Water displacement technology

By Timothy Allinson, P.E.

Murray Company, Long Beach, Calif.

The other day I learned of a technology developed back in 1953 by chemist Norm Larsen at the Sand Diego Rocket Chemical Company. It’s a remarkable technology that uses water displacement to prevent corrosion of missile parts.

Even more remarkable is that since its development, this technology became commercially available in 1958 and has been found to possess a large array of uses, from simple to sophisticated, including but not limited to:

 

• Prevent silver from tarnishing;

• Remove road grime from cars;

• Loosen stuck zippers;

• Untangle jewelry chains;

• Prevent oxidation of garden pots;

• Smooth the operation of scissors;

• Silence door hinges;

• Lighten gearshift operation;

• Quiet rocking chairs;

• Smooth the operation of sliding doors;

• Ease umbrella operation;

• Restore vehicle roof racks;

• Quiet fan operation;

• Lubricate wheel sprockets;

• Remove rust from ferrous metals;

• Speed the operation of prosthetic limbs;

• Repel pigeons;

• Remove duct tape glue;

• Remove dried bugs from cars;

• Repair flooded distributor caps;

• Remove scuffs from floors; and

• Remove graffiti and other paint.

 

In addition to these and other uses recommended by the manufacturer, this technology also has been used to:

 

• Clean guitar strings;

• Keep flies off cows;

• Restore chalkboards;

• Clean stainless steel sinks;

• Degrease BBQ grills;

• Remove spots from shower doors;

• Prevent bath mirrors from fogging;

• Attract fish to fishing lures;

• Heal insect bites;

• Remove crayon from walls;

• Remove stains from leather;

• Prevent mildew growth;

• Remove stains from tubs;

• Clean grout;

• Remove calcium deposits;

• Dry out wet cell phones;

• Clean remote controls;

• Remove carpet stains;

• Polish shoes;

• Lubricate wire pulls; and

• Remove “Liquid Nails” from hands.

 

The list is long and contains over 2,000 items. In developing this remarkable technology, Larsen had 39 failed attempts before finally perfecting his water displacement technology on the 40th try. Hence, the product was named WD-40.

 

So why am I sharing this interesting but arguably trite information with you? Well, in part purely for its entertainment value, in part because I found it interesting that it works on the principle of water displacement, and in part because it can be used in the plumbing industry.

 

Anyone who has ever replaced a lavatory faucet knows how difficult the removal of the old faucet can be, especially when the faucet is mounted to a vanity top. For some reason, most faucet manufacturers make their anchor bolts extremely thin, such that getting a basin wrench – or any wrench – to grab and hold the bolt is nearly impossible.

 

A while back I was replacing a faucet and experiencing this very same difficulty. I managed after a long struggle, wedged inside the vanity cabinet, debris falling into my eyes despite my glasses, to get a good hold on the anchor bolt with the basin wrench and on the faucet shaft with a vice grip. I pulled at these two wrenches with all my might. Those of you who know me also know that I am not a small or weak guy. In pulling on the wrenches I strained nearly every muscle in my upper body with at least 300 lbs. of force, and the bolt still would not budge.

 

I was tired, frustrated, sweaty, dirty, cursing, ranting and raving. My wife asked what was wrong and I told her the @#$%&* bolt wouldn’t budge! She handed me the WD-40 and said, “Try this.” I looked at her incredulous and said, “If I can’t budge that bolt with all my strength what the heck is that stuff going to do?” She said, “Just try it.”

 

As a fairly knowledgeable tradesman I did as any good husband would do: I gave in to her suggestion to appease her. Well, to my absolute amazement, after spraying on the stuff, the bolt came off as easily as if it had been threaded on finger-tight just minutes before. I was stunned, and more than a little annoyed that she was right. I am now a full-fledged and registered fan of WD-40 (you too can register at www.wd40.com), and it has earned a spot in my heart up there with duct tape and super glue.

 

Another use for WD-40, not mention above, is that it removes lipstick stains. Think of how many marriages might have been saved by this simple fact? To wit, I think the WD-40 company should change its advertising slogan from “Always another use,” to “Saving marriages since 1958.”

 

Timothy Allinson is a senior professional engineer with Murray Co., Mechanical Contractors, in Long Beach, Calif. He holds a BSME from Tufts University and an MBA from New York University. He is a professional engineer licensed in both mechanical and fire protection engineering in various states, and is a leed accredited professional. Allinson is a past-president of ASPE, both the New York and Orange County Chapters.