# Keeping brass track clean..what's the secret



## Blk69 (Dec 6, 2009)

Ok I am ready for the secret handshake/trade secret on how to keep brass track clean outdoors. Been using a synthetic sanding pad ( like would used in dishwashing, got at local home improvement store, brown for metals) on a dry wall sanding pad with arm as advised by local large scale club. This allows,tracks to be cleaned basically standing up wright. After running it on the tracks looked clean. Running a white rag on tracks noticed it picked up a large amount of black gunk. Went over whole layout with rag last week. Trains ran fantastic. A week later Train performance is down and the black gunk is back. Tracks looks clean to the eye, only with a rag can you see the gunk. Running metal wheels so not plastic residue. What is this stuff?

How are you all.cleaning your tracks. I cannot believe everyone is wiping down the rails with rags every three days...this would get old really quick. Are you using a cleaner to help remove the gunk? I am just using friction with rag. Any help greatly approached.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

We have developed a new product called Rail Kleen. It is easily mounted to a flat car and works very well powered with a 18V battery. It will brush away leaves, twigs, and other debris as well as polishing the rail head at the same time. Take a look at Reindeer Pass under exclusive products.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

The black gunk is very fine brass powder. The metal wheels of the engine grind a little metal off as they roll along the track. A while back I had a thread where I reported an analysis of the black gunk. Copper, lead and zinc were the major components. Over a long, long time your trains will grind away the inside of the top of your rails. Not to worry, in normal running it would take several lifetimes. I have a friend who runs two axel LGB engines all day every day when he is home on a short layout with R1 curves. He has to replace his track every couple of years because the trains fall between the tails. The gauge of the track has changed enough to cause problems.

Conversely, long term running using plastic wheels on tight (R1) curves will wear down the flange on the outside wheel and in addition to the brass from the engines wheels, the black gunk will include plastic dust. 

The larger your diameter (radius) the less of a problem you will have with black dust. Less, but it will always be there. 

Chuck

I use the green Scotchbrite pad rather than the brown one on my pole sander. I think the brown/maroon one is too coarse and scratches the rail more than I like. I only use the green pad. No need to wipe the rail with a rag.

Ps, I've been using this system since the mid 1980s. If I have been away for several months I use the LGB track cleaning engine to polish the rails. Several passes with the green pad would work, but the engine is quicker.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Green dishwashing pad and vinegar gets rid of the gunk and oxidation making them like new. 

Andrew


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Every three days? Lucky you. We have some areas that get wiped with the drywall sander screen several times over the course of the day.

You could get a railcar that would run within your consist that would passively clean the track, continually, un-noticed.

It is easy to make your own using a railcar with truss rods, a scotch brite pad, and a pair of "sock hangers."


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

LGB track cleaner loco works for me.
Never had to use it indoors, just outdoors.


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I used 3m pot cleaning pad (green) for 18 years. Then changed over to battery.

Don


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is the link to the Bachmann thread on cleaning track.

Last night I couldn't get it to work on my Ipad.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,28087.0.html

Chuck

I get between 1 and 5 or so days between hitting the track with the green pad. It depends on the weather, more often with heavy dew or rain, less if the weather is dry.

My overall impression is that LGB engines seem to require cleaner track than other manufacturers. Bachmann, USAt, and Aristo.


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## Blk69 (Dec 6, 2009)

I was told to use the maroon pad not the green on. Will vinegar damage the brass or plastic ties over time? 

My LGB Stainz seams to run the best of my engines on dirty track. My 4-6-0 big hauler does ok, but will stall if area is really bad. My 0-4-0 Lil hauler... for get it unless tracks are just cleaned. Thinking about adding another set of pick up wheels on my Lil hauler set to help with conductivity.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

The vinegar won't hurt, but I don't think that it is necessary. In my opinion the brown pad will hurt. It will scratch the track much more than the green.

Chuck


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## Blk69 (Dec 6, 2009)

Will go purchase a green pad. Let you know how it goes.

Got to try the vinegar at least one to see.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

I guess every one has a difference way of cleaning track.. Lot of it depends of the location you are in.
We are in N. cal. and have lots of dust from country winds and road traffic. Also, we have lots of Pine Trees dropping of sap that land on the rails in some places. 
We came up with our own idea by using a very fine spray of WD-40 on a 3-M green pad and mounted to float/pad on our track cleaning maint. car. Usually dry's up in a short time.
(WD-40 is not a petroleum type oil.. Its fish oil that goes away in short time. ) 
It does leaves a fine coating in the pores of the brass rails. 
( If you spray to much you will never get up a grade until it dry off. LOL. ) 
We been doing this for 10 to 15yrs now before our train runs. It helps to make good Elect. contact and being we are track power, our wheels are shinny and clean.. 
Pads can be wash out with just plain hot water to get them clean again. 
The good thing is nothing seem to stick to the tracks if use once I awhile. 
Sure works great with the Pine Sap and getting them off the rails.
On our track indoors we have been using a few drops of Hair Clipper Oil once in a while on the rails to keep track & wheels clean. Been doing this clear back to the 1950's on our Ho layouts.
Simple Green is great on clean wheels, but not good for traction rubber tires. It will take the life out of the rubber and then you will have flip flops hanging on the axles. lol.


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## Pete Chimney (Jan 12, 2008)

Some people would suggest you forget aboutendlessly cleaning track and switch over to either live steam or battery power. Pursuing either option does carry a cost.


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

When you use the green pad, use it with a block of wood as wide as the pad, and a little shorter so you can roll the pad over the end of the wood. That way you can hold on to it.

I used a rubber sanding block, you can get them at a auto supply store.
http://www.amazon.com/3M-05519-Sand...58175&sr=1-5&keywords=sanding+block+auto+body


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## Vinny D (Jan 25, 2013)

I use the typical pole sander with the red or green 3M pad for cleaning.
What I found this year (after many years of having a outdoor layout) was to spray the track with water, while it is wet use the pole sander to loosen up the gunk and clean the track.
Spray the track clean with the garden hose, wait a few minutes for it to dry and you are off and running!
I have about 200' of track, it used to take me about 20-30 minutes to clean it using the pole sander and a very fine grit sandpaper on the tough sections of track that would not come clean.
Since I figured out it works so much easier when the rails are wet I can scrub clean the rails with hardly no effort at all in about 8-10 minutes.
Yeah it takes a few minutes for the rails to dry off, but I have to carry trains outside anyway!


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

All interesting ideas. Here in MD I use the pole sander with green pad with a light spray of 91% isopropyl alcohol to help with the gunk. Also a swifter mop pad dampened with alcohol now and then, especially in the dreaded pollen spring season.

Jerry


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

Pete Chimney said:


> Some people would suggest you forget aboutendlessly cleaning track and switch over to either live steam or battery power. Pursuing either option does carry a cost.


 
This is why it's good to learn ahead of time.

Battery on low cost aluminum track is a lot less expensive than battery on brass track, with that fancy power supply gathering dust in the closet.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Small correction, WD-40 is petroleum based... looong time ago it was fish oil.

Has not been for years... but that is a good thing, at least for Noel, since now it WILL evaporate more completely.

When it was fish oil, it would leave a gummy residue.

Greg


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

From the WD-40 FAQ and Snopes and many others it appears that the product never contained fish oil. Perhaps it was WD-39 that did!


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Very interesting.. When I was with a electronic Mfg chip corp. yr's ago from the of the SF bay area and we had to make sure what we used around the plant in certain areas. 
At that time yrs ago it show no protrolum and using fish oil and lot of other stuff that was compatible for air quality..
Maybe Greg E. can show us the New MSDS that show what it has in it now. It sure works great for us with the pine sap and dust on the tracks and goes away in about 20 to 30 min if hot out.
Been doing this for 10 yrs or so here.
We had an old can for out hobby train room with other cans and it show Fish oil in the make up on the back.
But, it was a can that we saved form 1978..Guess like anything else chem keep changing with updates.

Hey Greg. E.. lol.. Had to laf and you are right.. just read the _new can of WD-40_ that works well yet, but it's Flamiable and lt contains Protroleum Distllates.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Actually, if you read carefully, the WD-40 FAQ states that it does not contain fish oil NOW... and they guard their secret formulation...

It did contain fish oil and it did use to get gummy, but there was enough "solvent" effect that a new application cleaned things up.

I don't know the date it changed over, but it was a good while ago, over 20 years I think. 

Basically, the people who have analyzed WD-40 is that it is mostly kerosene.

Greg


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

Greg: 

Hmmm, I carefully re-read both the WD-40 FAQs and the Snopes pages and cannot find your quoted "it does not contain fish oil NOW" statement. Perhaps I'm not being careful enough and I would appreciate where you located this information. Being a graduate of Evelyn Woods I am prone to missing subtleties.

I have no real vested interest in being right or wrong as I was just providing a couple of links that are, in my experience, relatively reliable. As they say - "I ain't got no horse in this race!"

Perhaps part of this confusion stems from Rustoleum  containing fish oil. That is just conjecture on my part since, until this thread, I had never heard that WD-40 contained it but "always" knew that Rustoleum did and still does and is chemically identified as Fish Oil Alkyd Resin in the MSDS.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The present tense implies now, the past and future tenses imply their names.

The statement in the faq says it does not contain fish oil... notice that they never say "nor did it ever"....

Corporate/lawyer speak, technically true, maybe misleading... read it carefully again, literally...

Been through this exact subject several times, many "old timers" know about the fish oil... 

By the way, it was invented here in San Diego in 1953, so many San Diegans know the history better than most.

Greg


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

3M 1000 grit on drywall sander 

Good rub down great for shoulder/arms workout  

nite


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

Greg:

As luck would have it, my next door neighbor is a lawyer (one of many) for a corporation that gets lots of bad press. This morning I asked him to use his best "Corporate/lawyer speak" skills to interpret the FAQ. Like myself, he was at a loss find your literal interpretation. He did note that they also did not state that it doesn't contain eye of newt, thus implying that perhaps it could have at one time. 

I also read in the WD-40 history section ". . . because the original secret formula for WD-40 - which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try - is still in use today." Again, I guess my ability to read, parse and comprehend such blatant obfuscation is just not up to the task. I personally find this surprising since being a programmer I am often accused of being too literal and pedantic.

The WD-40 company's attempts to cover-up their past fish oil use may be headed down the path to another Watergate. Their shading of the truth and obvious misleading use of the English language is approaching that of Bill Clinton with his famous statement "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."

Anyway, it's been fun.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Let's keep things civil, shall we? And let's be careful when we shorten other's usernames, lest our shortened version unintentionally suggest some other derogatory connotation. 

Later,

K


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

Thanks for this thread. 

I run the LGB cleaner car once or twice a week. 

I started with the green pad, but folks kept saying no, use the brown. It really seems coarse, however. I will now return to the green pad


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Catherine:

I've been using the green pad for about 30 years. I had thought about the brown/maroon pad, but after trying to polish a shinny brass door knob with it, the knob quickly developed a satin finish, I stuck with the green pad. The brown pad is great for roughing up a surface for soldering, but the scratches are too deep for me on the rail top.

Chuck


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

OK K.

Greg

(most people have first names, and use them here. I am of the opinion it is bad form to "hide behind" a handle or just a single letter)

From now on I'll just use HH ok?

(again, living in San Diego where WD-40 was invented, most of us that have been around since there were very few paved streets here normally have more knowledge of the local industries, I wouldn't lecture a person from Colorado or Golden specifically on Coors beer)


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

Greg:

It didn’t even occur to me that it was some type of slur or aspersion so, from my view nothing was intended and no offense was taken.

As for “hiding behind” a handle I previously told you why in the 
http://forums.mylargescale.com/42-news/30673-new-california-highspeed-rail-coming-3.html thread: “..I use the pseudonym whenever possible to minimize various types of security and identity theft concerns…”

As to lecturing, I was only providing a couple of links and then a response from a lawyer after being instructed to be more “literal”. Even though I grew up in San Leandro and was active in their historical society, I also would not even think about lecturing anyone else from that city on the Best Steam Tractor unless I had actual knowledge on the subject.

By the way, is this really true as I am unable to locate any corroborating evidence? 

Lubricants for the Home 



> Well, the old standard 3-in-1 is OK, I guess, but it's not really great. It's not always plastic safe, i.e. can eat plastic over time. The original 3-in-1 was fish oil based, I believe. It's now "Severely Hydrotreated Heavy Naphthenic Oil" with less than 3 percent proprietary additive. (It's made by the WD40 company). Basically I think it's junk, and gums up after a while. I use it only on metal, and nothing important.


It seems that fish oil can be found wherever one looks!


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg;
Per the WD40.com web site; Myths, etc., section, Fish Oil in WD40 is a MYTH, Urban Legend. This is also below with the other Myths but here it is so you can get right to it. EXPLORE MYTHS, LEGENDS & FUN FACTS OF THE BLUE & YELLOW CAN http://wd40.com/cool-stuff/myths-legends-fun-facts/

Hopefully you will drop the fish oil thing WD40.com having definitively spoken. But you are known for beating a dead horse into a bloody stump - just kidding honest. We all luv ya!! You’re an infinite source of info.   


*Hello everyone;*
Now on to the excessively long post with everything you ever wanted to know about WD40.

Start; 
Hopefully the data below will clear up the WD40 hub-bub; below is a very long post with info from a number of sources with links to each source for reference. I included cuts from a number of the sources to in real time, yours. Without trying to be a too much of a **** it surprises me that with so much real actual data on the internet so few look for it compared to just relating stories or hearsay passed along.

Back when there were repeated MLS threads on how to clean a live steam locomotive, me being OCD had to dig up all the data on WD40. There were lots of recommendations and “…swear by’s…” about WD40 for cleaning. This was in the late 1990’s. At that time the formula data from manufacturer and independent sources listed WD40 comments saying it left a sticky buildup of gunk with repeated use I decided to go with the solvent alone. By Federal Laws (and some states, i.e., CA) and international agreements on full disclosure of health and safety information the formula has not been a secret for decades. As I said, I found it with any difficulty 15+ years ago. (see below, Material Safety Data Sheets)

Stoddard’s is really great stuff. Removes absolutely everything and leaves absolutely nothing it evaporates – yes it is terrible for the environment if widely used without proper controls and equipment. It is very toxic. It should be used only outside or in a very, very well ventilated space. I can vouch for this unequivocally. Primarily Stoddard’s is used as an industrial solvent, like a cleaning bath for auto parts. 

It can only be procured from a petroleum products supplier. Some will, some will not sell to the public. Those that would sell it for about $4.00 a gallon, bring your own container. It can be used repeatedly with or without straining (with cheese cloth) the collected residue at the bottom off the storage container. 

Again, at that time, late 1990’s, the common available closest to Stoddard’s replacement was mineral spirits. If you just want to clean your track use mineral spirits. It you’re OCD get some Stoddard’s. WD40 still leaves a gunk buildup as you can easily see if you have been using WD40.

IMHO:
Cleaning Track – Any Metal; I use a good petroleum solvent either Stoddard’s or its close commercially available Mineral Spirits. If you use WD40 you’re using a solvent but you get all its gunk, I would not use WD40. Do I keep around a can of WD40 ? You bet, you never know when you’ll need it.

Greg;
All this is primarily for you since you seem to have very ridged opinions without and are mistaken on the facts about WD40 and come on, you have to admit you are pretty argumentative on a lot of stuff like this. ;-)) (SMILE)

-----------------------------------------------------

WD40
WHEREVER THERE’S A JOB TO BE DONE.
WE HAVE SOLUTIONS
http://wd40.com/

---------------------------------------
EXPLORE MYTHS, LEGENDS & FUN FACTS OF THE BLUE & YELLOW CAN
http://wd40.com/cool-stuff/myths-legends-fun-facts/
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Myth: Our secret formula isn't such a secret.

Fact: Sorry folks, the over 60-year-old formulation of WD-40 Multi-Use Product remains a secret today. Any information that you may encounter alleging the disclosure of the “secret sauce” is inaccurate.

One thing we must do is correct any misinformation that may be harmful to either our consumers or our good name. Specifically, the listing of incorrect and poorly defined ingredients and safety information.

----------------------------------------
A QUESTION OF LUBRICATION
Myth: WD-40 Multi-Use Product is not really a lubricant.
-----------------------------------------
WHAT'S STODDARD SOLVENT?
Myth: WD-40 contains Stoddard Solvent.

Fact: Over the past few decades, the name Stoddard Solvent was synonymous with all mineral spirits. Today, the mineral spirits found in products like ours are more refined and processed (see hydrogenation, hydrotreating and distillation techniques) providing mixtures with varying boiling points, cleaning ability, and chemical composition. 

The catchall phrase “Stoddard Solvent” is no longer adequate to tell the proper story. WD-40 does indeed have 50% mineral spirits, but they are refined and purified for specific characteristics needed to meet today’s performance, regulatory and safety requirements.
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BIKE FRIENDLY
Myth: WD-40 Multi-Use Product should not be used on bike chains.
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WHO'S BEHIND IT ALL?
Myth: Ken East is WD-40’s original founder.
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“WD-40 CURES ARTHRITIS!” NO WAY.
Myth: WD-40 cures arthritis.
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HEALTH AND SAFETY
Myth: Typical consumers need to look beyond the label.
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*WHAT A FISH STORY!
Myth: WD-40 contains fish oil.
http://wd40.com/cool-stuff/myths-legends-fun-facts/

Fact: Consumers have told us over the years that they have caught some of the biggest fish ever after protecting their fish hooks and lures with WD-40. We believe this legend came from folks assuming that the product must contain fish oil since it appears to attract fish. Sorry Charlie®, it just ain’t so.

WD-40 Company has taken steps to respect and conserve the environment, and encourages its users to do the same. While WD-40 can be used to help protect fishing equipment from rust and corrosion, WD-40 Company does not recommend using WD-40 to attract fish.*
-------------------------------------------

MORE FUN FACTS ABOUT WD-40®
-	A bus driver in Asia used WD-40 to remove a python, which had coiled itself around the undercarriage of his bus.
-	Police officers used WD-40 to remove a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent.
-	Cayola® Stain Removal Tips recommends using WD-40 to remove (regular) crayon marks from a variety of surfaces.

-------------------------------------------- 
DISTRIBUTORS & RETAILERS
http://wd40company.com/partners/msds/usa/
Material Safety Data Sheets

WD-40 Multi-Use Product;
Aerosol
http://wd40company.com/files/pdf/WD-40-Aerosol-MSDS-282-21-14-29.pdf
-------------------------------------------
Material safety data sheet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A material safety data sheet (MSDS), safety data sheet (SDS),[1] or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is an important component of product stewardship and occupational safety and health. It is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner, and includes information such as physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point, etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill-handling procedures. MSDS formats can vary from source to source within a country depending on national requirements.

SDSs are a widely used system for cataloging information on chemicals, chemical compounds, and chemical mixtures. SDS information may include instructions for the safe use and potential hazards associated with a particular material or product. These data sheets can be found anywhere where chemicals are being used.

There is also a duty to properly label substances on the basis of physico-chemical, health and/or environmental risk. Labels can include hazard symbols such as the European Union standard black diagonal cross on an orange background, used to denote a harmful substance.

An SDS for a substance is not primarily intended for use by the general consumer, focusing instead on the hazards of working with the material in an occupational setting.

In some jurisdictions, the MSDS is required to state the chemical's risks, safety, and effect on the environment.

It is important to use an MSDS specific to both country and supplier, as the same product (e.g. paints sold under identical brand names by the same company) can have different formulations in different countries. The formulation and hazard of a product using a generic name (e.g. sugar soap) may vary between manufacturers in the same country

National and international requirements

-------------------------------------------------

WD-40
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WD-40's formula is a trade secret. 

The product was not patented in 1953 to avoid disclosing the details of its composition; the window of opportunity for patenting the product has long since closed.[4][7] WD-40's main ingredients as supplied in aerosol cans, according to U.S. Material Safety Data Sheet information, are:

50% "aliphatic hydrocarbons". The manufacturer's website specifically claims that this fraction in the current formulation cannot be accurately referred to as Stoddard solvent, a similar mixture of hydrocarbons.[8]

<25% petroleum base oil, presumably a mineral oil or light lubricating oil.

12-18% low vapor pressure aliphatic hydrocarbon, to reduce the viscosity for use in aerosols. This fraction evaporates during application.

2-3% carbon dioxide, presumably as a propellant, is now used instead of liquefied petroleum gas to reduce WD-40's considerable flammability.

<10% inert ingredients.

The German version of the mandatory EU safety sheet lists the following safety-relevant ingredients:
60–80% heavy naphtha (a petroleum product used e.g. in wick type cigarette lighters), hydrogen treated
1–5% carbon dioxide

It further lists flammability and effects to the human skin when repeatedly exposed to WD-40 as risks when using WD-40. Nitrile rubber gloves and safety glasses should be used. (Ordinary rubber is ruined by repeated exposure to petroleum products.) Water is unsuitable for extinguishing burning WD-40.
Wired published an article giving the result of gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy, claiming that its ingredients also make it resistant to freezing.[9]

----------------------------

 
WD40 HISTORY
http://wd40.com/cool-stuff/history/

In 1953, a fledgling company called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry.

Working in a small lab in San Diego, California, it took them 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out. But they must have been really good, because the original secret formula for WD-40®—which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try—is still in use today.

Convair, an aerospace contractor, first used WD-40 to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and corrosion. The product actually worked so well that several employees snuck some WD-40 cans out of the plant to use at home.

A few years following WD-40 's first industrial use, Rocket Chemical Company founder Norm Larsen experimented with putting WD-40 into aerosol cans, reasoning that consumers might find a use for the product at home as some of the employees had. The product made its first appearance on store shelves in San Diego in 1958.

In 1960 the company nearly doubled in size, growing to seven people, who sold an average of 45 cases per day from the trunk of their cars to hardware and sporting goods stores in the San Diego area.

In 1961 the first full truckload order for WD-40 was filled when employees came in on a Saturday to produce additional concentrate to meet the disaster needs of the victims of Hurricane Carla along the U.S. Gulf coast. WD-40 was used to recondition flood and rain

In 1968 goodwill kits containing WD-40® were sent to soliders in Vietnam to prevent moisture damage on firearms and help keep them in good working condition.

In 1969 the company was renamed after its only product, 
WD-40 Company, Inc.

In 1973, WD-40 Company, Inc., went public and was listed Over-The-Counter. The stock price increased by 61% on the first day of listing.

Since that time, WD-40 has grown by leaps and bounds, and is now virtually a household name, used in numerous consumer and industrial markets such as automotive, manufacturing, sporting goods, aviation, hardware and home improvement, construction, and farming.

1993 – 2014


OVER THE YEARS...

The most interesting piece of WD-40's history is the uses for the product, now numbering in the thousands. Over the years, thousands of WD-40 users have written testimonial letters to the company sharing their often unique, if sometimes just plain weird, uses for the product—many of which are shared in other parts of this Web site. 

The uses include everything from silencing squeaky hinges and removing road tar from automobiles to protecting tools from rust and removing adhesive labels. But they get a lot crazier than that. Some of the more interesting stories include the bus driver in Asia who used WD-40 to remove a python snake, which had coiled itself around the undercarriage of his bus, or when police officers used WD-40 to remove a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent.

Think those are crazy? Check out the Official List of 2,000+ Uses here, and more Myths, Legends & Fun Facts here. 

Very few brands will ever match the popularity of WD-40 . In fact, the variety and uniqueness of uses for WD-40 proved so popular that The WD-40 Book, featuring many user testimonials and the wacky humor of the Duct Tape Guys, was published in 1997. But WD-40's literary legend doesn't end there. The familiar blue and yellow can has been featured in other books ranging from The Big **** Book of Sheer Manliness (General Publishing 1997), Polish Your Furniture With Panty Hose (Hyperion 1995), WD-40 for the Soul: The Guide to Fixing Everything (TV Books 1999), and Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

**** Habilis said:


> Greg: Stuff.


Mr Hobilis;
IMHO - You can ignore that Stuff. It's bait. 

Chris


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

Chris:

I get it - fish, bait - hook, line, sinker, rinse, repeat 

Mark

p.s. no need to be so formal, I'll answer to most anything.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

If and when I use WD-40 on my track, and I have done it several times over the last 17 years, I spray it on a green scotch bright pad that drags along under my pipe-load car. (A couple of the pipes are stuffed with sand and the ends hot glued to add weight to the flat car to keep the trucks planted.)

But I also give the pad a spray of Simple Green. This then emulsifies the WD-40 making it water soluble such that it still cleans the rails but washes down with the daily watering cycle.

Some may want to give this a try.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

WD-40 used to be a different composition. Again, if you read carefully, all the information is that CURRENTLY it does not contain fish oil.

It WAS a different composition, and that composition got gummy as it evaporated.

Many people believe it was fish oil. I don't have the date the conposition changed, but it definitely did, because it is different NOW.

Note nowhere does it say it never had fish oil, nor do they talk about the change in composition, but I remember when it changed.

Most people also believe it was an organic oil before the composition changed.

*Show me the quote where they admit they changed the composition, or where it says "never contained fish oil"....*

It's not there... 

So whatever, I've used the stuff since the 50's... how many of you have that experience to even know the composition changed?

I remember my grandfather throwing a fit when the new can was different...

So, can I say that it was fish oil? Well, I believe the old timers.

But I can say the composition changed, and it stopped leaving a gummy residue.

Maybe the rumour about fish oil started long ago, and people just picked it up... could be... but I think that with the factory here in San Diego, some information "leaked"... especially since it was a "big secret"...

Greg


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

Here are my final thoughts on the Great Fish Oil Debate.

As previously stated (highlighting added)


> I also read in the WD-40 history section ". . . because the _*original secret formula*_ for WD-40 - which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try - is *still in use* today."


 I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I would literally take this to mean that it hasn’t changed.

It appears that I don’t have the requisite birthright or know the secret handshake to offer any type of opinion on a rather mundane product. I find it interesting that only residents of a small town with unpaved streets would be the ones privy to the secret ingredients of this magical elixir of a three man company. I find it even more interesting that this company would go to such lengths to hide an ingredient that their product apparently never contained. Perhaps this was a clever campaign of disinformation to mislead the communist spies that were performing industrial espionage on our weapons and space program.

I tend to want to live my life using an evidenced based view of the world. While apocryphal stories from old timers are often interesting and entertaining they are usually not something that I would use as an argument when there is reasonable evidence to the contrary. I often use Occam’s razor and in this case, even though it’s just an ingredient that WD-40 did or didn’t contain I choose to believe the manufacturer’s statements.

This horse is finally dead to me after a very severe beating!


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

noelw said:


> Very interesting.. When I was with a electronic Mfg chip corp. yr's ago from the of the SF bay area and we had to make sure what we used around the plant in certain areas.
> At that time yrs ago it show no protrolum and using fish oil and lot of other stuff that was compatible for air quality..
> Maybe Greg E. can show us the New MSDS that show what it has in it now. It sure works great for us with the pine sap and dust on the tracks and goes away in about 20 to 30 min if hot out.
> Been doing this for 10 yrs or so here.
> ...



If the jousters had stopped to read the thread, Noel offered this up last week.
I trust Noel.
fini


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm just a better target ha ha!

And I KNOW they changed the formulation, not only did I notice it, but as I said before, my grandfather (who had lived in San Diego since the depression) threw an absolute fit when the new can did not match the old one, he bought it by the gallon, I believe before it was ever offered as an aerosol spray.

Anyway, I believe Noel also, but maybe Noel might still have the can and take a picture?

Greg


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I also read in the WD-40 history section ". . . because the _*original secret formula*_ for WD-40 - which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try - is *still in use* today." 


In no way does this preclude that any other portion of the formula, the base, or carrier, has not changed.

Only that they had originally developed some "compound" and that "compound" is still in use in the product.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Very astute Todd... no one has any "hate" for the WD-40 folk, everyone loves the fact that a famous company is here in San Diego, but all of us here know that it has changed over the years, and reading what they say, there is "wiggle room" in the statements.

This is sort of like the Coke deal, when they changed the formulation, everyone complained, and then went back to the original... but it's really not the same, everyone says that... something is slightly different.

Any way, the good news is that wd-40 is a better product for most uses now, but it SEEMS to be not as plastic "safe" as it was. The old timers swear that the old stuff had more of an organic component, and now it has petroleum distillates, the can did change.

Still fine on rails, but would not spray on plastic.. ok on plastic wheels? I would not recommend it.

Greg


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg Elmassian said:


> I'm just a better target ha ha!
> 
> And I KNOW they changed the formulation, not only did I notice it, but as I said before, my grandfather (who had lived in San Diego since the depression) threw an absolute fit when the new can did not match the old one, he bought it by the gallon, I believe before it was ever offered as an aerosol spray.
> 
> ...


Greg.E. your Dad was right.
I wish I still had the can that I save from the early day in my Ho box stuff, but it was not aerosol can spray. it looked the same size of the small spray cans, but had a screw on top cap that I screw on a spray cap to use it. Never really looked at the new cans that came out and fig. it was the same. The can was Blue and silver with Black writing on it saying WD40. Like any thing else when empty thro it away. 
As far as working for a Computer chip Co out of San Leandro here in Sacto. the Co order this same stuff for our Electronic clean up on equip. ( Came in a box of six cans to a case.) and then wipe down with Alcohol. That was ok using the MSDS make up at that time. So go fig. Some place or some one is not telling what it use to be with... yes.... Fish oil showing in the MSDS make up with other stuff at that time. 
Wish I still had the can and tk's to Greg E. looking in to it, we still use it on our tracks, but make sure you don't run a USA Eng. with rubber tiers on them for a bit until dry. It will in time stretch them out and have to change them. Other that that it is still good stuff here. Not sure on Plastic wheels, but Greg. is probably right. We and our train group don't have any plastic wheels on our rolling stock. 
So at this point, use your own judgment on what you want to use.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

**** Habilis said:


> From the WD-40 FAQ and Snopes and many others it appears that the product never contained fish oil. Perhaps it was WD-39 that did!


Maybe be right.. maybe miss marked on the WD39.. and the printing machine stepped up one notch.. and painted the can difference.  LOL.


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