Old timer in a Pittsburgh yard showed me a trick for stubborn flange bolts

Reese Lopez · 2026-03-15T09:40:06.973212+00:00

He saw me struggling with a seized bolt on a feedwater heater. Said 'kid, heat the nut, not the bolt, and tap it with a brass hammer.' Worked in two minutes. Anyone got other tricks for frozen hardware on old gear?

gray6446mo ago

Old gear's never THAT stuck.

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sarah_bennett936mo ago

That old timer's trick is a lifesaver. I once spent a whole hour on one bolt before I learned it, which is about 59 minutes longer than @gray644 would have needed. My go-to now is a mix of heat and that penetrating oil that smells like rotten oranges. Let it sit overnight if you can.

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martin.paige6mo ago

Honestly, what about a candle? Ngl, sounds weird but the wax gets sucked right into the threads. Heat the bolt a little, hold a plain candle to it, and let it cool. It's saved me a bunch of times on old pipe fittings. That and a six point socket so you don't round everything off.

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