There just isn't a better lubricant known to mankind for certain applications.
Another one of those applications was jeweled watch movements. Really hard to find today but here is an interesting technique I was taught in the early 70s by a German watchmaker. And please don't start throwing rotten fruit and bricks at me. This does work and I didn't just dream it up after too much Pearl beer.
Shake a fresh can of WD-40 well and then spray about an inch into a small jar. I use a pimiento jar. Now let this sit undisturbed for about a week in a cool place. If you put it in the refrigerator it will separate much faster, but in my experience it might separate too fast. After a week or so you will see two layers. The bottom layer will be more transparent with some whitish "stuff" swirling around. It will contain solvent, paraffin and whatever else is present in the product. The top layer will be a fine light oil...yellowish in color and might be 1/3 or 1/4 of the volume (depending on how well you mixed things up before you started spraying). I would never try to convince anyone this would replace whale oil, but it is suitable for use in watches, sewing machines, guns, electronic controls, cameras, hair clippers...anywhere you need a decent light oil that won't congeal. Like any oil it will spread, so apply only what you need.
I've found knowing this makes me much more careful to shake a can of WD-40 very well if I ever need to use any. I've watched a lot of people apply WD-40 by picking up the can, spraying immediately and lazily shaking it back and forth a bit while they're spraying. And what are they spraying until the can gets to be nearly empty? Solvent, paraffin and the other junk that's in there lying at the bottom. Then what are they spraying until the can is completely empty? Pure oil.
Jon
