How's your bug in going?

[Netpackrat]

https://genesiustimes.com/breaking-john ... ronavirus/

[SoupOrMan]

Does anyone have any experience doing similar? I really don't want to take a blowtorch to my lower.

Soldering iron, or Soldering gun, whichever you have thats higher wattage. Touch it to metal as close to the locktite as possible. Considering its the castle nut, you may have to take your time and work your way around the nut with multiple applications.

My old hobby soldering iron may not have the heat for it, but I'll give it a go. You ever hear of anyone using Brakleen on red loctite before? Sounds a little... off. Maybe because it eats through plastic?

[Jericho941]

Good luck, Odahi.

As for me, I have two full-time jobs.

Well, they were supposed to be full-time. They've both been dramatically scaled back due to the pandemic. Last week I worked 25 hours between the two; 19 and 6. I've worked out a plan with my landlord because otherwise I'd be living in my car right now.

And lemme tell ya, despite my best efforts to stock up on supplies over the years and whatnot... well, I may not be able to live out the next few years in a bunker, but I'm pretty well set to rob a train or two.

[HTRN]

You ever hear of anyone using Brakleen on red loctite before? Sounds a little... off. Maybe because it eats through plastic?

Ive only heard of using heat on red loctite to brrak the bond.

[Netpackrat]

Does anyone have any experience doing similar? I really don't want to take a blowtorch to my lower.

Soldering iron, or Soldering gun, whichever you have thats higher wattage. Touch it to metal as close to the locktite as possible. Considering its the castle nut, you may have to take your time and work your way around the nut with multiple applications.

My old hobby soldering iron may not have the heat for it, but I'll give it a go. You ever hear of anyone using Brakleen on red loctite before? Sounds a little... off. Maybe because it eats through plastic?

If it doesn't go well (or if you just don't want to screw with it), you can always get a new lower and a lower parts kit, install your new extension and move the rest of your parts over.

https://www.primaryarms.com/aero-precis ... ar15-gen-2

[Weetabix]

What about one of those little creme brulee caramelizing torches held at a judicious distance for the red loctite? I suppose you could also fashion a heat shield out of something - heavy foil, cut up can, or something.

[SoupOrMan]

The Brakleen thing got me to thinking prior to buying any. "Wait, didn't we do something in my old high school chemistry class with aluminum and chlorine that required use of the vent hoods due to fumes?" was the first thing I asked myself. Then I remembered "Aluminum chloride is a respiratory hazard."

Time to go with heat as opposed to chemical reactions. I don't want to release more hazardous fumes in my basement than I already do with my painting area.

NPR, I went in a similar route to your line of thinking. I already have two 5.56mm marked lowers. I want to put my 6.8 on a multi-caliber marked lower so I picked up an Anderson lower. The reason for that is I figure the next time I meet a conservation cop while hunting I'll get the one new guy who doesn't read firearms law and will try to confiscate the rifle for having a caliber mismatch with the marked lower. (Yes, it's bullshit, but better safe than sorry.) I'm essentially building/modifying two AR carbines in 5.56 using existing assembled lowers, then using the new multi-caliber lower to build a rifle-length AR in 6.8 with an optional 5.56 rifle-length upper as well.

As of right now I have two Rock River lowers assembled. One with a two-stage trigger, the other with a single-stage. I'm going to use some old parts from the original configuration and some other parts I've bought along the way to make the following:

Carbine 1: 5.56 marked lower, 2-stage trigger, mil-spec size buffer tube. Upper has 16" barrel, 1/9" twist, chrome-lined bore & barrel, midlength gas. This lower is the one that has a commercial-spec buffer tube that was assembled using red Loctite. That tube will get replaced.

Carbine 2: 5.56 marked lower, single-stage trigger, mil-spec size buffer tube. Upper has 16" barrel, 1/9" twist, unlined chome-moly barrel, midlength gas. This lower currently has a rifle-length buffer tube. That tube will go to my new lower and be replaced.

Rifle 1: single-stage trigger, rifle-length buffer tube. Upper has 20" barrel, 1/11" twist, unlined chrome-moly barrel, rifle-length gas in 6.8SPC II. This is the lower that will use the rifle-length buffer tube donated from Carbine 2's lower. I also have a 20" barrel, 1/7" twist chrome-lined rifle-length upper in 5.56 for it as well.

The ultimate goal of the project is to have one AR for home defense, one spare that can be used for HD/plinking or to let my dad borrow it if need be, plus one rifle mostly for hunting that can be pressed into HD if/when necessary.

But first, I need a small high-heat torch in case the soldering iron doesn't work. I kind of wonder if the lower won't act like a giant heat sink.

Sorry for the long explanation. I tend to forget that most people don't live around here to see what I'm working on.

[Netpackrat]

I would personally try a heat gun first. Dunno if it will get warm enough to break the bond, but it's worth a try.

[Odahi]

A commercial heat gun, although EXPENSIVE, will do a lot of different jobs for you. From loosening parts, to helping remove tile, stickers, and any number of things held on by adhesive, to actually shrinking heat-shrink tubing without burning it or making it brittle the way a lighter or torch can. I use one all the time at work, and bought one on clearance, that has a digital temperature readout and adjustable heat and two-speed air flow, with an "air-only" setting that runs the element at 120 F to cool the element before shutdown and prevent burns and extend the life of the element. In a case, with multiple attachments, it was $160. Very spendy, but it will run the element up to about 1100 F or so. Serious tool for serious jobs, not like a blow-dryer type heat gun for $30. I like it and use it a lot for certain jobs. YMMV

[SoupOrMan]

Red Loctite melts at 500 degrees F, so it looks like most of the heat guns at Lowe's or Menards would take care of it.