Rails sprayed with WD40 - any risk of fire?


homersimpsonlikestrains said:
Can electrical sparks from a moving train ignite the WD40 that I sprayed onto the lionel fastrak to prevent it from rusting? Isn't WD40 flammable?
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I think once you applied it and wiped down the track, it wouldn't be an issue.

From the interwebs:

WD-40 is very flammable, but mostly just because of the aerosol propellant that allows it to be sprayed (usually butane). It is not very flammable once the lubricant is out of the can. Despite this, WD-40 can be very dangerous around fire and caution needs to be exercised.

Is WD40 Flammable? Yes and No… - Firefighter Insider​

firefighterinsider.com/wd40-flammable/
 

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I wouldn't have thought so. While wd40 is wet it is really flammable, but it's danger evaporates fairly quickly leaving a light "residue" which is just a light oily substance.
The gases, "OL"s and whatever other solvents are involved are the "highly flammable" bit. But they don't last long.
 
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I wipe the rails with odorless mineral spirits. I put some on a rag (piece of old t-shirt) and wrap it around a scrap of 1x2 and rub the tops of the rails. I would never want to spray WD-40 or anything like that all over the track and layout.
 
dave1905 said:
I wipe the rails with odorless mineral spirits. I put some on a rag (piece of old t-shirt) and wrap it around a scrap of 1x2 and rub the tops of the rails. I would never want to spray WD-40 or anything like that all over the track and layout.
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I think he's in the process of cleaning pieces of track.
Waging a battle against rust.
 
There's a video on youtube... somewhere... I can't find it... where and guy doused an engine in WD40, then rolled it in lint and dirt and all kinds of crap and then let it on his DC track for a few hours. No issues.

Like it was said above, the propellant is the flammable part, not the Water Displacer itself.

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EDIT:
Found the video:
 
Where applicable, I prefer using Silicon Spray (but never have used either on my previous MRR layouts).
There is one thing I discovered about WD 40: It attracts bees! That's one of the main reasons why I stopped using it - for anything.
 
dave1905 said:
I wipe the rails with odorless mineral spirits. I put some on a rag (piece of old t-shirt) and wrap it around a scrap of 1x2 and rub the tops of the rails. I would never want to spray WD-40 or anything like that all over the track and layout.
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Try a patch blue jean material (Denim). Its slightly more abrasive than t-shirt.
 
At the end of the day, if in doubt about any chemical, experiment with it.. Safely, ie PPE, goggles, gloves etc & preferably outside.
Is this paint good on foam? Try it outdoors. Is it flamable? make a pool of it and see both out of the can/tin/box and after it dries out...
Been doing that my whole life lol. Almost burned my Dad's shed down when i was a kid (it was re purposed as a workshop/Lab for his tools and my chemistry set).
Learned a lot :D
 
FeatherRiver said:
Where applicable, I prefer using Silicon Spray (but never have used either on my previous MRR layouts).
There is one thing I discovered about WD 40: It attracts bees! That's one of the main reasons why I stopped using it - for anything.
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LOL wow i had no idea it attracted insects. It does smell pretty sweet though :D
It is a product with a million uses.. (apparently if you spray it on a toilet bowl then you don't need to use the brush for a while.. although i hate to think of the environmental impact of that one!.. so not reccomended)
 
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