Red Loctite Rant!

[101stinfantry]

Sort of a rant anyway. What makes a person put togather an AR-15 upper and red loctite everything except the muzzle device togather? Is is some kind of weird "I don't want my shit falling apart in the zombie apocalypse" mentality or what? Did the thought never enter their mind "Hey, I might want/need to change something out sometime". Fucking christ! The shit I get myself into trying to help out people who are boneheads.

 

[nealm66]

Lol

 

[nealm66]

3rd world problems

 

[kenny1773]

Beat them over the head with it, send them a link to buy a pre-built gun, and walk away

 

[101stinfantry]

I like the "beat them over the head with it" part for sure!

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Sort of a rant anyway. What makes a person put togather an AR-15 upper and red loctite everything except the muzzle device togather? Is is some kind of weird "I don't want my shit falling apart in the zombie apocalypse" mentality or what? Did the thought never enter their mind "Hey, I might want/need to change something out sometime". Fucking christ! The shit I get myself into trying to help out people who are boneheads.

Dumbass had never seen someone repairing a gun, especially an "assault rifle", in a movie so he thinks that nothing in that gun will ever need repairing or changing.

Seriously, many people out there should NEVER be allowed to step even within 3 feet of a gun, or any tool for that matter...

ETA: He should have JB-Welded the magazine in too... It can fall out, you know?

 

[101stinfantry]

I guess the damn gas block has loctite too, I been beating on it, and the fucker hasn't moved a millimeter.

 

[Blue Sky Country]

What. The. Fuck...

 

[101stinfantry]

Exactly. I guess I'll let it soak overnight, and then heat it up in the morning...................and find a fucking 2 lb hammer as well.

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Your thread title should have been "Dumbass motherfuckers rant"... Loctite itself is an awesome product. I've used it in numerous applications at work. It is also an inanimate object. Blaming inanimate objects instead of the asshat that misused them is what gun grabbers do.

 

[101stinfantry]

True story, but I have a hammer in my hand, and it's the only thing in front of me right now!

 

[velvetant]

But that's how they told over on Arfcom to assemble it.

 

[Blue Sky Country]

I am surprised that someone who fucked up on that level actually knew what Loctite even is...

 

[kenny1773]

Propane torch is #1



A heat gun for about 5 minutes focused in the right spot will get you there
If you have a large enough soldering iron, that might do it

If a gas block, shoot 100 rounds really fast, then take the screws out

 

[Jgunner]

Heat gun works wonders. I almost go to it before touching any screws now, just makes life easy.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Just heat it up with a propane torch.... The discoloration will be a "forever" reminder to not use it again.

Hobo

 

[HayStax]

You know what’s really fucked up?

Red loctite in a blue tube and Blue in a red tube!

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Yep, once fully cured, that stuff takes at least 500°F exposure for two+ minutes to start breaking down, like all industrial epoxies.

 

[Supersubes]

AR’s are tinker toys. Throw it in the corner and build another.

 

[Strykervet]

Dumbass had never seen someone repairing a gun, especially an "assault rifle", in a movie so he thinks that nothing in that gun will ever need repairing or changing.

Seriously, many people out there should NEVER be allowed to step even within 3 feet of a gun, or any tool for that matter...

ETA: He should have JB-Welded the magazine in too... It can fall out, you know?

Hmmm... Did CH4D come up perchance? They JB welded a decapping stem into a goddamn die THEN blamed me for it when I sent it back!!!

You know what’s really fucked up?

Red loctite in a blue tube and Blue in a red tube!

Even more fucked up? Generic brands come in different colors and tubes altogether...

Add to that Loctite makes TWO green versions --one is weaker than blue, but the other is PERMANENT. And since it's marketed for bedding AR barrels to the upper, expect to see that shit used more often by your local Fudds.

It's really the number folks should go by because each color also has varieties according to thread size.

FWIW, the guy technically could have used the weakest green or purple loctite (it's a little stronger than a dry booger and just keeps shit from vibrating loose so easy) but I've been fine with grease for the last 30 or so years so I'll stick with that.

MY biggest bitch is Rocksett or red loctite for the muzzle? I've used both and I never know whether I need a bowl of hot water or a goddamn propane torch. Torch is faster, I start with that and no joy I soak over night. But it ALWAYS comes off.

I gotta admit though, I seldom have many problems one way or another, I tend not to overdo it with these materials and usually a reaction rod and a big wrench do the job.

 

[SuckitTrebek]

red does't need to be soaked

use a heat gun or blowtorch ( I prefer a heat gun) and heat to 500f. comes right off at that point.
How do you know how hot it is when heating? Use a laser thermometer.

Oh yeah, best get your oven mitts out.

Does not take two minutes of exposure at 500 to break down, but will probably take
you two minutes to get it heated to that point.

ask me how I know.........

totally unneeded for the majority of things.

 

[Scott037]

In my opinion the need for red loctite on a gun is a machining failure from the manufacturer if the treads are machined right they won't loose typically.

 

[SuckitTrebek]

In my opinion the need for red loctite on a gun is a machining failure from the manufacturer if the treads are machined right they won't loose typically.

Probably right for the most part. red is for the shit that really is never meant to come apart again.

 

[101stinfantry]

@kenny1773 I got the screws out, I believe he's added some sort of adhesive between the gas block and barrel itself.

I'll get it apart, I was just a little pissed that a 10 minute "easy" job turned into, well.........................

 

[Trigger Monkey]

What happened is that the barrel was flipped over when the screws were inserted and loctite seeped down between the gas block and the barrel. When this happens I heat it up with a torch and use a 1" wooden dowel rod as a punch to get it to move. I also have a 1" dowel rod that I sanded down to fit the inner diameter of the receiver so that if there's loctite on the barrel extension I can heat it up with the torch and push it out using a dead blow hammer. Maybe 30 seconds with the torch and a couple whacks on the dowel rod and the barrel's out.

 

[SuckitTrebek]

What happened is that the barrel was flipped over when the screws were inserted and loctite seeped down between the gas block and the barrel. When this happens I heat it up with a torch and use a 1" wooden dowel rod as a punch to get it to move. I also have a 1" dowel rod that I sanded down to fit the inner diameter of the receiver so that if there's loctite on the barrel extension I can heat it up with the torch and push it out using a dead blow hammer. Maybe 30 seconds with the torch and a couple whacks on the dowel rod and the barrel's out.

another good lesson. a drop or two is all you need. no need to douse shit in locktite

Makes me wonder what other fucktardery that guy has going on

 

[lht645]

Heat it to +300 degrees and it will loosen up, they use 271 on hull studs in the Navy and that's how we get them out.

 

[Jethro3898]

Have you tried pure acetone?
Not the fingernail polish remover kind....real acetone.

Sometimes heat isn’t a real option depending on the part or location, so I have put acetone on the part, let the capillary action draw it into the joint/hole and let it soften it up.

Worth a shot if you get to a place where heat isn’t an option.

But yeah....red Loctite is a bear and most people rationalize that “if a little is good, a lot is better”....which is NOT sage advice.

 

[rjacobs]

Call me a FUDD if you want, but I will admit I use red loctite for bedding when assembling MY personal precision AR's(I would not use it on a gun I help somebody else assemble, unless they know the pitfalls). Around the barrel extension as well as around the gas block... I understand these will be a bitch to get apart if I ever want to take them apart. I cant say with scientific proof it gives any improvement, but both guns are absolute hammers.

 

[kenny1773]

@101stinfantry glad to hear you got it
I have helped friends with minor gunsmithing and had similar where a 10 minute job takes 3 hours lol

I still say beat him over the head with it

I notice the do make an UN-Cure solution these days that can help melt red locktite too
Bob Smith Industries makes it, never tried it

 

[Snuby642]

I use rocksett for can adapters, to avoid expensive problems.

Last time I used a 3lb butter tub.
Boiling water a 4 hour soak, nope.

2 consecutive boiling water soaks for 15 minutes and off it came no problems.

I'm not convinced the 4 hour soak is necessary, will find out soon.

And the loctite in off colored tubes got me good once. Damn.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

Does he super glue Legos also?

Bonehead probably doesnt realize theres different types.

I would torch every threaded part before removal. Tear the whole thing down and wire brush the threads. If it's a small screw hold a soldering iron on it until it smokes.

 

[DuneBoer]

No good deed goes unpunished. Maybe he thought it was Rocksett?

 

[Jgunner]

Honestly, if you’ve ever had a part come loose in a critical time, you’ll think twice about not using loctite. I use red on scope bases, i had a weatherby that tried to buck it off 2x. Nearly missed a elk at 215 yards because of it, luckily the berger did its job. It didn’t even feel loose, but caused a shot group to open up.

toughest removal ive ever had was a ar10 .308 barrel with red on it. It didn’t want to come out a wood dowel did the trick, but it was tight even without Loctite on it.

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Hmmm... Did CH4D come up perchance? They JB welded a decapping stem into a goddamn die THEN blamed me for it when I sent it back!!!



Even more fucked up? Generic brands come in different colors and tubes altogether...

Add to that Loctite makes TWO green versions --one is weaker than blue, but the other is PERMANENT. And since it's marketed for bedding AR barrels to the upper, expect to see that shit used more often by your local Fudds.

It's really the number folks should go by because each color also has varieties according to thread size.

FWIW, the guy technically could have used the weakest green or purple loctite (it's a little stronger than a dry booger and just keeps shit from vibrating loose so easy) but I've been fine with grease for the last 30 or so years so I'll stick with that.

MY biggest bitch is Rocksett or red loctite for the muzzle? I've used both and I never know whether I need a bowl of hot water or a goddamn propane torch. Torch is faster, I start with that and no joy I soak over night. But it ALWAYS comes off.

I gotta admit though, I seldom have many problems one way or another, I tend not to overdo it with these materials and usually a reaction rod and a big wrench do the job.

The only times I had used red Loctite on firearms is when I had to fix wobbly or loose cylinder pins, or arbors, on open frame Colt revolvers. I drill out the rear retaining stud, unscrew the pin, degrease both the threads on the pin and the pin retaining hole in the frame, dry out, apply Loctite, and then screw it back in and reinstall the cylinder, barrel, and barrel wedge so when the epoxy cures, nothing moves and throws all of the dimensions out of whack. Those were the days when I just started fixing guns as a side gig. Today I rarely use chemical adhesives. My fix currently for loose Colt cylinder pins involve putting a couple of tack welds with a SMAW rod on the rear of the frame where the pin and the retaining stud goes in, and then smoothing out any raised surfaces from the weld with a conehead Dremel sanding attachment (lime green). I always let the client know before hand that I am going to weld on the frame of his gun so he knows exactly what is going on. So far, no problems at all. And tack welds are much stronger than Loctite or any epoxy cold welds. The only downside is that now, the cylinder pin becomes a permanent part of the frame, but as long as you are not firing such "magnum" loads or using the wrong propellant that the barrel wedge aperture is smashed to shit by the piston effect of overpowered loads, the pin will last just as long as the lifespan of the frame itself.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

I'll use Vibratite VC3 on just about everything.

 

[supercorndogs]

Honestly, if you’ve ever had a part come loose in a critical time, you’ll think twice about not using loctite. I use red on scope bases, i had a weatherby that tried to buck it off 2x. Nearly missed a elk at 215 yards because of it, luckily the berger did its job. It didn’t even feel loose, but caused a shot group to open up.

toughest removal ive ever had was a ar10 .308 barrel with red on it. It didn’t want to come out a wood dowel did the trick, but it was tight even without Loctite on it.

If blue or fingernail polish will not hold them, it is likely because they were stretched from over tightening. I can't think of anyplace red locktite has any business on a firearm.

So what did the Berger do, home back in on the vitals? It caused your group to open up? Were shooting groups on an Elk?

I

 

[Jgunner]

If blue or fingernail polish will not hold them, it is likely because they were stretched from over tightening. I can't think of anyplace red locktite has any business on a firearm.

So what did the Berger do, home back in on the vitals? It caused your group to open up? Were shooting groups on an Elk?

I

The impact on elk was not at point of aim. Berger came apart in several fragments, one knicked a lung, one the heart, but shot was low.
Tested firearm after and found it to group very poorly. Base screws had blue loctite on them, torqued with fat wrench. Been holding ever since with red.

 

[thejeep]

You call that a rant! I was helping my dad replace his u joints one day. You should hear an old man cussing while trying to get a drive shaft flange off with only a 12mm box end wrench. I said before you have a stroke let’s put a little heat on it.
Yep the red goop was on it.

 

[supercorndogs]

The impact on elk was not at point of aim. Berger came apart in several fragments, one knicked a lung, one the heart, but shot was low.
Tested firearm after and found it to group very poorly. Base screws had blue loctite on them, torqued with fat wrench. Been holding ever since with red.

You aim at the bullseye painted on em and ended up in 5 ring?

No one said red locktite doesn't hold. Green will hold too, so will rock set, Silver solder, and jb weld.

 

[Jgunner]

You aim at the bullseye painted on em and ended up in 5 ring?

No one said red locktite doesn't hold. Green will hold too, so will rock set, Silver solder, and jb weld.

Yes, and it comes off easily with a heat gun, a $20 dollar tool. Its a simple solution to a problem. I dont use it on screws i can reach without pulling off my glass. Its not used on everything, just shit I don’t want loose and can’t check easily periodically.

 

[Charger442]

on gas block, i bet it would come off after 10 AFAFP magazine dumps.

get that gas tube glowing

knock GB off with dead blow.

profit?

 

[supercorndogs]

http://wdarc.org/Loctite%20Guide.pdf

A guide to using locktite.

I remember going to a presentation by the Permatex guy when I was in college. The original red silicon was the best selling and worst product they made, according to is own words. And by that I mean, that is exactly what he said. Its corrosive, and its fumes can ruin engine senosors. I bet it is still their best seller now a decade later because people don't research the products they use to see if they are correct or being applied correctly.

 

[101stinfantry]

Honestly, I don't think the dude knows the difference, and I know for a fact he didn't use a torque wrench, just good old fashioned gorilla torque. I'm going to school him though, after I beat him over the head with it for getting my blood pressure up! Lol!

 

[ditter]

+1 here on the Red locktite being in a blue tube and the blue being in a red tube. Ridiculous.

I've also been guilty of putting too much on. Even a drop on a tiny screw is too much. Now I just put a drop on the bench and use a bent paperclip to put on a micro-drop.

Also know a gunsmith who told me only to put locktite on the top couple of threads near the screw head, not all the way down the screw.

 

[Foul Mike]

I have an oxy/acetelene torch with some very fine tips, Victor, I don't fuck around with loctite'd parts too often but when I do, the torch comes out quickly and they will come my way or I will let them cool and try again, then they will come for me. I don't fuck around with propane or heat guns.
It is hard to find those very fine Victor tips but they are around and expensive but you can concentrate the heat as to where you need it.
Sometimes there will be the slightest wisp of smoke when the Loctite has been overcome, but not always, and you put the tools to it at that moment when it is hot as a fresh fucked fox in a forest fire. I hate putting my tools into or on something that hot. Ain't good for them, but that is what I bought them for and they can be replaced.

Years ago John Deere had some hydraulic pumps with NPT threads that no matter how much teflon tape, Permatex, Rectum Seal you put on the fitting it was too loose to get a leak free connection.
John Deere's answer was a John Deere purple anareobic,[sic], sealer that you put on the threads and lined up all of the various lines and connected them and let it set for a few hours. It worked. No leaks, however, when you needed to take it apart you were fucked unless the last guy that worked on it painted them Red so that you knew to get those parts Red hot before you tried them.

I like loctite, I use it, just use the right shit, there are different grades for a reason.

 

[deersniper]

http://wdarc.org/Loctite%20Guide.pdf

A guide to using locktite.

I remember going to a presentation by the Permatex guy when I was in college. The original red silicon was the best selling and worst product they made, according to is own words. And by that I mean, that is exactly what he said. Its corrosive, and its fumes can ruin engine senosors. I bet it is still their best seller now a decade later because people don't research the products they use to see if they are correct or being applied correctly.

Loctite prevents parts from seizing together so I doubt it isn’t corrosive

 

[Foul Mike]

I don't know.
I have used that shit for years. You just have to know what you are dealing with and Know When to Fold Them, or find somebody who knows how to deal with that shit.
I have never had much of a problem with it. I just get them hot as hell and out they come. YMMV.

Without heat some of that shit brings threads with it, so make it easy on yourself and just heat those trouble away?

 

[supercorndogs]

Loctite prevents parts from seizing together so I doubt it isn’t corrosive

Red silicon

 

[supercorndogs]

Loctite doesn't really prevent seizing, but it can help if it seals the threads completely. If you are worried about seizing, anti-seize is much better.

I probably don't have any business talking shit about using the wrong the stuff, because I have always used fingernail polish as locktite on base screws.