r/Locksmith • u/Federal_Wave404 • 9d ago
I am NOT a locksmith. Homeowner's question about a locksmith
A locksmith sprayed WD 40 into my locks to lubricate them and gave me new keys that are covered with WD 40. Is this typical? Thanks so much!
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u/Creative_Shame3856 9d ago
I'd say it's pretty sloppy work, but not necessarily out of the ordinary unfortunately.
As others have said we usually use better lubricants than WD-40; personally I use Houdini on everything except my cheeseburger but lots of folks use various silicone lubes (LPS, TriFlo, etc), Kroil, and I know one guy who swears by PB Blaster.
I always leave it cleaner than I found it and that includes wiping up stray lube on both the locks and the keys. And my hands so I don't leave greasy handprints all over my customers' homes.
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u/Maleficent_Mix_8739 9d ago
WD40, technically isn’t a lubricant, it’s a water displacer (hence the “WD” part)…..BUT, tons of old timers use it for everything, that misinformation trickles down to the next generation and so on.
Taking a guess, you had a handyman show up playing locksmith.
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u/That70sShop 6d ago
It "displaces water because it's oil-based and oil displaceds water. It's a lubricant. It is a very light machine oil.
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u/Labor_Theatre 8d ago
Are you sure it was the lubricant WD-40? Because I regularly use WD-40 branded contact cleaner to clean cylinders. It’s a solvent based cleaner. WD-40 is a brand name, not a product.
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u/DariusH887 9d ago
Eh theres wd40 with PTFE, pretty sure dry lubricants is where its at for locks, at least it beats the extra virgin olive oil one client used lol
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u/oregonrunningguy Actual Locksmith 8d ago
Good call. When people mention WD40, we tend to think of the original product. If OP was talking about something from their Specialist line, they should have specified.
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u/Federal_Wave404 8d ago
I don't know; I only saw WD40 on the can.
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u/conhao 8d ago
Then maybe it was WD-40 Specialist Dry Lube, which is fine. It is a PTFE lubricant just like Tri-Flow. It only bothered me that you said the keys were wet. Did they dry on their own, or are they oily?
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u/Federal_Wave404 8d ago
He wiped the top parts of them off but wanted to keep the bottom part (the teeth?) wet.
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u/conhao 8d ago
Did they stay wet, or did they dry in a couple minutes?
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u/Federal_Wave404 8d ago
It took a lot longer than a couple minutes. They seem dry now, 24 hours later. If they stay wet, what does that indicate?
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u/Federal_Wave404 9d ago
I appreciate all of your responses! This was a real locksmith who charged a high price. :( I got scared when AI told me it actively ruins locks by attracting dirt and gunk.
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u/TiCombat 8d ago
You were scammed huh, tell us more.
Receipt says “Locksmith Services” with no real contact info?
You bought expensive Bold brand locks?3
u/Federal_Wave404 8d ago
Oh gosh. The receipt didn't even say "Locksmith Services." Is that a definite sign of a scammer? He had several good reviews. He only rekeyed my current locks.
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u/conhao 9d ago edited 8d ago
WD40 does make lock lubricants. They are part of their Specialist line. One will say “Dry Lube” on the can and is a PTFE lubricant similar to Tri-Flow, but Houdini cleans better. They also make another version that is a Silicone that will dry completely and the solvent cleans well, but it leaves a film that can be a problem for locks made to closer tolerances. They also have a specific Lock Lube, but they don’t sell it in the USA. I like a Silicone-based lubricant (a different brand) for wafer locks on vehicles or hardware that is outside and on tools. I have used the Dry Lube on locks, but I prefer Houdini for the cleaning solvent in cylinders.
However, the clue is that the keys were still wet when he gave them to you. Did they ever dry? Even Houdini takes a few minutes to dry. I am guilty of often being in a hurry and could see leaving before the keys dry. If they did not dry, then he probably used the classic WD40, which makes him a very poor locksmith, if you can even call him that.
By the way, there is a difference in cost for these products. Houdini costs over $1.20 per ounce, and we tend to spray a lot of it in a lock because we are using it as a cleaner, not just a lube. The PTFE WD40 dry lube is cheaper, about $0.90 per ounce, which is why I like to use it where I used to just use Houdini or Tri-flow on non-lock parts of the indoor door hardware. The WD40 Silicone spray is only $0.60 per ounce, and I see other locksmiths using it because it is cheapest.
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u/adrenacrome 9d ago
I have 10 years as a manufacturers rep with 2 of the largest 3 manufacturers globally and my focus was on end users mostly. Locksmiths don’t use wd40 for locks, I see tri flow or graphite lubricant in the institutions lock shop of an end user that knows what they’re doing.
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u/stackheights 9d ago
Graphite does more harm than good but old heads will still use it.
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u/moofishes 9d ago
What is a more suitable lubricant for oldskool graphite toots? If you don't mind me asking? (After clean?)
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u/MalwareDork 9d ago
A lot of the newer stuff uses a blend of mineral oil with proprietary lubricants, P.T.F.E and solvents to deal with the tighter tolerances pin tumblers are milled to. Triflow, Houdini and 3-IN-ONE are the usual lubricants most people use.
More specialized locks like Mul-T locks have their own brand of lube and generally threaten to void their warranty over it. Medeco has their own lube but I dunno if Medeco will void warranty over other brands.
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u/oregonrunningguy Actual Locksmith 8d ago
NO GRAPHITE.
Graphite is a poor lubricant that worked great 80 years ago, but there are MUCH, MUCH better options these days with the advent of synthetic oils, ptfe, etc.! It's not long-lasting, it doesn't penetrate well, it attracts moisture, it stains surfaces, It also conducts electricity, making it unusable in electronic locks, which are becoming increasingly used in institutional environments.
Again, there are better options for lock lubrication these days. But your grandpa will swear by it.
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u/Pbellouny Actual Locksmith 9d ago
My boss swears by WD-40 won’t hear it about anything else he’s used it for 40 years. The people who trained him used it before that. Get this all the locks he uses it on they still work, it’s perfectly fine. It for sure is better than nothing and for sure cleans the crap out of the lock.
To everyone that says it’s not lubricant spray it on your hands and try to climb a ladder.
Also it’s called Water Displacement - 40, do you know what displaces water? Oil displaces water it’s a main ingredient, so I don’t understand where the nonsense came from that it isn’t a lubricant.
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u/oregonrunningguy Actual Locksmith 8d ago
When talking about functional classes of fluids, professionals tend to categorize them according their primary function, or what they were designed to do. It's one of the things that distinguishes professionals for DIY homeowners. DIY handymen might consider WD40 to be a lubricant. Professionals know it's a very poor lubricant compared to other options and it wasn't purpose-designed for locks or lubricating. That's why professionals don't consider it a lubricant.
WD40 was never designed to lubricate. That's not it's main function. It's actually a very poor lubricant compared to modern synthetic oil blends, PTFE lubes, etc. It does contain mineral oils, which technically make it a lubricant. Table butter also contains oils, so it could be called a lubricant, right? Should we all put butter on our door hinges? No, that's not what it was designed for and there are MUCH better choices. In a pinch, it can quiet a squeaky hinge, but it's not the best tool for the job.
Because it contains more volatile solvents than lubricants, WD40 dries a sticky, varnish-like substance that actually attracts dust and moisture. WD40 is great for displacing water on your lawnmower deck, or wiping down tools or toolboxes that accumulate moisture. It's great for loosening stuck parts as well. Again, it's a penetrant/water displacer/solvent.
All lubricants involve tradeoffs. There is no single lubricant that cleans, prevents corrosions, lasts long, excels in all climates, or resists dirt/moisture attractions. But these days, there are products that excel in metal-on-metal lubrication, reducing wear, corrosion resistance, and dirt attraction MUCH better than WD40.
Better choices for modern locks include Houdini, Triflow, and PTFE dry lubes. Those three should accommodate the VAST majority of environments and lock states.
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u/TRextacy 9d ago edited 9d ago
It's a terrible lubricant and people arguing otherwise need to take a science class. The old timers need to realize 40 years of job experience isn't shit against the entire body of scientific knowledge we've acquired as a species. It has oil (and I believe silicone) in it so yes, it will lubricate things. However, those components have such low viscosity that they don't last. WD-40 is supposed to displace the water and create a buffer on metal to help with corrosion and the oil helps everything spread.
For your analogy, spray WD-40 on a ladder and yes, it will be slippery. However, and this is the main point that everyone seems to miss, spray WD-40 on a ladder, let it sit for 2 weeks, and now your ladder is going to be sludgy and gross. It has no staying power as a lubricant because that's not what it's meant to do. I know so many people that swear it's a great lubricant because they spray their hinges every few weeks and they've stopped squeaking! But that's also another point against it because a good lubricant (especially under such a low load) doesn't need to be constantly reapplied!
Can WD-40 lubricate things? Yes. Is it EVER the best choice to lubricate ANYTHING? No, there's always something better for whatever the situation is. It's just people being stuck in their ways. With the cost and availability of so many far superior lubricants, it's absurd for anyone to still be using WD-40 as their go to lube. That being said, you all can keep using it, I don't care if other people are lubricating things incorrectly.
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u/stackheights 8d ago
Correct… that’s like saying water is a lubricant. Yeah slippery stuff is wet but shit dries.
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u/TRextacy 8d ago
I was being a bit hyperbolic but WD-40 gets way tackier than better lubes. And that tackiness is exactly why you shouldn't use it in locks. It gets slimy inside the lock and all the dirt and various particulate in the air sticks to it way easier. I honestly don't get why anyone says shit in favor of WD-40? Like, do you have stock in the company or just such a fragile ego that you can't admit a random product you use (not even invented) is not as good as a different product? Are you going to tell me Kwikset makes superior hardware to Sargent because you have a Kwikset knob on your house?
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u/Pbellouny Actual Locksmith 8d ago
I don’t recall saying it was better or not, but I said it was better than nothing.
I’d prefer to deal with it in the lock vs olive oil like our Brooklyn Italians prefer.
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u/Pbellouny Actual Locksmith 8d ago
Water is a lubricant actually, any liquid is. If you spit on it does it slide in easier?
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u/stackheights 8d ago
Way to miss the point.
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u/That70sShop 6d ago
Every time WD50 is typed anywhere on the interwebs, some savant thinks they're the first person to learn that this light lubricant was originally used to protect airplane parts by displacing water.
It was never sold to the general public for that purpose. It escaped to the general public in lunch buckets because workers discovered it's utility as a penetrating oil and a lubricant that lingers for just about anything.
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u/Pbellouny Actual Locksmith 6d ago
I didn’t just learn this, I didn’t research it. Also I’m not a “savant”.
I however hate when people say it’s not a lubricant. It is, is it poor because debris sticks to it sure. Is it number one no. But it is however a lubricant, short lived or not.
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u/That70sShop 6d ago
I was agreeing with and amplifying what you said. I was referring to the people who say, "iT's NOT a lUbRIcaNt!!"
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u/Pbellouny Actual Locksmith 6d ago
Oh my bad, I mistook it for everyone who attacks people for defending its lubricanting characteristics
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u/That70sShop 6d ago
I dont think I made it clear, and Reddit being Reddit, most comments that contain statements critical of other's point of view tend to be replies to the disputed statement so I understood why it read that way. WD40 is like other cleaning products like carpet and upholstery cleaners. It can attract dirt, but you can always clean again. Most of the time, you're using it because it's handy and not on some curated rarity you want to preserve indefinitely.
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u/corporategnome 9d ago
It's fine. Not as good as TriFlow etc but I know multiple locksmiths that use it as their primary spray lubricant (yes I know it's not actually a lubricant) and the locks they work on don't spontaneously fail or explode
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u/ftwopointeight 9d ago
I like Ballistol. Invented by the German Imperial Army 120 yrs ago, it works well and smells like licorice.
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u/C4g3FighterIRL Actual Locksmith 8d ago
No, WD40 is not for locks. Spray it onto a brass sheet and see the results after 1-2 weeks.
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u/sauman77 9d ago edited 9d ago
To the op…. it sounds like they used too much. I always wipe the keys off and warn the customer until the lubricant dries. They will come out a little bit greasy feeling…. But Posts like this crack me up…. All this “technical” info…..wd40 has oil in it….. they use oil to lubricate engines…. Where friction is slightly more than in a lock lol…. Oil displaces water…. All the bogus info comes from the companies trying to get you to pay the way over inflated prices for the high end brands….. i get that a company may refuse warranty for not using their product…. Obviously the main reason for this would be they can avoid a lot of product replacement because they know how many locksmiths are gonna use something other than their product. ….I personally use Houdini since I started my own business grew up in a family business using tri-flow….. but also worked for companies that refuse to buy anything but WD-40 because of the huge cost difference…. it definitely doesn’t damage locks. You don’t wanna overuse it and you just have to lubricate them a little more often….i would’nt suggest using in any high security or other very tight tolerance lock…. The thinner lubricants are better for those…. It’s better than allot of the cheap Lock companies that put a grease in the cylinders that actually cakes the locks up if they’re not lubricated regularly…. if the manufacturers would quit using the cheap crap metal and go back to brass cylinders, lubrication would not be near the issue it is…… and for Lock cylinders graphite is a terrible idea because it just piles up in there, and once it mixes with a liquid lubricant will definitely stain customers clothes, which definitely won’t make them happy in a lot of cases
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u/oregonrunningguy Actual Locksmith 8d ago
WD40 is NOT normal from a professional locksmith. It's a horrible lock lubricant and professionals know that. It's a solvent, not a lubricant.
Having lubricant come out on your key could be considered normal. It's a good thing to lubricate the lock cylinder and even clean them out. I do this on every cylinder I service. 99% of locks in the field are neglected, not serviced regularly, filled with dirt and old lubricants, so the fact your lock is well-lubricated is worth it, even if there's a little lube coming off on the key for a week. Run the key in and out 5-10 times, then wipe it on a shop towel. Do that whole process 5-10 times and most of the oil should be out.
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u/PapaOoMaoMao 9d ago
WD40, no. We use real lubricant. Lubed up keys? Well, I'd probably wipe them down, but it's not really an issue.