WD-40 defect?
 

One of my few uses for this stuff is as a lube for working with aluminum, it's some of the best stuff I've ever found for keeping the material from sticking to the tools.
I was happily working along tonight, when my WD-40 went dead. There's still a lot of fluid in the can, maybe around half full, and there's enough pressure that I can't dent the can with my thumb, but nothing comes out. This is the fourth can in a row that has done this to me, and they all plug inside the can so it's not just a matter of clearing the nozzle.
Has anyone else noticed this or am I just getting odd failures?

Never had that problem with anything but paint cans. I always turn them upside down and spray to clear the nozzle when through working. Call and complain, maybe they will send you a few cans as a goodwill gesture.:D

I've had a couple cans with the flip up straw that lost pressure before the can was empty.

Ditto. If memory serves me it was not too long ago same/similar thread where member's complained about half full WD containers losing pressure, and seem to be more with the 'flip straw' type applicator??

Doesn't it also come in a pint sized pump sprayer?

I don't have much use for WD-40 but could see using it for cutting aluminum.

Don't know anything about it, but I have an aluminum question. (Just a small hijack)

Quite a few years ago, The product I worked on used large 3/8" aluminum baseplates --something like 4 x 6(feet). Originally, they were all custom.

A machinist who used to do them used water when he was tapping the holes -- said it worked great. Has anybody ever tried that?

Might have been 6061, but it's been 30 years or so.

hj

I had a can of brake cleaner that was about half full, lose pressure. I had my truck's brakes all torn apart when found that out, so i couldn't just run up to the store and buy another can.
Perhps it was made by the WD40 company, who knows.

Why not punch a hole in the top of the can and keep on trucking?

I haven't tried it.
I have avoided punching a hole in the can since it still has pressure. The last thing I need is an uncontrolled release of WD40 plus whatever flammable propellent they use.
I do plan on getting a gallon and a spray bottle, or set up a drip on the cutter to save some time.

I have used an air nozzle with a rubber end on it and put some pressure in the can that way before, just remove the nozzle from the can and hold it to the tube it was sitting on. It doesn't do a lot but when you need some and it quit early, it works..

I saved money by getting a pneumatic sprayer I can refill. WD is great for milling and drilling aluminum, but not much else. I'll pass on using water since even water-based coolant isn't as effective as WD-40 for machining, and using pure water on machine tools is begging for rust.

I have no problem walking outdoors with any spray can (wearing eye protection) and putting a very small hole near the top of the sidewall with my multitool to depressurize it. If you have one of the old-style refrigerant can piercing tools that's even better for dumping the propellant.

I just poke a hole in can & put it in pump up sprayer. I use it on saw blades to remove sap & it works good on leather boots as a waterproofing.

Likewise, I poke a hole in the can. About the only thing I use it for though is to coat fish bait with just before I throw it in the water. Have 2 or 3 cans on the boat at all times.

Funny reading that here. This morning I was reading a blog on another site that mentioned that the primary ingredient in WD40 is fish oil. :-huh After reading what you wrote I'm thinking that maybe that is true.

I've heard that for years, but the people at WD 40 vehemently deny it. While the formula is a "secret" the MDS sheets show mineral oils, I can tell you this, for certain species of fish, WD40 or Baby Oil can get fish to bite when they hadn't been biting. I'm thinking the mineral oils may have something to do with it. Don't use it all the time. Just when the bite is slow or I think I may be contaminating the bait with human or some other scent.

A true story. When I was still heavy in national level competition shooting, we had to have a minimum of 3 pounds of trigger pull on the one class of rifle. We would strip the trigger mechanism and spray it down with WD 40. At the weigh in the trigger pulls would check in at or just above 4 pounds. As soon as we were weighed, we would clean the WD 40 off with degreaser and recoat the sear and the rest of the trigger mechanism with Never Seize compound. It dropped the trigger pull down to between 2 and 2 1/4 pounds.

With the above exception, WD40 is never allowed in the same room with my guns.