WD-40 Specialist Gel Lube Protects Metal and Stays Where You Spray

I recently got a care package from WD-40_® Brand, and when I pulled my first can of WD-40 Specialist Gel Lube out of the mail, I wasn’t sure how to put it to work. Most demos seemed to show it being deployed on industrial equipment that I don’t have in my humble shop. But I soon realized that its thick, foam-like texture and ability to cling anywhere make it incredibly useful on almost any metal that moves, slides, or grinds––even things that hang vertically or upside down.

This is not WD-40_® Multi-Use Product–the Classic WD-40 Product–known for its 2,000+ uses. WD-40 Specialist products like Gel Lube are specifically engineered to lubricate and protect metal in specific circumstances.

My personal favorite is still the WD-40 Specialist Penetrant. That’s a sweet-smelling, rust-loosening product that is perfect for freeing up bolts, sliders, rollers, or anything else that’s become frozen in place by corrosion. When I’m trying to pull off a car part that’s been heat-cycled a million times and blasted with road salt for years, a big dousing of penetrant before I even get the socket out always makes it much easier to remove.

This Gel Lube, on the other hand, can keep parts from rusting in the first place while helping them move smoothly right away. By laying it on thick, it creates a nice lubricating layer for metal-on-metal motion. By displacing moisture and resisting water, the product acts as a rust-preventative barrier which WD-40 Brand says can be effective for as long as a year. Finally, its high-cling no-fling properties make it perfect for vertical surfaces like garage door rails. Speaking of which, that’s the first place I sprayed it.

At my shop, I have two pretty standard garage doors. Each has a set of rollers on tracks, keeping them in place as they get pulled up or down. Big springs at the back make their weight manageable.

The garage slider channels were a good spot to get a sense for how the gel lube flows. After a healthy shake of the can for 20 to 30 seconds, the highly viscous product comes out quickly, especially with a firm squeeze on the trigger. It does drip if you let it pool up, but if you squeeze gingerly and move the can swiftly, you’ll be able to lay down a nice, tidy little bead.

My garage doors weren’t exactly sticky before, but after a light treatment with the gel lube, they glide like air hockey pucks. They also definitely quieted down a bit, and now they’ve got some moisture protection, which isn’t a bad thing considering how much swampy weather we get in New York’s Hudson Valley in the summertime.

I like the accuracy afforded by the deployable red straw that’s attached to the can, but if you flip it down, you can shotgun-blast a huge area with the wide nozzle, if you so desire. Here’s the spray pattern you can expect from the red nozzle and short nozzle––I held it about six inches away for about a two-second squeeze.

It’s meant to be globbed on pretty liberally; there’s not really a risk of using too much unless you’re lubing something that people or pets are inclined to brush up against. Once it settles, it doesn’t drip, even when it’s stuck to a vertical or upside-down surface.

WD-40 Specialist Gel Lube is safe for most metals, plastic, and rubber. I wouldn’t let it dwell on visible painted surfaces, but as long as you can clean overspray quickly, you shouldn’t have issues. Of course, if you’re worried about any kind of reaction or discoloration, you can test in a small area first and check out WD-40 Brand’s safety data sheet for more details.

Another place you might find metal sliders in your garage is in your toolboxes, especially if you have tall ones with drawers, like I do. I wanted to be a little more careful here because I didn’t want to get my tool handles covered in lube, but having practiced on the garage rollers, it was easy to spray small beads between the drawers and the metal tracks they ride in and out on. Mine are now gliding smoothly after applying the gel lube.

From there, I found a few little hinges to hit, but I was able to take care of the rollers on two garage doors and a pretty tall toolbox drawer set without even using a whole can. Next, I plan on poking around the undersides of my various vehicles. I might hit some of the dirty bits with a cleaning mixture, made with the WD-40 Specialist Degreaser and Cleaner EZ-Pods and then I’ll apply some gel lube. I’m sure there are plenty of moving parts on my old trucks and UTV that could use a little love … and I know a lot of that metal could use protection from moisture.

WD-40 Brand has a long list of application examples for this stuff, including bearings, gears, cables, chains, rollers, linkages, moving parts, choppers, feeders, and door rollers. Once applied, the gel lube can withstand temperatures ranging from -100°F to 500°F. If you’re driving somewhere hotter or colder than that, you’ve got bigger problems than metal lubrication.

But otherwise, this gel lube should provide good protection against grinding and rust for a long time without dripping whatever you spray it on. Apply early and keep your metal machines moving smoothly. To learn more about WD-40 Specialist Gel Lube and the company’s complete line of WD-40 Specialist products visit: WD40.com/Specialist.

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