Archive for the 'WD-40' Category

WD-40 Trigger Pro

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

Nothing like the smell of WD-40 in the morning. And now you can have it from the WD-40 Trigger Pro, which is a non-aerosol can that looks like a spray bottle including spray or stream settings. You could always just buy the WD-40 Spray Applicator tube for a regular can, but then you’d miss out on paying an extra three bucks for the squeeze spray — and where’s the fun in that?

Perhaps, because it’s a plastic bottle, it’s less durable than the Trigger Pro? It would be nice if it were refillable, but it’s not; however they tout its easy disposability and “recyclable steel packaging.” Is this marketing trying to grab another few dollars from you? You bet it is. The new form factor does give you another WD-40 option in addition to the Smart Straw and No-Mess Pen previously seen on Toolmonger.

Side note: John S. Barry, an executive who helped popularize WD-40, died recently (July 3) at the age of 84.

WD-40 Trigger Pro [Manufacturer's Site]
John S. Barry [New York Times]

Never Lose That Darn WD-40 Straw Again

Monday, March 31st, 2008
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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.

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Almost 2,000 Uses For WD-40

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007
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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] 

Finds: Lava Soap

Monday, February 26th, 2007
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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.

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Finds: Lava Pro

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007
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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.

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Finds: The WD40 Pen

Wednesday, December 27th, 2006

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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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