How to remove thread locker residue from screws

[Aerosmith101]

How do I remove old thread locker residue from the screws on my knife?

 

[Backyard]

The best I've found was to wire brush them. Heat helps soften it and can make stubborn thread locker easier to remove. Knife screws are normally pretty small so thay would be difficult. I don't know if it would work but you can try methylene chloride which is found in the good paint strippers. Otherwise I haven't found anything else that effectively dissolves or loosens PMMA type products once cured

If it's cyanoacrylate based you can try acetone

 

[tiguy7]

Cyanoacrylate isn’t particularly resistant to water, but the soak time may be long.

 

[pndubisk]

I don't know if it would work but you can try methylene chloride which is found in the good paint strippers.

DCM will eat just about any thread locker or epoxy, very few materials are chemically resistant to it. Proper PPE should be followed, read the SDS. It passes right through nitrile and latex and is absorbed directly into your skin. The stuff at the hardware is probably not all that strong but I question why it's in stores at all, very carcinogenic, very nasty.

With all that said, assuming proper PPE and care, it's a great solvent that does not leave a residue behind.

 

[000Robert]

According to the TDS, you soak them in methylene chloride, or paint stripper, and then remove with a wire brush.

 

[pndubisk]

Well, it does work great lol.

Seriously though, at least check out the sds before working with a chemical that's a well known carcenegon.

 

[kreisler]

all these chemicals, do we get them on amazon and what's their product name?

 

[pndubisk]

Hmmm idk, shipping would be expensive no matter what, anything over 2ml or maybe it's 30ml is going to ship as a dangerous good iirc.

Anyways, loctite branded solvent is DCM (methylene chloride) but as a an earlier poster mentioned it's in some paint strippers to apparently. I know I can't find it on store shelves in my area, I've had to use the stuff at my work.

 

[kreisler]

i googled the term <loctite dcm> and got nothing in this regard. ah nm. unwatching this thread now

 

[Backyard]

Both of these are common at most hardware stores and contain methylene chloride

 

[000Robert]

i googled the term <loctite dcm> and got nothing in this regard. ah nm. unwatching this thread now

I just googled, "threadlocker TDS", and this PDF link was at the top of the list. Maybe you just need to learn how to google and not give up so easily...

 

[Alberta Ed]

A small brass bristle brush works well.

 

[Tjstampa]

In another thread someone had good luck with goof off

 

[kreisler]

i think in RL a pro industrial (or i) would simply use new screws and be done with it

a tiny screw costs like 0.12

 

[neo71665]

Heat the screw up and wire bush the ash off