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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ New use for WD-40
Posted by: 914Sixer Jul 1 2008, 07:24 AM
Yesterday I was painting some parts that required that the paint be heated up to adhere properly. I was using a heat gun on the high setting (1200 degrees). The heat gun started to fall and like a FOOL I went to catch it. I the pain was INTENSE and immediate. I grabbed a can of WD-40 and soaked 3 fingers and the plam of my hand. My thinking was the old wives tale of putting butter on a burn. I was fully expecting to go to the emergency room to have my hand treated.
The WD-40 soaked in and started to relieve the pain. The pain came back a second time so I repeated the soaking. My hand required a third treatment. To my amazement I saw no blistering and the pain had subsided. The area was tender to the touch and red but that was all. I came inside to the house to clean up in case a trip to the doctor was in order but still no blistering.
The picture is of my hand this morning. The skin is tight on 3 fingers and my palm but you can not tell they were burned.
Ripley's believe it or not?
Attached image(s)
Posted by: davep Jul 1 2008, 07:27 AM
Lucky sod. Good thinking, but I don't know why it worked.
Posted by: Dr Evil Jul 1 2008, 07:54 AM
Was it cool when you sprayed it? If you immediately apply cold to a burn (1* or 2*) you will slow down the reaction that causes the skin to blister, hurt, turn red. I would still expect it to slough off some if you killed any skin, but it will likely be less. If it wasnt due to the cooling effects of the WD40, then I dont know what happened.
Posted by: Root_Werks Jul 1 2008, 08:00 AM
I use WD40 and spray it on cutting blades and drill bits to keep them cool and sharp. Works great, especially when you don't have cutting oil handy. Maybe it does have a cooling property to it?
Posted by: 914Sixer Jul 1 2008, 08:12 AM
In response to Dr Evil, the WD-40 was not cool. It was about 80 degrees in the garage and I grabed it off the shelf. I am still baffled about the whole thing. My mother sent an email all about the uses of WD-40 but I thought it was urban legend stuff. Maybe there is some truth in it.
Posted by: TeenerTim Jul 1 2008, 08:23 AM
Just be glad it was only a heat gun. My mother's uncle was cutting tree limbs with a chain saw when the same thing happened. 
Needless to saw he lost his fingers.
Posted by: swl Jul 1 2008, 08:51 AM
In response to Dr Evil, the WD-40 was not cool. It was about 80 degrees in the garage and I grabed it off the shelf. I am still baffled about the whole thing. My mother sent an email all about the uses of WD-40 but I thought it was urban legend stuff. Maybe there is some truth in it.
engage boy scientist mode:
When compressed gas (the propellant) expands it is cold - like a refrigerator. Even if the can was 80* the cooling effect of the expansion would make the spray quite cool. Couple that with the oils ability to transfer the heat away from your skin and Mikes theory seems reasonable.
boy scientist mode off:
There are some pretty stunning burn creams out there. My wife did the boiling oil trick to her thumb once and we had to take her to emerg. The stuff they put on was amazing but the dressing did not cover a small area at the margins. That which was covered never bothered her. The little strip that remained blistered and was really painful. Maybe the WD40 has some similar properties.
Posted by: 6freak Jul 1 2008, 08:56 AM
Yesterday I was painting some parts that required that the paint be heated up to adhere properly. I was using a heat gun on the high setting (1200 degrees). The heat gun started to fall and like a FOOL I went to catch it. I the pain was INTENSE and immediate. I grabbed a can of WD-40 and soaked 3 fingers and the plam of my hand. My thinking was the old wives tale of putting butter on a burn. I was fully expecting to go to the emergency room to have my hand treated.
The WD-40 soaked in and started to relieve the pain. The pain came back a second time so I repeated the soaking. My hand required a third treatment. To my amazement I saw no blistering and the pain had subsided. The area was tender to the touch and red but that was all. I came inside to the house to clean up in case a trip to the doctor was in order but still no blistering.
The picture is of my hand this morning. The skin is tight on 3 fingers and my palm but you can not tell they were burned.
Ripley's believe it or not?
Fish oils ..Its not listed on the label but its in there and it works for just such things ...... thats all i know
Posted by: ConeDodger Jul 1 2008, 10:02 AM
In response to Dr Evil, the WD-40 was not cool. It was about 80 degrees in the garage and I grabed it off the shelf. I am still baffled about the whole thing. My mother sent an email all about the uses of WD-40 but I thought it was urban legend stuff. Maybe there is some truth in it.
The WD40 was cool. At 80 degrees it was probably a 100 degrees cooler than the burning flesh. That bald kid should go to med school...
Posted by: seanery Jul 1 2008, 10:46 AM
thats pretty amazing!
Posted by: MrKona Jul 1 2008, 10:56 AM
Great news to hear that your hand is doing so well...
But to preserve the scientific integrity of this experiment, we need a control group to see if WD40 worked better than immediate ice water would have.
Therefore, we need you to replicate the experience with your other hand and ice water immersion and let us know the results.
Posted by: 736conver Jul 1 2008, 10:59 AM
Fish oils ..Its not listed on the label but its in there and it works for just such things ...... thats all i know
Fish oils
I remember my dad telling me about using wd-40 on burns. Never had to do it but always remembered.
Posted by: dbgriffith75 Jul 1 2008, 11:42 AM
I'll need to keep this in mind next time I'm playing with fire....
Posted by: Phoenix914 Jul 1 2008, 01:26 PM
We should also have a volunteer try Windex. Or was I the only person who saw that movie?
Posted by: Phoenix 914-6GT Jul 1 2008, 02:37 PM
In response to Dr Evil, the WD-40 was not cool. It was about 80 degrees in the garage and I grabed it off the shelf. I am still baffled about the whole thing. My mother sent an email all about the uses of WD-40 but I thought it was urban legend stuff. Maybe there is some truth in it.
The WD40 was cool. At 80 degrees it was probably a 100 degrees cooler than the burning flesh. That bald kid should go to med school...
I bet he'd make a good doctor someday if he did
Posted by: Dr. Roger Jul 1 2008, 03:04 PM
We should also have a volunteer try Windex. Or was I the only person who saw that movie?
I was actually going to say that a friend suggested I try it and it worked. I was expecting it to sting like a Mo Fo but it immediately took the sting away. Totally surprised. She said it was the ammonia.
Posted by: rufio0205 Jul 1 2008, 03:24 PM
I was always told for minor to medium intense burns such as grabbing a glass pyrex dish straight out of the oven...for instance....skin to skin contact was best because it brings the temperature of your finger back down to normal body temperature...thus not shocking..thus not having a reaction such as a blister....could be myth...but in my simple experience 3 weeks ago...it worked well enough
Posted by: plymouth37 Jul 1 2008, 06:23 PM
Wow, I never thought of treating a burn like that. You see my solution is to yell out as many obsenities as possible as loud as I can, followed by kicking the s#!t out of what ever burned me, always worked for me!
Posted by: swl Jul 1 2008, 07:38 PM
Wow, I never thought of treating a burn like that. You see my solution is to yell out as many obsenities as possible as loud as I can, followed by kicking the s#!t out of what ever burned me, always worked for me!
The univeral cure all!
Posted by: Pat Garvey Jul 1 2008, 07:40 PM
Wow, I never thought of treating a burn like that. You see my solution is to yell out as many obsenities as possible as loud as I can, followed by kicking the s#!t out of what ever burned me, always worked for me!
Reminds me of a scene from Deliverance.
The city boys catch a redneck pounding on a piece of steel - surprised him! Hits his hand with a hammer! He yells lots of nasty words & runs outside to kick the crap out of an old rusted Dodge.
They ask him if he's Ok - says it's Ok.
Great to have something to kick the crap out of, but I don't think my wife would feel the same, since her's is the only non-Porsche in the garage....and it's new.
Posted by: scotty b Jul 1 2008, 07:43 PM
Wow, I never thought of treating a burn like that. You see my solution is to yell out as many obsenities as possible as loud as I can, followed by kicking the s#!t out of what ever burned me, always worked for me!
Don't forget about slamming the garage door that had absolutely nothing to do with the whole scene
Posted by: stateofidleness Jul 1 2008, 08:39 PM
also, bread!
i've also heard that if you repeatedly hit or flick the burned area (no joke), it forces blood to that spot and prevents blistering.. may hurt like hell, but so do blisters
Posted by: Dr Evil Jul 1 2008, 09:26 PM
also, bread!
i've also heard that if you repeatedly hit or flick the burned area (no joke), it forces blood to that spot and prevents blistering.. may hurt like hell, but so do blisters
WOW!
I'll pass on that one. If anything it would increase the release of inflammatory mediators at the scene. Cooling also causes vasoconstriction, flicking the area will cause vasodilation = bad. BUT, if anyone tries it, let us know so we can shun you and laugh
Back to studying that medical stuff
Posted by: stateofidleness Jul 1 2008, 10:25 PM
not so sure it'd be effective with burns per se, but it is effective in preventing blistering.. like on the heel of the foot, or a finger from rubbing...
i remember where i saw it.. that dude on "Man vs. Wild"
Posted by: dw914er Jul 2 2008, 02:17 AM
Wow, I never thought of treating a burn like that. You see my solution is to yell out as many obsenities as possible as loud as I can, followed by kicking the s#!t out of what ever burned me, always worked for me!
Don't forget about slamming the garage door that had absolutely nothing to do with the whole scene
Works for me
I wish I had know about these things when I burned my hand. I just like sat there, cursing, then put some cold water on it, but the blister already happened. That was my Jr prom too, so a blistered hand looked really healthy for my date.
Posted by: 914Sixer Jul 2 2008, 07:14 AM
Hand update picture this morning. I have no problems and the tightness is gone. The fingerprints on fingers 3.4. and 5 are gone right now but I am sure they will come back at some point.
Attached image(s)
Posted by: 6freak Jul 2 2008, 07:58 AM
Hand update picture this morning. I have no problems and the tightness is gone. The fingerprints on fingers 3.4. and 5 are gone right now but I am sure they will come back at some point.
I think a palm reader is in order here
you will live long and prosper 
Posted by: Jax914 Jul 2 2008, 08:31 AM
I'm not a licensed palm-reader, and I don't play one on TV, but I think this is a better example of the "Live Long and Prosper" palm...
Posted by: 6freak Jul 2 2008, 11:17 AM
I'm not a licensed palm-reader, and I don't play one on TV, but I think this is a better example of the "Live Long and Prosper" palm...
That works
Posted by: jkeyzer Jul 2 2008, 11:22 AM
I think you may have found a way to exchange a burn for skin cancer. 
Posted by: JimSar Jul 3 2008, 01:38 AM
WD-40 has 2,000 plus uses:
http://www.wd40.com/files/pdf/wd-40_2042538679.pdf
It was my secret fish attractant for the longest time. Delta stripers seem to have an appetite for it. Probably reminds them of the oil refineries around the area.
Hey Dr Evil, take notes, WD-40 cures will be in the medical board exam!
-jim
Posted by: carr914 Jul 3 2008, 06:49 AM
I wish I had know about these things when I burned my hand. I just like sat there, cursing, then put some cold water on it, but the blister already happened. That was my Jr prom too, so a blistered hand looked really healthy for my date.
[/quote]
Are sure your blistered hand wasn't after the Prom when your Date didn't give it up?
Posted by: KELTY360 Jul 3 2008, 04:32 PM
In response to Dr Evil, the WD-40 was not cool. It was about 80 degrees in the garage and I grabed it off the shelf. I am still baffled about the whole thing. My mother sent an email all about the uses of WD-40 but I thought it was urban legend stuff. Maybe there is some truth in it.
The WD40 was cool. At 80 degrees it was probably a 100 degrees cooler than the burning flesh. That bald kid should go to med school...
I bet he'd make a good doctor someday if he did
Naw, he'd prolly just waste all that edumacation on sex change operations.......ummmm, I mean fixing trannies.
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