Hoppes gun oil versus Starret oil

[Charley Davidson]

Any difference between the 2 that I should be aware of? I have a full container of the Hoppes and hate to waste it. Want to use it on my height gauge to clean the slides and stuff like that. Also should I squirt a light mist of WD40 on my machines to keep them from rusting or getting spots?

 

[pdentrem]

Is it gun oil or Hoppes powder solvent/ cleaner? Gun oils tend to be nice and thin just like Starret oil. Some would say oil is oil but there can be differences based on the additives. It is after the volatiles boil off that one finds out what works best. Try an experiment, put a couple drops of each on a piece of glass or nice piece of steel and wait a few days and see which one has a better feel, appearance etc, and then make your choice. I have used Hoppe gun oil on many tools etc, not just my guns.

After spraying the WD40, PLEASE oil any surfaces that you DO NOT WANT RUSTED! WD40 will not stop rust. Also it is not a penetrating oil but people use it as such. Kroil and others are better at penetrating, even Hoppe's #9 Powder Solvent works better than WD40.

 

[irishwoodsman]

i always use 3n1 oil on my guns have for 40 yrs singer always recommended it for their sewing machine, and my dad and grandad used it on their guns and so do i lol:biggrin: mac

 

[4GSR]

WD-40 is banned from use in my shop!!! Period!

Five star for Starrett M-1 oil, both spray and drip.

 

[Tom Griffin]

WD-40 is banned from use in my shop!!! Period!

Five star for Starrett M-1 oil, both spray and drip.

Why? WD-40 has many uses. It's an excellent tapping and cutting fluid for aluminum. It works very well for cleaning grimy machines and hands, oh yeah AND it fixes things that stick and squeak. I literally go through it by the gallon.

Tom

 

[8ntsane]

I would not spray WD40 on your machines. That stuff alone will not protect your machines. It is more a solvent than anything else. Yes it works well when drilling , or cutting aluminum. Other than that, I dont see much use for it. Being WD is a water absorbant, the only time I would use it on a machine, and have in the past, is when a machine has been transported, and got caught in the rain. It lubrication quality really sucks. Even for somthing as simple as a sqeeky hinge, yes it works, for a very short time, then is back to its old ways. Being the stuff absorbs moisture is reason enough not to spray your machines with it. Any oil wiped on with a cloth would be better than WD. For the guys that spray the machines down on a reg basis, WD does help some, but after it evaporates the trouble starts. Do keep in mind it mind its a solvent, and washes any real oil down, every time you spray it on.

Just my 2 cents worth
Paul

 

[Tom Griffin]

I don't know Paul, I've never put anything but WD-40 on my machines for the last 30+ years and they look pretty darned good. Maybe my shop is just drier than yours.

Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. :thumbzup:

Tom

 

[8ntsane]

I don't know Paul, I've never put anything but WD-40 on my machines for the last 30+ years and they look pretty darned good. Maybe my shop is just drier than yours.

Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. :thumbzup:

Tom

Tom

I would have to think, yes your shop may be drier than mine, but more importantly is the area one lives in. I live in the north. Cottage country you might say. The area is full of lakes and lots of moisture.
This alone is not a good combo for WD40. The WD will attract the moisture, and when it dries up, it will leave rust. As said in my above post, The guys that use it on a regular basis, it does help some. But, if you were to spray down your vices , or R/T and such, and put it away for the long term thinking its protected in a moist envirment, you will find it rusting.

You say you use this product enough, your purchase it by the gal. That tells me your allways on top of the rust control, and must be spraying your stuff down regularly to keep it wet. Users doing this will get away with it for the most part.

I do agree on a few things though.
It does work well to clean grimey machines. Because it is full of solvents. It allso works well for cleaning your hands of grime, solvents again. For things that sqeek, its thin enough to get in there, but again, its not long lasting. How many of us have used WD on a simple task like a sqeeky door hinge, only to have the same hinge needing more WD a short time later? How many of us have spayed on WD on anything, and in a short time,its dissappeared! And the cycle continues, reapply more WD40.
At least with oil,it has lubrication qualitys, and does not evaporate like WD40 does.

Keep in mind there are those guys that will spay down a machine tool, and put it away for the (long term) Possibly 6 months or more, over the winter perhaps, in a un heated garage. These guys should be aware that WD40 will not protect there tools over the long haul. Those of us that visit there shop regularly, and respray the tools down, then yes. they will get away with it. For all the tooling I have, I have 7 tool chests, and several cabinets full of stuff. I could never keep up reapplying WD,,,Its oil for me.

Paul

 

[george wilson]

Starrett oil is just mineral oil. I use it,but you could just buy pharmaceutical grade mineral oil to refill the bottle. WD40 can leave a brown,cruddy deposit on machinery. This was insisted by several members on the PM forum some time ago. They claim that this crud is VERY hard to get off of surfaces. I don't use WD myself after reading its short comings. Maybe it won't happen if you are regularly wiping down your machines ?

 

[63VDub]

Interesting conversation. I use WD-40 liberally, but only as a cleaning agent. It works great in combination with some fine steel wool for removing surface rust. It is definitely not a lubricant, though.