We’ve all experienced – that last stubborn screw is one thing between you and the real progress of repair or repair. It is stuck by thread locking fluid and may peel off the head with greater torque. Depression grew, and getting out of the suction cup began to look quite attractive. But wait! [Daniel] offers a potential solution using only soldering iron.
This tool is very simple for hackers, but all great tools are straightforward. In the video, [Daniel] is facing a titanium Torx screw that refuses to loosen due to thread locking agent, an adhesive used for screws and other fasteners to prevent loosening. Thread locking fluid has a variety of strengths, which can well fix the screw in the required position, but too much (or the wrong kind) may permanently jam the screw.
Daniel didn’t drill out the annoying screws, but reached for the soldering iron. By applying a large amount of heat to the screw head, the adhesive begins to work. After heating, operating the screw back and forth will destroy the thread lock and loosen the screw. The whole process only takes a few minutes to avoid the maintenance personnel from damaging the screws.
The chemical composition behind the thermosetting adhesive is helpful for reading before going to bed. However, the main harvest is that although the thread locking fluid has certain heat resistance, it will eventually become brittle enough to cause the screw to loosen. Thermosetting materials are different from most adhesives that melt at high temperature (such as glue bars). Thermosetting materials often harden after heating, and then become brittle and fracture. Although high temperature thread locking agent derivatives exist, the typical loctite brand thread locking agent (and similar products) does not seem to be able to withstand the heat of a typical soldering iron.
This soldering iron gap is not our first feature on hackday – look at this method of removing magnetic line enamel. If you are not too shy, you can also see our views on soldering iron.