| Hi Johann, It is a common misconception that WD40 is a lubricant - it is not, it is a water displacer. It has a solvent base that carries a thicker mixture that is deposited as a thin layer over the surface as the solvent evaporates. This layer is a gummy residue that protects the surface. While the residue may provide a measure of lubrication to the hinges of your garden gate, it is a disaster when used on delicate or precision applications. I found this to my cost a number of years ago when I used WD40 to free a jammed mictrometer that I got through the purchase of a job lot of tooling. The WD40 freed the spindle but after a day or so the whole mechanism gummed up and it proved very difficult to remove all traces of the residue and lubricate the mechanism properly. As you correctly point out the solvent is an excellent cutting fluid for aluminium - the solvent is mainly parafin (kerosene) and this is the material usually recommended as a cutting fluid for aluminium. Parafin is much cheaper than WD40 and is a better cutting fluid. Ian.
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