Vintage plane woes

[LuptonM]

Anyone have any tips to remove a rusted in screw that goes into the frog and tightens down on the lever cap? I have a replacement screw and I'd quite to have the frog intact as its one of those earlier flat bed ones. I should mention the screw head is badly mangled from previous attempts to make it turn (not just me but the previous owner!!)

 

[Blister]

If you still have enough to get a screwdriver in or can deepened the slot with a small dremmel type cutter

How about some heat directly under the base to expand it slightly may help loosen the grip

but not enough heat to distort or start changing the colour

may be worth a try before mullering it :shock:

 

[custard]

Before doing anything else start an extended process of soaking it in Plus Gas or some other penetrating oil, apply it two or three times a day for three or four days. If you can tap the screw during this time, maybe with a hardwood offcut to prevent damage, that might help.

I always think you should meticulously exhaust this option before moving onto anything more drastic and potentially damaging.

When you say it's a "flat bed" plane, do you mean a Stanley Bedrock? If so all the more reason to go slow, I've got 4 1/2, 5 1/2, and 8 Bedrocks and they're superb user planes and well worth taking some trouble over.

 

[jimi43]

One of the only uses for diesel other than in a lorry is to soak rusted in bolts. Leave it sitting in diesel in a jar for as long as you can. I would go for a Mole wrench if there is enough sticking out or cut a new slot for the largest flat ended screwdriver you can manage.

Try tightening it first a tad...before sharp twist to loosen.

Final solution. Flatten the top...punch a centre with a centre punch and then starting with a tiny drill...drill carefully down and then go up drill sizes to enable a good screw extractor to be used.

As others have said...take your time.

Jim

 

[LuptonM]

Ok thanks guys, I'll try some diesel (would petrol also work?). By flat bed I was referring to the frog having a larger surface area than the more modern ones. The plane is just a USA no 7 Bailey marked Apr 19-10

 

[MickCheese]

Plus-Gas is the best stuff I have ever tried for loosening stuck nuts, bolts and screws. Never tried diesel though. Don't think petrol will do the same thing as well, but may do.

Mick

 

[beech1948]

I don't know how bif the parts are that are stuck together but a good solution is as follows.

Buy some nail varnish remover. The cheapest and nastiest you can find. Its really only acetone. You should get about 250ml.

Mix with 250ml of Diesel.

Apply to parts, preferably in a plastic container with a lid, to keep the wife happy as it is a bit smelly.

Keep applying for a week.

Then cut out the screw slot with a Dremel or hacksaw and try a good fitting screwdriver.

regards
Alan

 

[No skills]

Heat the screw rather than the base imo, will allow you to use more heat in a smaller area (ie the small screw rather than the large base) and much less chance of distorting anything. Heat it up and let it cool a bit before a removal attempt with some mole grips, assuming theres enough thread to get them on. Be careful!

A very good reason to keep a blow torch handy (in a safe place obviously), nuts and bolts - angle grinders with the retaining nuts stuck, removing elements from hot water cylinders. All easily removed with some correctly applied heat and common sense.

 

[Vann]

...would petrol also work?...

A very good reason to keep a blow torch handy...

I'm running away :lol: :lol:

Cheers, Vann.

 

[GazPal]

...would petrol also work?...

A very good reason to keep a blow torch handy...

I'm running away :lol: :lol:

Cheers, Vann.

LOL and standing a safe distance

-------------------------

A small set of stilsons should grip and be able to turn the bolt, with the frog firmly held in a vise.

 

[jimi43]

...would petrol also work?...

A very good reason to keep a blow torch handy...

I'm running away :lol: :lol:

Cheers, Vann.

I think New Zealand is just about far enough...I fear for Kent though! :mrgreen:

Jim

 

[MickCheese]

Did you manage to get this out?

The only other advice I can offer after the plusgas is to drill it with the biggest drill you can use safely and then use a stud extractor to remove the seized bolt. Just don't break the stud extractor as they are very hard and it will only then come out with spark erosion, if that is even possible on a small hard to reach bolt!

Mick