Loosening Frozen Nuts
June 17, 2012
Question
We cannot loosen the arbor nut on our Altendorf f-45. The arbor seems to spin fine and cuts normal but we cannot get the blade off the saw. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding how to un-freeze the arbor nut? Will heat or lubricant work?
Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
From contributor E:
Sometimes they get pretty tight. Make sure you use the tool through the shaft and give it a good swat towards the operator side of the saw. Some guys accidently tighten it when they are trying to loosen. Is it rusted? If you have been using it all along it should not be too bad to loosen.
From contributor J:
I don't know about your Altendorf but heat works well on pressed together auto suspension parts. Use a propane torch and concentrate the heat on the nut and not the threaded shaft. Move the flame around the nut evenly and get it good and hot. Move quickly to remove the nut. This method should work.
From the original questioner:
I solved the problem! I bought a penetrating oil similar to WD40 but a lot slimier. It took no time at all to loosen the nut.
From contributor B:
There's some stuff called "Kroil" that's nothing short of miraculous for freeing rusted and corroded parts. It’s absolutely astounding.
From contributor A:
Try using Kroil. Every shop should have it on the shelf. It is the "real deal". It is not Liquid Wrench. We started using it on the on the high tolerance gib screws on the shaper heads in the 1990's. It works 99% of the time on most everything. The AeroKroil spray cans are the easiest to use. In the grinding shop we kept a squirt can full of Kroil as well. Another great product that is not well known is Boesheild for long term stayput lube.
