oil needs to have low surface tension, which WD40 and similar products don't have. Sure, they can be mixed with dilutants to lower the surface tension, but what's the point in experimenting like an alchemist when penetrant releasing agents with low surface tension are widely available.
For fans of WD40, if you want to use their products for releasing rusted grub screws, why not use WD40s own version, the formulation of which is in itself, tacit admission by WD40 that traditional WD40 isn't the best product to use:
Quote:
'Our Specialist Fast Release Penetrant spray specifically targets corroded or rusted components and mechanisms. It’s [sic] formula loosens stuck or seized parts quickly and easily. The penetrant has an extremely low surface tension, meaning it can cut through rust, seams and tightly-bonded threads to easily saturate and lubricate seized fixings'.
Unquote.
Most householder/DIYers will probably only have a can of WD40, and will continue to press it into service for any and every task, in part, encouraged by the blurb on the can. I'm in the camp that believes it doesn't belong anywhere near vintage radios. (I use it as a cutting agent when I'm turning aluminium on my little metalworking lathe and it works a treat, but I wouldn't say that on the UK Workshop Forum or the sky would probably fall in on me!).
With stuck grub screws, after applying a release agent (WD40 if you have to), we only get one chance at the outset, and that chance is often squandered by reaching for the nearest screwdriver, as depicted below, rather than the best one for the task. If the slot is then damaged, the only way I've succeeded in removing the knob is by drilling out the screw by making a drill guide on the lathe to enable a 1.5mm drill bit to be accurately centred, then progressively using larger diameter drill bits up to the tapping size of the screw. At that point, the knob will twist off the shaft and the thread can be re-tapped.
A lot of palaver and best avoided.
Releasing grub screws must be one of the few tasks where 'coming unstuck' means a successful outcome!
