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Put some wd-40 on your bike's brakes and see if you think it's not a lubricant. Maybe you think it's not a _good_ lubricant? But a lot of its use is to extract

Put some wd-40 on your bike's brakes and see if you think it's not a lubricant. Maybe you think it's not a _good_ lubricant? But a lot of its use is to extract stuck things which requires a thin lubricant

_cenw 2y ago
It may temporarily act like a lubricant, but we typically expect lubricants to last longer than a month or so, and WD-40 does not. It's meant as a solvent, and can be followed up with an actual lubricant.
- stephenr 2y ago
  > we typically expect lubricants to last longer than a month or so, and WD-40 does not Neither does KY and yet here we are. While WD40 wasn't designed as a lubricant it does function as one. People using heavy equipment often grease their machines daily but no one claims grease isn't a lubricant. I have to put bar oil in my chain saw every time I use it, and often have to refill it during the day. Is that not a lubricant?
  - ajsnigrutin 2y ago
    But you are aware and know that you have to reapply KY every time you want to deal with some ... em... tight situations. And after you're done, you intentionally wash it off, because you don't want those places to be lubricated during non-active times. But a bike chain is a thing that you want lubricated for a long time, and not have to think about lube every time you want to use it (well.. in a normal, bike-driving way). Is it still lubed? Did it rain the last time you drove a bike? When was the last time you lubed it? Some other lubricant would last much longer and lubricate much better, and with a bike chain, lasting many months is good thing. That's why we have and use different kind of lubricants for different things, and WD40 is not a "good choice" for most of the stuff some people use it for (like bike chains... or anal).
    - stephenr 2y ago
      The point is, different lubricants have a different effective time. As I said: a chainsaw is constantly adding lubricant to the bar. Meanwhile the swing I built for my son had white lithium sprayed on it and still doesn't make a sound, after full exposure to 3 monsoonal wet seasons.
    - mtlmtlmtlmtl 2y ago
      People use WD-40 for anal?
      - shepherdjerred 2y ago
        Apparently it's not recommended: http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~cochran/blackcare/newsflash/gh7-3-02.html http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~cochran/blackcare/newsflash/gh7-3-...
      - stephenr 2y ago
        What else are you going to use to penetrate the joint and loosen up seized nuts? I'll see myself out.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
skhr0680 2y ago
> Maybe you think it's not a _good_ lubricant? But a lot of its use is to extract stuck things which requires a thin lubricant The word you are looking for is “penetrating oil”. The problem with a too broad definition of “lubricant” is that I wouldn’t use Coca Cola to lube my engine or KY Jelly to lube my bike chain. WD-40 is a shitty lubricant for metal-on-metal moving parts, so it’s helpful in that context to say that it isn’t a lubricant.
MyFedora 2y ago
Over 1/3 of WD-40 is made of a lubricant. My salad dressing is over 1/3 oil. Does that make it lubricant, or is it actually still salad dressing?
- peterhadlaw 2y ago
  Not sure who's arguing what and on what side here but when making a sandwich, adding dressing or oil to the sandwich is often referred to as "adding a lubricant" to the sandwich.
- recursive 2y ago
  Third option: It's possible for salad dressings to be lubricants.
tambourine_man 2y ago
What’s a good lubricant for metal on metal (aluminum in specific)?
- nowandlater 2y ago
  Tri-flow. Also good as a penetrating oil, and smells like bananas.
  - ahoka 2y ago
    It also has a lot of teflon.

_cenw 2y ago

It may temporarily act like a lubricant, but we typically expect lubricants to last longer than a month or so, and WD-40 does not. It's meant as a solvent, and can be followed up with an actual lubricant.

stephenr 2y ago
> we typically expect lubricants to last longer than a month or so, and WD-40 does not Neither does KY and yet here we are. While WD40 wasn't designed as a lubricant it does function as one. People using heavy equipment often grease their machines daily but no one claims grease isn't a lubricant. I have to put bar oil in my chain saw every time I use it, and often have to refill it during the day. Is that not a lubricant?
- ajsnigrutin 2y ago
  But you are aware and know that you have to reapply KY every time you want to deal with some ... em... tight situations. And after you're done, you intentionally wash it off, because you don't want those places to be lubricated during non-active times. But a bike chain is a thing that you want lubricated for a long time, and not have to think about lube every time you want to use it (well.. in a normal, bike-driving way). Is it still lubed? Did it rain the last time you drove a bike? When was the last time you lubed it? Some other lubricant would last much longer and lubricate much better, and with a bike chain, lasting many months is good thing. That's why we have and use different kind of lubricants for different things, and WD40 is not a "good choice" for most of the stuff some people use it for (like bike chains... or anal).
  - stephenr 2y ago
    The point is, different lubricants have a different effective time. As I said: a chainsaw is constantly adding lubricant to the bar. Meanwhile the swing I built for my son had white lithium sprayed on it and still doesn't make a sound, after full exposure to 3 monsoonal wet seasons.
  - mtlmtlmtlmtl 2y ago
    People use WD-40 for anal?
    - shepherdjerred 2y ago
      Apparently it's not recommended: http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~cochran/blackcare/newsflash/gh7-3-02.html http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~cochran/blackcare/newsflash/gh7-3-...
    - stephenr 2y ago
      What else are you going to use to penetrate the joint and loosen up seized nuts? I'll see myself out.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

skhr0680 2y ago

> Maybe you think it's not a _good_ lubricant? But a lot of its use is to extract stuck things which requires a thin lubricant The word you are looking for is “penetrating oil”. The problem with a too broad definition of “lubricant” is that I wouldn’t use Coca Cola to lube my engine or KY Jelly to lube my bike chain. WD-40 is a shitty lubricant for metal-on-metal moving parts, so it’s helpful in that context to say that it isn’t a lubricant.

MyFedora 2y ago

Over 1/3 of WD-40 is made of a lubricant. My salad dressing is over 1/3 oil. Does that make it lubricant, or is it actually still salad dressing?

peterhadlaw 2y ago
Not sure who's arguing what and on what side here but when making a sandwich, adding dressing or oil to the sandwich is often referred to as "adding a lubricant" to the sandwich.
recursive 2y ago
Third option: It's possible for salad dressings to be lubricants.

tambourine_man 2y ago

What’s a good lubricant for metal on metal (aluminum in specific)?

nowandlater 2y ago
Tri-flow. Also good as a penetrating oil, and smells like bananas.
- ahoka 2y ago
  It also has a lot of teflon.