Use WD40 on the Throwline

I tested WD40 on my throwline today. It worked great. The lines flowed more quickly and seemed to tangle less.

About a year ago, I surveyed the rope manufacturers about cleaning sap. Only Sampson responded, which I highly appreciated. They suggested to spot clean sap with WD40 if the Mayonaise application didn't work. I finally got around to spraying WD40 on my throw line. I like the slick results.

I'll bet that works great, but...blech! I'm not into get that stuff all over me. I don't like the smell!

BALLISTOL.

non toxic, SLICK, can be used for other purposes. Cheap. environmentally friendly.

SRT's Ballistol recommendation caught my attention, so I researched it. In the chemical industry, it's regarded as a high flash solvent. Specifically it's isobutanol or isobutyl alcohol (equivalent terms). Because of the higher boiling point, it has an oily feel. Not going into the nuances of animal testing, exposed rats developed liver tumors. Officially, it's not labeled as a carcinogen in humans. However, Ballistol's claim that it's environmentally friendly is overstated.

I then compared it to silicone which is known by the names of dimethicone or polydimethylsiloxane. This is the base for a myriad of products that includes drugs, deodorants, hand lotions and lubricants. Based on the benign nature of dimethicone, it would be the preferred choice for human exposure. The concern would be the solvent that delivers the lube. My spray can of silicone lube reports that it's safe for nylon.

interesting......(about the Ballistol) .

i sometimes use silicone spray as well on my throwline...i actually really like it, the line gets super slippery and just screams over a limb when weighted. Tends to make everything slippery though...biners, hands, etc.

I've been trying to rationalize how a company like Ballistol proclaims a product with isobutanol as the active ingredient as environmentally safe. It's very clear that you don't want any quantity of the Ballistol product in your kitchen.

This is where the story takes an interesting turn. Isobutanol is biodegradable and can be produced from a fermentation process. There does exist some bacterium that poops what Ballistol labels and sells. Now the story takes on some redeeming value to man-kind. This biomass fuel can replace gasoline 100%. It has a higher BTU than ethanol. All that's needed at this point are enough bacteria that need to use the restroom.

Assuming that Ballistol is 100% isobutanol, you can always throw it into your gas tank.

More Reading on Butanol as a Biomass Fuel

Just to be complete, this is a common lubricant recommended for carabiners. I'm more puzzled by the environmentally friendly claim. It's not. Also I emailed them to ask how their product is environmentally friendly. No response so far.