How many of you could locate the straw for your WD-40 can right now? I can’t either, even when the can has a little horizontal holder for the straw on the cap. But with the WD-40 Smart Straw, you’ll always know where that straw is — it’s permanently attached to the front of the nozzle.
Whether they love it or hate it, almost every Toolmonger has a can of WD-40 on a shelf somewhere around the shop. Now the Tacoma Wheelmen’s Bicycle club has assembled a list of 1,997 “unofficial” uses for everyone’s favorite water dispersant. Take a gander, but beware of #389: “Makes deadbolt locks work better.” You don’t want to go there.
(Thanks, Mr. South, for the great CC-licensed photo.)
2,000 Unofficial Uses For WD-40 [Tacoma Wheelmen’s Club]
An anonymous reader tipped us to write about something that we’ve used on and off since we were kids: Lava brand soap with pumice. (Sometimes we get so wrapped up in writing about the newest power tool that we forget to mention something as simple as good hand soap for the shop!) From the Lava FAQ:
What is pumice?
Pumice is a by-product of volcanic activity that provides the mildly abrasive quality in the Lava Bar and Lava Liquid soaps. It is also the meaning behind the “Lava” name.
The FAQ goes on to say that this is pretty much the same product they release 80 years ago. So, yes, the Lava we used as kids in Dad’s shop is the same stuff. Now it’s available in a bar and liquid format, and they even have a “pro” version that includes whatever that orange stuff is that’s so popular in cleaners now-a-days.
Lava soap’s pumiced wonders have been cleaning up greasy and oily hands for decades. In the last few years, though, Lava soap added orange solvents to the mix — creating one tough hand cleaner.
Pumice is a highly vesicular pyroclastic igneous rock. (Or, in real-people-terms: lava rock that has holes in it.) If you’ve never used Lava soap or any other form of pumice, it feels a bit like washing your hands with large rough sand. The pumice cuts through and dislodges oil and grease that other soaps can’t even budge. The orange solvents now boost the power of the pumice, further dissolving and breaking down grime and oil.
I’m sure everyone reading knows how useful WD-40 can be. (Just don’t spray it in locks. Your locksmith will hate you forever.) Now WD-40’s available in a “no-mess” pen as well, giving you a) an easier way to carry it around, b) a method to dispense smaller amounts cleanly, and c) a seriously cool addition to your lubricant collection.
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