Getting loctite / thread locker to release

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Potashminer

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I am playing to unscrew a flash hider from a Savage Axis II stainless barrel. I presume the thing is glued on to its threads - no idea what was used to do that. I discovered that a spilt spruce 2x4 in bench vise will not hold the barrel from turning - that flash hider is on "tight". So I heated for several minutes with propane plumber torch - it occurred to me - I believe that heat will break down that glue - will it re-constitute itself when cooled, or does work have to be done while the stuff is hot?
 
Potashminer said:
I am playing to unscrew a flash hider from a Savage Axis II stainless barrel. I presume the thing is glued on to its threads - no idea what was used to do that. I discovered that a spilt spruce 2x4 in bench vise will not hold the barrel from turning - that flash hider is on "tight". So I heated for several minutes with propane plumber torch - it occurred to me - I believe that heat will break down that glue - will it re-constitute itself when cooled, or does work have to be done while the stuff is hot?
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Chances are the opposite
If you thread dissimilar metals together without never seize and put them through heat cycles, most likely it will pick up the threads as soon as you turn it.
 
I would at the least break it loose at the peak of the heat... but once it breaks loose just keep going...
 
guntech said:
I would at the least break it loose at the peak of the heat... but once it breaks loose just keep going...
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Yes, I think so, now. I think my fundamental issue was I did not appreciate how tight those things were screwed on - so my idea to bore a suitable hole through spruce 2x4 - clamp barrel through it in bench vise - was not even close enough clamping force to hold that barrel to "break" the flash hider loose - so I will regroup and turn a proper fitting insert for my barrel vice - I have "broke loose" several WWI P14 and M1917 and a few Lee Enfield No. 4 barrels that must have been installed by 400 pound gorillas with a 10 foot cheater bar. Is "hard" to do so without bending stuff.

This morning I looked at it again - some liquid stuff has seeped out from the flash hider thread onto the front sight base - got me to wondering if there was any actual "glue" left in there doing what it was meant to do. For sure, I think my issue was a poorly thought out idea to clamp that barrel - that flash hider will require more turning force than I thought it would.

Since I really see no need for a flash hider on an Axis II 7.62x39 chambered rifle - was my intent to remove that flash hider and turn it into a thread protector. Now that I have the action out of the stock - barrel does not look difficult to remove from receiver - if I can make a barrel nut wrench that could grab that barrel nut - likely can just chuck that up on my lathe and turn the flash hider down into a protective sleeve, without removing it from the barrel. Or try to turn a mandrel to go into that action from the rear - use that on my lathe and just turn that flash hider as I want it.
 
Why not just chuck up the barreled receiver in the lathe and cut it back, without removing it???

That would solve a lot of your issues easily and would look good.
 
Update - 2:30 PM - I got the flash hider off and turned it down into a thread protector.


C60A0259-AD5C-4B01-9FF2-111A794CB1C0_1_201_a.jpg


As I suspected, apparently I way underestimated the holding force - so turned a set of inserts for that barrel - a couple layers of note paper to prevent marking - torqued down those bolts on the barrel vice. Slid a 19 mm wrench over the flats, and very moderate tap with 4 pound hand sledge and the thing rotated free - so is off, and machined down to look like what I think a thread cap looks like. I did not have to apply any heat today to remove it, although I was prepared to do so, if needed.

I never owned a rifle with a flash hider before - was actually surprised how much carbon / soot was in the chamber between the muzzle and the first baffle - no clue how that would get cleaned out. Was a bunch of red-brown "glue" in there, on the threads - plus a partially crushed washer between an inner shoulder and the muzzle - so I presume they insert glue to the threads, then torque the thing on until alignment of slots look good - then let the glue set up. I do not know that - just my guess looking at it after I got it apart.

This is what that flash hider looks like now - after I think I have it to look like a thread protector cap:

E277A26A-76C0-4514-B925-C86B650E5268_1_201_a.jpg

In picture, that "cap" is just turned on with fingers - I got about 1/4 turn more with several layers note paper, electrician vinyl tape and slip joint pliers.
 

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Slimbo said:
Just cut and crown that nasty wart off!
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Yes, for sure - barrel measures out to 511 mm (20 1/8") so is lots of length to cut that off entirely and re-do another crown - is for sure something being considered here!!! I suspect I will want to shoot it as is - see what I get on targets. Gotta wait for some Quick Detach rings to show up for mounting a scout scope - in order to evaluate how it shoots - the iron sights might go away at the same time as I shorten that barrel ...
 
Potashminer said:
Update - 2:30 PM - I got the flash hider off and turned it down into a thread protector.


View attachment 636253
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Your barrel vise looks much like mine... (I made 50 years ago)

barrel-vise.jpg
 
Potashminer said:
Hey, it works!! No need to get carried away on something so simple. You must be better at machining than me - I can only get aluminum inserts to work - looks like you use steel ones!!!
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I made it out of 2 inch square steel and then machined it to 1.5 inches in thickness. The hole is 1.5 inches and I machined a bunch of steel inserts... steel inserts with rosin do not slip nor mark the barrels.
 
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Zee705 said:
If it's Rockset then you need to put the muzzle in boiling water.

...
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Not sure - boiling water is like 100 degrees C - I think propane torch like many hundreds, if not thousand, degree C. As per the maker information, looks like red loctite needs circa 250 C to make it come apart - so boiling water, likely most heat guns, will feel hot to us, but no where near what "hot" means to steel or red loctite.
 
Potashminer said:
Not sure - boiling water is like 100 degrees C - I think propane torch like many hundreds, if not thousand, degree C. As per the maker information, looks like red loctite needs circa 250 C to make it come apart - so boiling water, likely most heat guns, will feel hot to us, but no where near what "hot" means to steel or red loctite.
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Rockset is water soluble
 
A propane torch and about 350 or 400 degrees should get a whiff of smoke from the Loctite as it deteriorates...
 
That vise looks identical to mine - right down to the split aluminum inserts. I usually paint the inside faces of the inserts with rosin dissolved in turpentine to eliminate slippage on difficult projects.
 
B_noser said:
That vise looks identical to mine - right down to the split aluminum inserts. I usually paint the inside faces of the inserts with rosin dissolved in turpentine to eliminate slippage on difficult projects.
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Is a good idea about the rosin in turpentine - I make life more difficult for myself, I guess - I do not like removing aluminum from stampings on various barrels, so I use a couple wraps of note paper or computer printer paper between the aluminum inserts and the steel barrel - I have about 18" cheater pipe that I slip over handle of 18" strong arm when I torque those barrel vise bolts down - they are 5/8" diameter, fine thread - my big torque wrench says I am past 250 foot pounds when tight - so do not really know "how tight" I get them to. But barrels do not move, even with paper layers, and I do not usually use rosin in there, although I have some powdered stuff like fastball pitchers use.
 
Potashminer said:
Is a good idea about the rosin in turpentine - I make life more difficult for myself, I guess - I do not like removing aluminum from stampings on various barrels, so I use a couple wraps of note paper or computer printer paper between the aluminum inserts and the steel barrel - I have about 18" cheater pipe that I slip over handle of 18" strong arm when I torque those barrel vise bolts down - they are 5/8" diameter, fine thread - my big torque wrench says I am past 250 foot pounds when tight - so do not really know "how tight" I get them to. But barrels do not move, even with paper layers, and I do not usually use rosin in there, although I have some powdered stuff like fastball pitchers use.
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I use split steel inserts, with .002 brass shim stock.
 
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