The smile on your face tells that you are well aware of this name and the aerosol can it comes in and definitely saved you time dealing with those stubborn and seized machine parts. Of course, WD-40 doesn’t need an introduction but demands its origin story to be heard.
So let’s know more about our savior, the hero we all need but don’t deserve. WD-40
Table of Contents
Where it all started?
Back in 1953, it started when a company of three “Rocket Chemical Company”, started working to invent a rust prevention solvent and de-greasers for the aerospace industry in San Deigo, California.
What’s behind the name?
WD-40, remember the time when you first heard this alphanumeric name, thinking of it as some kind of ultimate weapon, one uses when the other fails. The WD stands for “Water Displacement” and the 40 is the number of attempts the manufacturer made to perfect the solution. This shows that success doesn’t come in a single shot, one has to fail numerous times to hit perfection.
Who were the first users?
Convair, an aerospace contractor was the first to use WD-40, which was not in aerosol cans as we see them today. It used to come in tin cans but as a greasy solvent. They used it on their Atlas Missile outer body cover to protect it from rust and corrosion, it worked so well that some workers took some WD-40 to use in their homes.
How our hero was born?
Rocket Chemical Company founder Norm Larsen wanted the product to reach homes rather than restrict it to industrial use. He gave WD-40 a new suit, the one that we see now. The product reached store shelves in San Diego in 1958. The company was renamed after its only product WD-40 in 1969.
It has become a household name and is used in the consumer as well as industrial markets.
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What WD-40 means to us, the seafarers?
We can always find a can or two at our workshop tables, in the toolbox we carry to operate machinery. Some with lost lid covers and spray nozzles and rest locked in the fitter’s chest for emergency use. It is used in almost all maintenance job which finds a seized, stuck, or squeezed part.
You can relate to the sense of relief experienced when you shake the can in your hand and the liquid is still there for your use, its fragrance, and the spray the nozzle generates. We share the recognition of “jack of all trades” with WD-40, the ultimate weapon in our arsenal.
One good spray, keeps all worries away.
Fitter Saab
You will be surprised to know over 1 million+ cans of WD-40 are sold each week. So next time you grab a can of WD-40 appreciate the legacy behind it.
Find 2000+ uses of WD-40 here.
Check out their detailed history.
Post some instances where WD-40 saved you precious time and effort.
