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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