WD40 for frets?

[S. Cane]

After having conditioned the rosewood fretboard in one of my strats with dunlop lemon oil, I noticed some rust from the 15t fret on... I've read that lemon oil isn't really good for the frets, although it does give the fretboard a good conditioning.

Should I apply some WD40 on the frets or just leave it alone?

[Don]

Don't use WD40 on guitars. Frets on a Fender don't rust. They will tarnish. That can be polished off with a micromesh pad or something similar.

[phantomman]

I've been using WD40 to clean strings and fretboards for forty years.

[Cogs]

I don't know how it would do on modern guitars that might use different techiniques & materials than on older guitars (I know some mfrs. use superglue & the like on frets) but I've used WD40 & light oils on fretboards since the '70s.
As far as rust or oxidation on the frets go, I mask off the fingerboard & then polish the fretwire w/0000 steel wool. Makes 'em snappy!

[chuckocaster]

You can polish your frets, they could probably use it. I do mine about once a year or more often if I'm playing a lot. I'm sure there are cooler and hipper ways, but I just tape off the board and pickups with blue painter's tape and get to work with some 0000 steel wool.

[Cogs]

Definitely once a year, chuckocaster! & that blue tape is right up there w/gaffer's tape to a musician.

[chuckocaster]

I can fix anything with a pocket knife, lighter, sharpie, and a roll of gaff tape... Tools of the trade. I spent too many years of mixing rock bands at clubs and festivals! But yeah, blue tape is awesome stuff.

[Offshore Angler]

If they're rusty, you don't need them. Best way to keep frets polished is to play the thing!

When that fails, a Dremel and some jewelers rouge fixes it pretty quick.

[Old Ranger]

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around a nonferrous metal rusting. Must be a new phenomenon in the metallurgic world huh? But what do I know? Ever since my classic 1878 farrier's anvil was stolen by the local crackheads thieves I gotta use my head for an anvil now!

[S. Cane]

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around a nonferrous metal rusting. Must be a new phenomenon in the metallurgic world huh? But what do I know? Ever since my classic 1878 farrier's anvil was stolen by the local crackheads thieves I gotta use my head for an anvil now!

I used the term "rust", but I mean, whatever the oxidizing of frets is... Tarnish, maybe that's the right word. They begin to have a thin brown layer on them.

[yankeerob]

Yer - I've heard this WD-40 thing going back and forth for about forty years too...

I've seen guys use it - some with fairly ritualistic methods of doing so such has putting a cloth under the strings to protect everything else underneath and then spraying it on the strings and wiping down. If I were inclined to use it that's how I would do it... But I'd be concerned about what effect it might have on the relationship between the core wire and wrap wire on the wound strings... That's just my engineering head...

One educated guess at it's secret formulation says it contains around 62-68% 'volatile hydrocarbons' which are the propellant and another ingredient whose sole purpose is to thin the active ingredient (a petroleum based oil) down so it can get through the nozzle and then evaporate afterward. I again would not be inclined to let any significant amount of a substance containing that sort of mix anywhere near an open rosewood or ebony fretboard and would again be concerned about what effect (mainly drying but also lubricating) the substance might have on the relationship between the fret slot and the fret itself. I have - however - seen people do it. I have serviced a 70s LP Custom whose owner had used it for years to clean the fret board and it wasn't pretty...

I would say if you are going to use it take some sort of precautions for the reasons above. Meaning no disrespect to those who have done and still do - my own personal recomendation would be to avoid it if possible.

Wishing you all the best,

YR

[Old Ranger]

yankeerob, I share your sentiments on the use of WD40. Your concerns about damage to wood and related contact areas like fret slots are well warranted. It damages wood cells and causes them to collapse over time. In a fret slot this spells disaster for fret retention as we all know. When I used to find a can of WD40 in my customers gigbag or case, I'd throw it away and replace it with a can of Fast Fret so similar product. Later, I'd explain the reason when they came to pick up their instrument. Many thanked me for the concern. Personally I didn't want them to come to me later with the labor intensive task of replacing their fretboard! The time I'd spend on that job could be used to do three or more pickup swaps with tricked out wiring jobs or a dozen setup jobs. Saved me lots of time and best of all, kept my customers happy and playing and not destroying their instruments as well.

Sure, WD40 makes a decent bug and tar remover for your car's bumper, but as a lubricant, forget it! And it dries out far too fast and leaves nothing behind but bare metal to oxidize boo-coo quick! Worst thing to spray on your firearms too! It has zero lasting preservatives in it, and in fact acts as a hygroscopic agent attracting moisture from the air. It damages some finishes and will creep into primers on live ammunition rendering the round a dud. Left on strings of a guitar you'll end up with rusted strings in a hurry. So I never use it anywhere near an instrument or firearm....

However, I always keep a can with the flip up tube handy in my shop. Why, you ask, since I don't trust it any farther than I can toss a solid ivory piano? Simple, it's spray is instant death to wasps and bees! Kills 'em fast and knocks 'em right outta the air. And I hate wasps and bees! They're nothing more than the air force for the scorpion army that has laid siege to my home!

I polish frets and many parts of fine instruments and weapons with Flitz. Wonderful polishing compound that leave a sparkling finish when done. Not cheap by any means, but a small amount on a cotton cloth will do marvelous work on dull or mildly damaged chrome, nickel, and other alloys and plated parts. With a toothbrush a dab of Flitz one can clean those nasty Fender bridges and saddles. It will clean rust from a firearm and not remove the bluing when used with care. Great for polishing plastic too. Even on watch crystals that have gone "hazy" or lightly scratched. It'll sure perk up a pickguard too! Yes, it costs more than most other stuff out there, but again here you get what you pay for too. So dat's 'da 4-11 on WD40 'n da nasty trash it do to 'yo stuff!! (That was my rapper talk)

[chuckocaster]

Quick history lesson for all you es : WD40 was invented to blow the condensation out of gauges in planes in WW2. WD stands for "water displacement" and 40 is the iteration. Just an FYI. My Grandpa was an airplane mechanic in WW2, he was Stateside and worked on experimental planes. Remember, this was before pressurized cabins, so condensation was an issue.

[Cogs]

lol, chuck- I never knew that

[phantomman]

yankeerob, I share your sentiments on the use of WD40. Your concerns about damage to wood and related contact areas like fret slots are well warranted. It damages wood cells and causes them to collapse over time.

Oh yeah.

This 37-year old guitar's fretboard obviously suffers from "collapsed" wood cells......



Obviously.

[yankeerob]

Like I said - some guys swear by it... Everyone has their thing... and I did pick my words carefully.

That 70s Lester was a complete wreck - and it would be fair to add that it's owner was not judicious with it's use... The first five frets looked like they'd seen napalm runs... let alone WD-40. It had suffered years of neglect in other areas so let's just leave it at that.

I didn't start participating in this forum again to get into a dinger - WD-40 is what it is and does what it does no matter what anyone's opinion dictates. I appreciate that some find it useful for cleaning strings and other find it more useful for killing wasps and bees. I personally find it fairly useless as a long term lubricant and will likely try Old Ranger's use for it this summer.

I hope you all are chillin'...

With all the usual best wishes,

YR

[Old Ranger]

Now I'm enthralled with the idea of perhaps trying insect repellant for my new string cleaner and fretboard treatment. If WD40 does so well then just imagine what Deep Woods Off could do...
Then I'll start next with cleaning all my firearms with Cutter insect repellant and then my weapons will never get stung by bugs either! Oh this is so inspiring!

Just pickin' on ya Roger....

Seriously though, I based my statement of cell collapse upon physical evidence presented in years of working additional duty as an armorer in the PD where I inspected and repaired thousands of weapons over the years. Of those that were treated constantly with WD40 I had discovered at times a profound loss of wood where that solvent/oil had been in contact with wooden grips of weapons. Closer examination under a scope at the forensic lab reveled that the cells of the wood were attacked by that compound and were in fact collapsing from this exposure. This was verified by the unit's director and lead forensic specialist of our lab. His view upon the matter was that the compound contained a solvent within the propellant that attacked organic substance such as wood. Officer statements verified that they would spray their weapons down with WD40 and then wipe off the excess with a cloth. The trace amounts of WD40 would work it's way under the grips resulting in darkening at first, then eventually a partial loss of wood from the grips. The effected locations were quoted as "mushy" feeling as if the wood was turning soft.

In my years as a luthier (one of my side jobs from police work) I had some instruments that the frets were loose and the wood in and near the fret slots were soft and "mushy" as the wood on the grips of those weapons I worked on. Closer examination, and speaking with the owner confirmed the use of WD40 upon the effected area. When in school to learn under a master luthier from Germany (a real hardass of a guy) if he caught you with anything that didn't resemble the listed and approved compounds he approved of he'd grab the bottle/can and smack you on the forehead with it and throw it across the shop into the dumpster! The things he'd shout are not repeatable here as we're really a family oriented bunch.

Perhaps the effects of the solvent agents differ depending upon the conditions where one may be. Here in Texas, the average humidity hovers around 75% (and often higher) and thus everything is hot and clammy most of the time. This condition may work to accelerate the damaging effects. Perhaps in locals where the humidity is almost nonexistent the effects may be nullified by the sheer dryness of the air. Something to ponder I suppose. But I'm not going to throw it across the shop into the trash as I still find WD40 useful as a flying bug killer!

[phantomman]

Your impressively-worded dissertation meandered right into the "hasty L" ambush provided by my photographic evidence to the contrary and got its ass waxed -- GRU is now affixing a toe tag.



That Les Paul has lived all over the country since its "birth" in Nashville back in 1977......Georgia, Maryland, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, California, and Arizona. If the fretboard ever rots away, I am certain that it won't matter to me since I'll have long since assumed room temperature.

[Offshore Angler]

Quick history lesson for all you es : WD40 was invented to blow the condensation out of gauges in planes in WW2. WD stands for "water displacement" and 40 is the iteration. Just an FYI. My Grandpa was an airplane mechanic in WW2, he was Stateside and worked on experimental planes. Remember, this was before pressurized cabins, so condensation was an issue.

We also used it on missiles to prevent corrosion. Worked great.

[Offshore Angler]

But I'm not going to throw it across the shop into the trash as I still find WD40 useful as a flying bug killer!

I prefer brake cleaner for that.

[Gasket]

Your impressively-worded dissertation meandered right into the "hasty L" ambush provided by my photographic evidence to the contrary and got its ass waxed -- GRU is now affixing a toe tag.



That Les Paul has lived all over the country since its "birth" in Nashville back in 1977......Georgia, Maryland, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, California, and Arizona. If the fretboard ever rots away, I am certain that it won't matter to me since I'll have long since assumed room temperature.

Sorry my friend Volumeknob but I'm not into scoring points off each other, so I'll say "Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!"

[Old Ranger]

You may deduct one member.
I've better things to do than be..... ya know what, just forget it.... bye.

[Offshore Angler]

You may deduct one member.
I've better things to do than be..... ya know what, just forget it.... bye.

Old Ranger, before you alpha mike foxtrot the forum, chill for a couple...it's worth it. We like you, you're a righteous dude.

[chuckocaster]

We also used it on missiles to prevent corrosion. Worked great.

Very cool, I just remember Gramps had some cool stories. He did a lot of stuff in his life.

[S. Cane]

You may deduct one member.
I've better things to do than be..... ya know what, just forget it.... bye.

[ch willie]

I find that WD-40 gets rid of unwanted guests--if you surprise their front porch visits with an ambush cloud of the stuff. Of course, it's no good for the kids at Halloween...

[CoyotesGator]

Of course, it's no good for the kids at Halloween...

Halloween.


I lock the gate,

lock the door,

turn off the lights,

and hide.

[Telenator]

WD40 is also a solvent. It is not a lubricant.

It works great for removing road tar from motorcycle wheels as well as other de-greasing applications.

I wouldn't use it on a guitar, but others seem to do it without incident. I'm just not a big fan of the smell.

[KYChucky]

WD-40 Truth:

http://wd40.com/cool-stuff/myths-legends-fun-facts

[oldog]

All I know is I was in the Navy working on planes 40 years ago and one day they took all WD40 away and told us to never use it again because it caused corrosion.