Patience vs frozen screws
#11
OK. I have had my share of frozen screws while working on metal planes for years. I don't win 'em all, but the score is JR--9,856 to Stuck Screw--3. Patience is what puts numbers in the win column. Here is what I have learned. Stanley metal planes have oddly threaded screws and these screws get stuck with frequency. Too much mustard will break the screw and that seriously complicates the repair. Heat can work but can cause damage. It should be a last resort. I like Liquid Wrench. I clean as much as possible and then apply LW to the area. Soft tapping on the screw with a tiny ball pein hammer can be satisfying. I keep the tool in the shop and work on it every day or so. Try to loosen with screwdriver, tap with hammer, apply LW. And then set aside. They always give up.

My latest projects have been a Stanley #98 and a Stanley #77 dowel machine. The #98 was in pretty good shape but the knob screw was frozen and the front guide screw was frozen. I was able to unscrew the knob nut and remove the knob. The LW treatment worked with just an overnight soaking. But the front guide has been stubborn. I have been working on it for about ten days. I am sure it will give up soon. Maybe I will put it in the hot sun for a bit of heat cycling.

When I had trouble with the #98, I began working on the #77. I needed to remove the drive shaft which is held by two set screws. Of course, the first came out with a little torque on my first try. The second, however, has been stubborn. I have been LW-ing and tapping for over a week. I play with it every time I go in the shop. Tonite was no exception. I tried it and felt a slight movement. I added more LW and tried again. The setscrew came out without a hitch.

So don't give up on your Stanley planes or other tools. Use LW or PB blaster and lots of PATIENCE. Aggressive treatment does not remove the screw but it WILL break the screw body or torque off the head. Patience wins. Persistence wins the race. Think tortoise.
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#12
lots of good advice
thanks
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#13
I did this on a rusty 45.  Had it in the garage in a bucket, spray a little PB, wipe off a little rust, give up for the day. Finally all the screws came out.
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#14
(09-05-2016, 09:34 PM)JimReed@Tallahassee Wrote: OK. I have had my share of frozen screws while working on metal planes for years. I don't win 'em all, but the score is JR--9,856 to Stuck Screw--3. Patience is what puts numbers in the win column. Here is what I have learned. Stanley metal planes have oddly threaded screws and these screws get stuck with frequency. Too much mustard will break the screw and that seriously complicates the repair. Heat can work but can cause damage. It should be a last resort. I like Liquid Wrench. I clean as much as possible and then apply LW to the area. Soft tapping on the screw with a tiny ball pein hammer can be satisfying. I keep the tool in the shop and work on it every day or so. Try to loosen with screwdriver, tap with hammer, apply LW. And then set aside. They always give up.

My latest projects have been a Stanley #98 and a Stanley #77 dowel machine. The #98 was in pretty good shape but the knob screw was frozen and the front guide screw was frozen. I was able to unscrew the knob nut and remove the knob. The LW treatment worked with just an overnight soaking. But the front guide has been stubborn. I have been working on it for about ten days. I am sure it will give up soon. Maybe I will put it in the hot sun for a bit of heat cycling.

When I had trouble with the #98, I began working on the #77. I needed to remove the drive shaft which is held by two set screws. Of course, the first came out with a little torque on my first try. The second, however, has been stubborn. I have been LW-ing and tapping for over a week. I play with it every time I go in the shop. Tonite was no exception. I tried it and felt a slight movement. I added more LW and tried again. The setscrew came out without a hitch.

So don't give up on your Stanley planes or other tools. Use LW or PB blaster and lots of PATIENCE. Aggressive treatment does not remove the screw but it WILL break the screw body or torque off the head. Patience wins. Persistence wins the race. Think tortoise.


...........

Sometimes straight vinegar will work to loosen screws that are rusted in place..it may take several applications..a vinegar soak is best..and lightly "tapping" on the screw helps to get the vinegar {or penetrating oil} where the rust is. The acid in the vinegar dissolves rust..A "saturated solution" of citric acid can work also.
Often Tested.    Always Faithful.      Brothers Forever

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#15
I have had very good fortune using WD-40 in the same way. Patience is the key word. Have had to wait for several weeks in some cases, but they will turn loose. Sometimes tightening then loosening very carefully works.


I seem to be doing double talk, sorry new computer.
Joe
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#16
Thanks for sharing. Patience is, indeed a virtue.  Your "tapping" reminds me of a talk by Toshio Odate, where he described how Japanese hammer in a nail.  He said they very lightly "tap, tap, tap" until the nail is in.  The light tapping allegedly allows the nail to find its way around the fibers, vs. crushing them.  Thus, the nail holds better in the wood.  Well, that's the theory anyway.  Probably a carryover from their use of wooden nails, which also require very light tapping to seat without splitting.
Still Learning,

Allan Hill
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#17
The best I have found is Kroil.

http://www.kanolabs.com/

It seems to work when nothing else does. I haven't tried Liquid Wrench, mainly because I've always succeeded with Kroil.
Mike


If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room!

But not today...
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#18
Kroil is my go to rust buster.
Jim
http://ancorayachtservice.com/ home of the Chain Leg Vise.
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#19
Sounds like an old neighbor on the farm...somebody brought him an engine with an aluminum block and steel bolts holding the head. He rigged something with turnbuckles to hold constant pressure on the wrenches, and every day sprayed a little WD-40 on them and gave the turnbuckles a little bit of a twist. Lo and behold, six months later the bolts came loose!
Big Grin
Dave Arbuckle was kind enough to create a Sketchup model of my WorkMate benchtop: http://www.arbolloco.com/sketchup/MauleSkinnerBenchtop.skp
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#20
BG In-Force purchased from automotive supply store has become my favorite penetrating oil. 

Jack
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