American-made WD-40 aerosol is one of the favorite products of Russian motorists. There are several reasons for this preference, because this universal spray is capable of solving a wide variety of problems, from providing moisture-repellent protection and lubrication of individual elements to loosening tightly screwed and rusted fasteners.
Only the “Vedashka”, as it is affectionately called by car enthusiasts, has one serious drawback and it lies in the high cost of the product, which, moreover, is consumed quite quickly.
Composition of the original WD 40
This is an interesting nuance that needs to be highlighted. The composition of this “bucket” is very jealously guarded by the manufacturer, thanks to which the WD-40 company still remains the world leader in the manufacture of this spray. Moreover, the company deliberately did not patent this aerosol, so as not to reveal all the secrets of its composition.
However, there is one trick that will help you make this product at home. The original packaging contains a safety data sheet. From it we know that this spray is unusually volatile and flammable. From here we learn the main components, including:
- 50% – gasoline-solvent “white spirit”, which is a mixture of liquid aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, obtained by distillation of oil and often undergoes a hydrotreating procedure;
- 25% – volatile hydrocarbons;
- 15% – mineral oils;
- 10% are inert ingredients that are kept secret by the manufacturer.
This, of course, is not a direct guide to making homemade WD-40, but it still allows you to shed light and select the optimal composition.
What is VD-40 and what is it used for?
In any auto parts store you can see blue cans with the inscription WD-40. They come with a red thin tube so that this substance can be sprayed into the most difficult to reach places, for example on the hub nut, which is rusty and simply impossible to unscrew it with a simple key.
What is Vadeshka, what is its composition, for what purposes is it used? - this article on the Vodi.su portal will be devoted to these issues.
History and chemical composition
The product first went on sale in California in 1958.
Its main purpose was:
- protection of parts from rust;
- moisture repellence;
- rust breaking to loosen rusted nuts and bolts.
It is worth saying that the true composition of VD-40 is a trade secret, so all the information that can be found on the Internet about the chemical composition is only partially true.
So, after a detailed study of the substance in special laboratories, it was revealed that it consists of:
- White spirit solvent - 50 percent;
- 25 percent from carbon dioxide, which displaces moisture;
- 15 percent - mineral oil;
- 10 percent - various additional ingredients.
If there is no particular doubt regarding the first three ingredients - white spirit, carbon dioxide and mineral oil - then 10% of additives is a question that has not yet been fully resolved. So, among this ten percent, Russian chemists found: silicone, water, kerosene, wax, fragrances to hide unpleasant odors, graphite and some other chemicals.
It is worth saying that the Atlas family of rockets performed an important historical function:
- it was on the Atlas rocket that the first American astronaut John Glenn flew into space and circled the Earth three times;
- the first NASA orbital satellites were launched into orbit on them;
- During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Atlas intercontinental missiles were aimed at Moscow and were put on full alert.
They are still used for space flights, although accidents do occur from time to time.
Later, ordinary motorists also appreciated the benefits of VD-40.
If you use WD-40, remember the following:
- the product is flammable and cannot be extinguished with water, only with foam from a fire extinguisher;
- it cannot be taken orally, it is advisable not to breathe in the vapors;
- negatively affects the condition of the skin, so hands should be washed thoroughly and protected with work gloves when working.
Also note that WD-40 is also the name of the company that produces this aerosol. Its annual turnover reaches 300-400 million dollars, and its products are supplied to 150 countries.
Other liquids specially adapted to perform certain tasks are also produced:
- rust removal;
- removal of oil or fat;
- rust inhibitors - protect metal from corrosion for a long time;
- lubricants for protection against corrosion, dust, dirt;
- sprays for cleaning electrical contacts.
All these sprays can be purchased at any auto store.
Application
The main area of application is automotive workshops, where it is often necessary to unscrew rusted connections. It’s enough to spray the thread a couple of times and after a while all the rust will dissolve, you can easily unscrew any nut. In principle, any car owner will have a jar of this spray in their trunk or garage. Moreover, it is relatively inexpensive.
However, serious mistakes are often made even in auto repair shops:
- VD-40 does not provide long-term protection against rust; on the contrary, this composition is hygroscopic and attracts moisture, that is, over time the part will begin to rust even faster;
- VD-40 cannot be used as a lubricant - it evaporates quickly;
- cannot be applied to various plastics, polycarbonate, foam, but VD-40 is suitable for metal, wooden or rubber products.
Thus, there is no need to attribute various properties to VD-40 that it does not possess. Protect treated parts with other types of lubricant, for example the same grease or lithol.
We have found a lot of other ways to use WD-40 in everyday life:
- removing traces of glue;
- water-repellent impregnation for shoes;
- Protecting windows from freezing - apply spray to the outer surface of the windows.
Housewives use the spray to clean toilets, remove various stains from fabrics, and remove chewing gum from clothes. It is also interesting that the spray repels cockroaches and harmful insects well.
In a word, WD-40 can be called a unique liquid that can perform a lot of tasks. But still, the main application is cleaning metal parts from rust and dirt, penetrating threads for easier unscrewing.
Analogs of a popular product
The high cost of the original “vedeshka” pushes domestic consumers to look for more affordable analogues. They often succeed, but the cost of saving is a decrease in quality. While real American WD-40 has a powerful water-repellent effect and easily eliminates oxidation of bolted joints, domestic and foreign analogues act much more slowly and are not as effective.
If you are an employee of a service station or a locksmith shop, and your duty requires an incredible amount of this aerosol, then it can be replaced with the following means:
- G-Power (for greater convenience, we give the average cost and volume - 250 rubles / 400 ml);
- 3TON (RUR 150/520 ml);
- ABRO Masters “AB-8” (RUR 335/450 ml);
- CC 1000 (RUR 150/400 ml);
- "Eltrans UPS-40" (108 rub./210 ml).
If you are looking for an analogue with identical composition and quality, it is unlikely that you will be able to find a 100% match. That's why the famous WD-40 is good. But you can try to make it yourself using a popular and proven recipe, which will be given below.
What it is
WD40 is positioned as a liquid key.
This is a universal kerosene-based product that can penetrate rusted threaded connections and more. This way you can unscrew oxidized parts without damaging them with excessive physical force.
Therefore, with a huge stretch, a Vedashka can be called a lubricant. No, this is not a lubricant at all in its usual sense.
WD40 is capable of displacing water, dissolving rust and stuck-on elements. Therefore, the product can be called a liquid key or a penetrating lubricant.
To find out the characteristics, you should look at the composition of the product. It is based on kerosene, a certain amount of oil, and a solvent. But there are also auxiliary components.
Required Ingredients
To make your own “bucket”, we recommend taking:
- “White Spirit” - if you are making the product for yourself and will use it once every few months, then feel free to buy a foreign solvent. If you want to save money or assume that you will need a large amount of the final product, then buy Nefras-C4-155/200, it will also work.
- Gasoline "Galosh" - that's what it's called. You can find any other gasoline with increased volatility, but this is the one most often indicated during homemade production. It consists of the very light hydrocarbons that are needed.
- Mineral oil – you can use regular car motor oil. The ideal choice would be 5W-40 and 5W-30. Some craftsmen have experimented with synthetic oil, but it’s better not to take risks.
Now a very interesting nuance. There is an opinion that the original WD-40 contains fish oil. That is why it is often used as bait for large fish. Whether this is true or not - the question remains open. However, when making your own “bucket”, it is still recommended to use an analogue of fish oil - paraffin. You only need a few grams of regular candle wax, not melted.
Important! When making WD-40, never light a candle or melt the paraffin yourself.
It is needed in solid form: white spirit will melt it. Remember that you will be mixing highly flammable ingredients, so any source of open flame is strictly prohibited!
Recipes from “Kulibins”
There is power - no need for WD
To clarify the issue with VD-40, we should start with its official composition - it is more or less known.
There are rumors about the secret additive that it is ordinary paraffin - it is this that has water-repellent properties.
Based on this information, the first recipe appeared, as close as possible to the official WD-40.
Recipe No. 1
To make it you will need:
The use of paraffin is not necessary, especially if the product will be used to loosen rusty nuts and bolts. It is more rational to use it in cases where the composition will also be used to lubricate any components: for example, garage hinges.
The recipe is as follows:
Start by pouring oil into a container (1 part). The use of synthetics is also acceptable.
Add 4 parts of white spirit. If you need to make a water-repellent agent, then molten paraffin is added at this stage. It is better to mix it with a solvent in advance in a ratio of 1 to 50, i.e. for 100 ml of white spirit 2 ml of paraffin.
Add 4 parts solvent
Gasoline “Galosha” is light hydrocarbons. It needs to be added in 3 parts.
Pour gasoline into the composition
Shake well. Homemade WD-40 is ready.
It is interesting to note that the cost of a homemade product is 10 times cheaper than the original WD-40, and the quality is no worse.
If you need a little, you can buy it
Recipe No. 2
Solvent 50 ml
This recipe can no longer be called WD-40 - it is much more serious. According to tests, its lubricating and penetrating properties are several times superior to VD-40.
For penetrating lubrication you will need:
Pour 1 part of white spirit into the container, in our case – 50 ml.
We add any dry lubricant, in our case it is “forum”.
You can also use graphite, brilliant green, molybdenum, etc.
Add 0.05 parts, i.e. if the solvent is 50 ml, then the dry lubricant is 2.5 ml (half a teaspoon).
A little dry lubricant
Then add rust converter - 1 part.
Any rust converter
Mix well and pour into a spray bottle.
Stir and the product is ready
The resulting lubricant performed well. It was tested for friction, i.e. at what force does jamming of a part treated with this agent occur? The results were in favor of the homemade product: the force applied to the part was five times greater than on it only treated with VD-40.
Recipe No. 3
This recipe is slightly different from recipe No. 2, and has better penetrating ability compared to recipes No. 1, 2.
To make it you will need:
Place 10 ml of waterproof lubricant into the container.
Solvent 650 – 50 ml
Add solvent and mix.
Add an anti-friction additive - 2-3 ml.
Stir, pour into a spray bottle - done! Now even the rustiest nut can be unscrewed almost by hand.
There is VD, but no strength is needed
Popular recipes on how to make WD 40 with your own hands
Now you know the basic composition of a handicraft “bed”, and therefore you can start making it. It is recommended to take the above components with a syringe, especially since it has measuring divisions, which will help you easily select the mass fraction.
It is necessary to mix the components in a small bottle (preferably a glass one, since the solvent can corrode thin plastic). After mixing white spirit, gasoline and mineral oil, add a few pieces of paraffin to them and mix well.
“Vedeshka” is ready! You can safely try it in action by applying a small amount to the rims or to the faucet with limescale. We will talk about application methods at the end, but now we should devote a few words to other well-known recipes for making WD-40.
The composition of a more accurate analogue of this spray (it was developed experimentally) is as follows:
- 45–50% – the same “white spirit”;
- 15–25% – heavy paraffin distillate;
- 12–18% – hydrotreated isoparaffins;
- 2–3% – carbon dioxide.
These ingredients are less accessible to the average consumer and must be mixed in a laboratory setting. Preparing a “vedeshka” according to this recipe requires a lot of knowledge and practice in the field of chemistry, so we do not recommend resorting to this method.
Mixtures
Domestic car enthusiasts are very savvy when it comes to finding alternatives to expensive and scarce products. Accordingly, in every garage cooperative you can hear more than one recipe for making “vedeshka” from scrap materials. Let's look at the most popular and effective ones.
A mixture of brake fluid and kerosene. These are 2 very aggressive elements. The brake fluid itself fights rust well, as we have already clarified. Kerosene penetrates perfectly into the compound, which allows this combination to operate as efficiently as possible.
The following recipe also uses kerosene as a base. Used oil and any solvent are added to it.
The proportions are as follows:
- Kerosene – 60%;
- Working off – 30%;
- Solvent – 10%.
The substances are thoroughly mixed. For ease of use, you can fill the mixture into an empty liquid key can. The resulting preparation is applied to the joint 1-2 hours before the start of work.
White spirit, mixed with used oil, is practically no different in action from WD 40. In fact, it is the main component of the original drug. Therefore, there is no reinvention of the wheel going on here. We just mix the substances in a one to one ratio and get an excellent result with a minimum of costs. If you need to save a little, you can safely increase the proportion of oil in the preparation. The result will not be much lower. In principle, white spirit can be replaced with acetone, but in this case, the mixture cannot be made in advance. Acetone evaporates beautifully.
Safety precautions
Working away from an open source of flame is the most important requirement that must be taken into account when making a “bucket” yourself. Remember that your health and even life may depend on this!
Since both white spirit and galosh gasoline are extremely volatile and flammable substances, it is necessary to work away from any heating devices with open elements. These can be powerful lamps and, of course, heaters.
The air temperature should be between –40 and +30 degrees Celsius. It is necessary to work in a well-ventilated area. Of course, you should avoid contact of ingredients with mucous membranes and skin.
How to fill a penetrating lubricant into a can
Now it's time for one little trick. There is no way you can make an aerosol at home, since it requires special equipment. But using a “bucket” in a glass bottle is inconvenient. How to be?
You can resort to a simple method. Pour the prepared solution into a plastic bottle left over from an air freshener or any body care product. Insert an ordinary lever spray bottle into the neck, which can be purchased at any hardware store, and screw the cap tightly.
You now have your own sample of WD-40 ready to use. In conclusion, let’s say that a hand-made “bucket” is much cheaper than the original spray. If its average cost sometimes reaches 350–400 rubles for a 400 ml can, then your spray will cost about 100–150 rubles. The savings are obvious.
The quality of the handicraft “vedeshka” is quite acceptable. If you plan to use this product in the workshop, then it will do and will help you significantly save on costs.
Decorative fan
You will need: 4 sheets of colored paper, double-sided tape. Let's get started:
- Fold each sheet into an accordion shape.
- Fold each accordion in half to form a fan.
- Glue 4 sheets together to form a circle.
The paper fan for decoration is ready! I recommend watching this video!
Making fans at home can be a great activity for both children and adults. The children will be happy to attend a home master class and learn how to make this accessory with their own hands. Of course, they are rarely used in everyday life today, since modern city apartments usually have air conditioners and fans. But if it turns out to be really beautiful and harmonizes with your image, then you can easily carry it in your purse and use it if necessary.
