How to Free stuck nipple?

[TnShooter83]

I finally received my nipple wrench, but all the nipples in cylinder
seem to be stuck. I have NOT tried too hard, in fear of stripping one.
Any type solvent I could use on it?, like soak the cylinder in?

 

[DixieTexian]

I have a cylinder with stuck nipples. I tried to soak it in penetrating oil for a few days, but it didn't work. There was a trick someone posted involving transmission fluid, I think. I haven't tried ot yet, but it is worth a shot. You should be able to find the thread with a quick search.

 

[ED21]

Stuck Nipples

Put some penetrating oil on them and let set for a short while. Overnight if you have the time is better. Make sure your nipple wrench is the proper size. A good firm fit is what is required here. Put the wrench on the nipple and take up any slack (should be none if proper wrench is used). Give a quick twist counter clock wise. If this fails move to this next step. If you have a vice, pad the cylinder well. Prefer leather. Clamp in vice fairly tight. Put nipple wrench on nipple and take up the slack. Hold it there and lightly tap on the wrench handle with a light hammer. (counter clockwise again) Failing this, add an extender to the handle of the nipple wrench to give some leverage and try to turn counter clockwise. If all this fails, you might have to take drastic measures. First would be to leave the nipples alone and use the ones you have. Probably not a good solution. Next might be using an easy out which would be sure to destroy your nipples. After all that, take it to a good gun smith and ask how you should have done it. Good luck. They can be a real bear sometimes, the first time out.

 

[arcticap]

You might try heating up the entire works for a period of time while it's sitting in the transmission fluid. If it doesn't work right away, let it soak for a day or two longer and then try it over again.

 

[ED21]

It seems that the factory puts them in extra tight during the build. Could be liability issues or who knows. Anyway I have had lots of problems trying to take them out in the past. Always resorted to bigger hammer and more power.

 

[K.A.T.]

Stuck Nipples

I had the same problem, I let the nipples soak in Liquid Wrench a couple of days and they would not come loose.I took the cylinder and heated it with a blow dryer then tapped on the end of the wrench 4 or 5 times with a small hammer, lightly. They came out.I don't know if the heat helped or not.I have read on these forums to soak the cylinder in a container on diseal fuel about a week,and that would work.Good Luck.

 

[testar77]

I have to say that just browsing the home page and not at first noticing that it is in the blackpowder section, this is one heck of an eye catching topic

Sorry couldn't help myself..... carry on!

 

[Jason_G]

As much as I'd like too, I ain't touching this with a 10' pole. This thread's gonna get me banned before it's over

Jason

 

[K.A.T.]

Come on Jason,share the knowledge,we need to know man,knowledge is power,if you put it to use.We can't use it if you won't tell us.

 

[boneboy96]

I've got my own ideas on how to get a nipple unstuck, but I never thought to lube it up with tranny fluid! :banghead:

 

[Jim K]

Here is how I get out really stuck nipples. If a revolver, take the cylinder out of the gun and pad it. With a rifle or musket, it is best to not only use padding but to have someone hold the gun for you.

Place the cylinder or gun in the drill press vise with the nipple vertical. Insert a nipple wrench without the handle into the drill press chuck. Then use the drill press handle to bring the wrench down on the nipple, turning the chuck as needed to line the wrench up with the nipple.

DO NOT TURN ON THE POWER. Use the handle to hold the chuck down and then turn it by hand, back and forth to break the nipple free.

This will almost always do the trick. The problem with both tight nipples and tight screws is that the wrench/driver slips out or off when it is turned. The drill press prevents that from happening.

Jim

 

[MikePGS]

haha as someone who never posts in this forum, its a pretty funny title to show up on the main page

 

[TnShooter83]

Thanks for the help.
I'll soak it and break out a hammer if need.

 

[DixieTexian]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=238579&highlight=stuck+nipple

Look at post #7 for the automatic tranny fluid method.

 

[Curator]

I'll second the drill press method. It almost always works if the nipple wrench fits and the nipple flats aren't too buggered. Last alternative is to use an easy-out. Surprisingly, a nipple doesn't have to be in too tight to resist most nipple wrenches, especially on Cap & Ball revolvers. Make sure that you ALWAYS grease or otherwise treat the nipple threads when you re-install nipples after cleaning. I prefer automotive anti-seize. Neglect this at your peril. Once nipples get frozen into place they may have to be drilled out and the holes re-threaded.

 

[AntiqueCollector]

I just use a good pair of large needle nose pliers. Nipple wrenches tend to be too weak to loosen a tight one. Just be careful because pliers can do some damage to the soft metal.

 

[copdills]

some great information, Thanks guys

 

[Snaggletooth]

The drill press is a winner. I took it a step further and bought a bolt that was about 5 inches long and I bought the hardest one they had. I then ground off the threads, cut a slot the same size as the sholders on the nipple, cut the head off the bolt, put in the drill press and turned it by hand. Works every time.

 

[scrat]

Wow that is a good idea

 

[Macmac]

I was atleast one of the guys saying to soak these in K-1, but that only works if corrosion is what is seizing metal to metal. If these are installed overly tight for some reason, and I have never seen one installed that tight, no lube, or penatrant is going to deal with crushed and mashed threads.. If a nipple is cross threaded no lube will make getting it out easy, or fix anything.

Nipples should be installed just good and snug. There is no reason to install them until they snap off and then back it out 3/4 of turn.

I am an x foreign cars tech, and so have removed hundreds of broken bolts and broken exhaust studs. They all share ont thing, that is none of them are much fun.

Long before i used an EZ out, I would use a impact driver, and padd everything.

EZ oputs are dead last in the order and these tend to swell parts even tighter.

Of course with cars you can use a lot of heat with a act oxy torch, but I also do motoe bikes with chrome, and heat there will ruin chrome.

If you use the right tool the first time you won't bugger parts. It is tools like pliers that ruin things.

On guns the worst tool is a std screw driver, because gun screws are nothing like std wood screws.

 

[huli]

Tell me about the Eouts making things tighter,,,Ive still got one nipple stuck and the throat broke off the other one with a peice of the e-out broke off flush with the threads, I am gonna try to buy a used cyclinder somewhere, Maybe someone has one that has switched to the 45 Lc Thanks Steve

 

[Omnivore]

Toucheth thy gun not with thy pliers, lest thou liveth in sorrow, yea, and in shame

A good fitting nipple wrench is always preferable to pliers. I worked on musical instruments (woodwinds and brass) for 30 years, and people with pliers got us a lot of business. It could turn a freebe into a 200 dollar repair, and did, many times. If the thing is so tight you can't budge it with the proper tools, there's always the ever-expedient, ditch-it-and-get-a-new-cylinder method.

I'm with Macmac on this one, but carefully drilling most of the nipple out and using an easy-out may be a good option. We always kept a set of easy-outs in our shop for special occasions. It depends on who's doing it too, some will chew up the cylinder and others will finesse it out with nary a scratch. Same method, different operators.

 

[Pancho]

Macmac, You've been around the block a time or two so you've probably used the heat and quench trick. It's never failed me but I don't know if heating the cylinder in the oven to 450 degrees and plunging it in cold water would hurt a cylinder. What do you think?

 

[Cosmoline]

Kroil will unstick anything.

 

[sundance44s]

I had bought on older display gun once ..with the stuck nipple problem ..I didn`t have any break free on hand ..but was goingto the range the next day ..so I took the pistol with the stuck nipples and fired it several times ..then tried my nipple wrench on the nipples ..they broke free easy after the cylinder was heated up from the fireing .