Wood Thread Nut Problem

Casper snipped-for-privacy@ghostmail.cc wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I've seen suggestions of using candle wax as a penetrating agent. I guess you get the parts hot, melt a bit of wax on the threads and it runs down the threads and capillary action will draw some wax between the threads and break the bonds.

I haven't tried it, so can't say how well it works.

Puckdropper

Need a photo or two.

"Thread nuts are brass. ..."

Bad idea (as you've discovered).

"Steel and aluminum are relatively compatible, but if brass and steel contact, the steel will corrode because it is more anodic than the brass. .."

If you have enough extra length on the shaft, put two nuts together and lock them together tightly. Then you can use it to hold the shaft and break loose the brass nut.

If the shaft isn't long enough to have that much clearance, heat on the nut directly but not on the shaft. Some penetrating nut/rust solvent may help; carburetor cleaner is about as penetrating a common solvent as there is.

When you put it back together, use galvanized for nuts...a little anti-seize wouldn't hurt as a butcher block/table in kitchen environment will likely see some water now and again.

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Brass on steel should not bind, unless the steel is very badly rusted (and needed to be replaced).

The classic trick is to heat the nut up to about 400 F and try to unscrew it while hot. This temperature won't hurt brass or steel, but will char wood.

Joe Gwinn

Joe Gwinn snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net was heard to mutter:

Here's a picture of the wheel with the brass thread nut on. Steel shaft. Approximately 1/8th of an inch open at top of nut; shaft is

Puckdropper snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com was heard to mutter:

I'm currently trying to saturate one with WD40 to see if it loosens. I've never used candle wax but might be worth a try. I thought about freezing the parts. Used to do that with ride parts at Six Flags. "Train your mind to test every thought, ideology, train of reasoning, and claim to truth."

dpb snipped-for-privacy@none.net was heard to mutter:

Only about 1/8th of an inch is open thread inside the brass from where the steel shaft ends. Not sure there is enough thread to bite on. I don't have a matching bolt so need to hit hardware store.

I'm currently trying WD40 on one wheel. Might try freezing another. Used to do that with ride parts.

Cart wasn't used in kitchen nor will it be in future. It was stored in a spare bedroom for years. I don't see any rust. If I can find steel or glavanized thread nuts to match, I'll switch.

Cart was built back in mid-80's. Don't remember if there was an option back then but it was Dad's call, not mine. Considering it's age, it's help up pretty well. I was surprised the wheels were still on it. "Train your mind to test every thought, ideology, train of reasoning, and claim to truth."

Get some real penetrating oil. Order some Kroil off Amazon or mix

WD-40 really is not that good for freeing up corroded hardware.

Maybe switch to casters with mounting plates ?

I think they are made that way. The nut is to screw the caster to the table leg or what ever. Maybe you need a threaded socket in the table instead of just a hole in the wood. Or, is the threads on a socket? You can buy new ones from Amazon that look just like yours.

On 5/11/2021 5:33 PM, Casper wrote: ...

That's not a conventional nut; the shaft is pressed into it and it's purpose is to be used to screw the shaft into the mounting nut in the leg of the object it's to be mounted to.

Get a tee-nut of proper size and drive it into the proper-sized hole

Yup, 50-50, known as PFM, Pure F.....g Magic, :>)

This morning I was able to remove 3 of the 4 brass thread nuts. The last was stubborn. After further freezing, I got the 4th off. Only things I used were WD40, Ballistol, and freezing.

The wheels are not pop-in, they have threaded steel shafts.

Might try letting a temp change loosen the nuts.

I "HAD" a Kreg miter gauge years ago. It used a brass bin to index into aluminum.

A couple of hours with direct sunlight and the pin seized. And of course I forced the pin out with all means possible and the miter gauge was no longer and good to me.

I replaced it with an Incra miter gauge. Steel on steel. ;~)

I have an Incra and a JessEm. The JessEm had that problem but replacement parts were really easy to get from them and very inexpensive. I've had the miter gauge for at least ten years so their service gets an A+. The thing is a bit weird to use though.

I sawed the end of the Incra off by setting it up for a 90, then cutting a 45 without resetting it. Oops. It was a sharp blade so didn't even notice the aluminum. Parts are available and reasonable from them, as well, but I haven't bothered.

I have an MDF sacrificial fence on my Incra. The actual fence will not come in contact with the blade regardless of angle setting. I can't afford to risk cutting the aluminum fence.

You ditched the Incra stop?

Afford? Fence is $36. The soft aluminum won't hurt a carbide blade.

No, I use it.

If you move the stop, red portion, to the front grove on its carrier it will sit out 3/4" from the face, room for the 3/4" thick sacrificial fence.

Plus about $200 for a new SawStop brake and WWII blade.

I didn't know that. I went down to take a look. Sure enough... But I don't see how it helps, unless the sacrificial fence hangs out

Forgot about the silly brake. ;-) A WWII will cut it like butter and not even know it's there. DAMHIK

I looked at the JessEm gauge, too. It'll take a sacrificial fence by taking the stop off the shuttle base and flipping the base around. I hadn't remembered that the JessEm fence had a 3/8" x 1/2" dado chunk off the bottom. ;-/

If it's carbide vs. soft aluminum, the carbide will win every time.