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Old 18th Dec 2016, 12:59 pm   #4
paulsherwin
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
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Default Re: Lubricating push button mechanisms

Sewing machine oil is as good as anything. Normal automotive engine oil is a very high quality lubricant but can be a bit viscous at low temperatures unless it's the expensive fully synthetic stuff.

WD40 is mostly white spirit with a small amount of fairly viscous mineral oil. The original objective was to have a light product which could be sprayed or painted on corrosion prone surfaces. The white spirit component would evaporate over a few weeks leaving a very thin but stable oil film.

WD40 will dissolve accumulated crud very effectively, but it isn't a good long term lubricant, so any sliding surfaces which have been treated with it should be relubed with conventional oil a few weeks later.

Some people seem to have a pathologic hatred of WD40. It's a cheap and versatile product, but it's important to appreciate what it does and doesn't do and use it appropriately.
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