Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

davekiss.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 229 posts

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#91

Post by wnissen »

knodi123 wrote: post #38
justinsaccount wrote: post #20

Lubricating a sliding door Quieting a squeaky door hinge Lubricating an HVAC register lever Wd-40 is not really a lubricant. You can use WD-40 to clean gunk out of things, but you really need to follow it up with a proper lubricating oil

> Wd-40 is not really a lubricant And yet, it lubricates! I've heard your claim a lot, but the fact remains, it makes machinery work more smoothly, by reducing friction, and it is effective over significant time periods. By any definition, it is a lubricant. https://www.wd40.com/myths-legends-fun-facts/ > Myth: WD-40 Multi-Use Product is not really a lubricant. > Fact: While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displa…

Water is a lubricant as well. And yet it is not a good lubricant for all applications. WD-40 is absolutely spectacular for certain things, but if what you want is a lubricant there are much better options. For instance, there is a silicone version that will make a sticky old lock work like new.

https://www.wd40.com/products/silicone-lubricant/

You could probably burn WD-40 in a propane stove, but that doesn't mean it's a fuel.

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#92

Post by transcriptase »

neontomo wrote: post #29

I'm in the art scene, and when it comes to submitting proposals for exhibitions and being in art/film festivals and such, competing against other people being picked is surprisingly easy when you realise that most people don't study the brief that tells you exactly what the organisations is looking for. make sure you nail everything in the brief and you're in the lead, even if your art is terrible. I feel this is sim…

The same is true for scientific grant applications.

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#93

Post by _yb2s »

transcriptase wrote: post #92
neontomo wrote: post #29

I'm in the art scene, and when it comes to submitting proposals for exhibitions and being in art/film festivals and such, competing against other people being picked is surprisingly easy when you realise that most people don't study the brief that tells you exactly what the organisations is looking for. make sure you nail everything in the brief and you're in the lead, even if your art is terrible. I feel this is sim…

The same is true for scientific grant applications.

Except the reviewers don't usually read it either

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#94

Post by dekhn »

jimnotgym wrote: post #32
davekiss wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I learned a lot about WD-40 from this project! This is a highly debated topic, but their website leans into the fact that WD-40 is, indeed, a lubricant. > While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, WD-40 Multi-Use Product is a unique, special blend of lubricants. The product’s formulation also contains anti-corrosion agents and ingredients for penetration, water displacement and soil removal. Regardless…

It is a lubricant, just not a very good one for most uses. It can't bear much load and it tends to just dissappear in a short time. I once replaced a series of mortice lever locks in a first house that were very worn after a decade of use. You had to shake the key to get them to open. I was amazed on opening them to find them completely dry, when they come greased. I suggested they lubricate the replacements occasion…

This was in fact one of my big learning experiences in mechanical work. As a kid, my bike was running rough so i took it apart, cleaned oout all that yucky/dirty grease from the bearings using WD-40, and then reassembled it all only to find it was even worse than before. Only a few years later did I learn that wd-40 is a terrible lubricant for bike ball bearings.

You can see a similar effect with standard skate bearings used in fidget spinners - most bearings come pre-greased with a fairly high viscosity lubricant. If you spin the spinner, it will slow down quite fast, but if you take the bearing apart, clean out all the grease, and reassemble it, it will run wicked fast and long. Until some dirt gets in, at which point, grease would have worked better.

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#95

Post by nasmorn »

biofox wrote: post #68
nasmorn wrote: post #66

I once ran an ultra marathon distance and had no lubricant but getting a bad rash so I sprayed my thighs and balls with WD-40 which I found outside someone’s garage. It lasted me almost 15 miles until I could buy some Vaseline. Off label use probably

Genius idea! I've found Vaseline to be less than ideal for running, and "personal lubricants" dry out much too quickly. I hadn't considered using industrial lubricants. Pretty much everyone who uses WD-40 for mechanical work ends up getting it on their skin (and probably inhaling a good amount), so I'm sure it's fine for limited exposure.

Yeah I hate Vaseline too and normally use a stick called BodyGlide which just creates a thin coat. Vaseline was the only thing I could buy in the village and now I know WD-40 can work in a pinch

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#96

Post by previousjs »

davekiss wrote: post #27
awoimbee wrote: post #22

That 8th entry pouring loads on WD40 on trees is just crazy, that thing is petroleum distillate !

Don't worry, this is a stump that's been dead for years, isolated to a very small garden bed in my yard

Well there is the water table too. But that said weed killer is poured all over everywhere

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#97

Post by gowld »

davekiss wrote: post #18
renewiltord wrote: post #12

Hahaha this is great dude. Also your creative fae submission is fantastic. I can see why it didn’t win but it’s amusing. The ElevenLabs narrator did say the faeries applied “Polish”. From Gdańsk or Warsaw? :)

I noticed the "Polish" too but thought it was too funny to fix it

I got kicked out of a black-tie gala because my shoes were overheard telling Polish jokes.

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#98

Post by bitshiftfaced »

knodi123 wrote: post #38
justinsaccount wrote: post #20

Lubricating a sliding door Quieting a squeaky door hinge Lubricating an HVAC register lever Wd-40 is not really a lubricant. You can use WD-40 to clean gunk out of things, but you really need to follow it up with a proper lubricating oil

> Wd-40 is not really a lubricant And yet, it lubricates! I've heard your claim a lot, but the fact remains, it makes machinery work more smoothly, by reducing friction, and it is effective over significant time periods. By any definition, it is a lubricant. https://www.wd40.com/myths-legends-fun-facts/ > Myth: WD-40 Multi-Use Product is not really a lubricant. > Fact: While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displa…

It's a solvent (penetrating oil), so it dries out. It works well to unstick whatever might be causing trouble with the door lock mechanism. If you use something like a silicone lubricant, you'll go a lot longer before needing to reapply.

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#99

Post by arcanemachiner »

snozolli wrote: post #55
jimnotgym wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a lubricant, just not a very good one for most uses. It can't bear much load and it tends to just dissappear in a short time. I once replaced a series of mortice lever locks in a first house that were very worn after a decade of use. You had to shake the key to get them to open. I was amazed on opening them to find them completely dry, when they come greased. I suggested they lubricate the replacements occasion…

For what it's worth, old lock grease tends to move away from where it's needed and turn into a hard, waxy substance. It's arguably better to have a lock cleaned and slightly lubricated with WD-40 than one gummed up with ancient grease and dirt, or worse, rusted. I've heard a lot of anecdotes in every direction: only use graphite, only use a cleaning solvent. I've never read anything authoritative and I suspect the id…

I'm pretty sure with locks, you want a dry lubricant. So graphite, or better yet, a PTFE spray lubricant. Hasn't failed me yet.

Re: How I won $2,750 using JavaScript, AI, and a can of WD-40

#100

Post by GuB-42 »

rpcope1 wrote: post #57
jimnotgym wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a lubricant, just not a very good one for most uses. It can't bear much load and it tends to just dissappear in a short time. I once replaced a series of mortice lever locks in a first house that were very worn after a decade of use. You had to shake the key to get them to open. I was amazed on opening them to find them completely dry, when they come greased. I suggested they lubricate the replacements occasion…

I think that's one of the biggest screwups people make with WD-40 is that it's basically just a petroleum solvent and other than maybe initially unsticking things, it often makes the problem worse. As far as solvents go it's not particularly great, and in terms of lubricating or breaking free it's pretty bad. I'm surprised they still sell as much of it as they do (chalk it up to good marketing), when for basically ev…

Jack of all trades, master of none. It is a better lubricant than most solvants and a better solvant than most lubricants, it will always be worse than a specialized product, but if you are only allowed a single can, that's a good choice. Affordable and widely available too. Oh and the pressurized can form factor is convenient.
Post reply on HN