Replies

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | May 31, 2009 06:05am | #1

   Alan,

   Have no clue but a wild guess - Butchers wax?

   Regards,

   Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   alanplanesaw | May 31, 2009 06:20am | #2

   Bob,

   Good idea, but these are large clamps and there is no way to get the wax into the hole the threaded rod occupies.  Or at least I don't know how.  Any ideas?

   On the clamps that turned okay, I waxed them thoroughly.  They work even better now.

   Alan - planesaw

1. 
   saschafer | May 31, 2009 06:22am | #3

   How far do the stuck ones turn? If they turn at least a couple of revolutions, you might be able to work some wax into them by waxing the male thread near the nut and turning it back and forth.-Steve

1. 
   Cincinnati | May 31, 2009 06:50am | #4

   Don't know the geometry of your threads, but I'm assuming they are large diameter wooden rods. Clamp rods depend on friction to hold.Greg

   <!---->•••••••

   Exo 35:30-35<!---->

2. 
   alanplanesaw | Jun 01, 2009 12:25am | #9

   Adam guessed correctly that I can NOT turn them a full revolution.  Only 1/2 maybe.  I like the oven idea as a safe way to at least see if that will work.

   I have put wax on the threads as close to the clamp as possible to see if I could get any of it in even enough to turn enough to get it in.

   Thanks for everyone's help.

   Alan - planesaw

2. 
   roc | May 31, 2009 08:41am | #5

   How does it sound to warm them up in the oven to remove some of the moisture in the wood. I assume the rods will shrink more than the blocks they thread through.

   Heck I don't know.

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

3. 
   davcefai | May 31, 2009 08:56am | #6

   Since the silicone won't cause any harm in this context you might try a silicone lubricant spray. What hits the wood will be very thin and you may be able to work it into the thread.

4. 
   AdamCherubini | May 31, 2009 05:23pm | #7

   This may not be a stuck thing. This could be a shrinkage thing. I think that's where Steve was going. My guess is you can't turn them a full revolution. That's because the nut is oval. Anything you put in there may make the situation worse. I hate to say this (and try it only as a last resort) but you may be better off splitting the jaws longitudinally. With the jaws split, you could carve a tiny bit of the threads easily, then glue them back together. I'd be inclidined to use hot hide for the glue up.

   Or they could be just stuck with ancient linseed oil. WD-40 might help.

   Adam

5. 
   dkellernc | Jun 01, 2009 12:03am | #8

   "

   How does it sound to warm them up in the oven to remove some of the moisture in the wood. I assume the rods will shrink more than the blocks they thread through."

   This is correct - the wood in the jaws will shrink away from the screw.  If you do decide to use the oven, set it on "warm", and after the thermostat goes off, turn the oven off.  Then open it for at least 20 seconds or so - you don't want it so hot that it checks the clamps.

   If you'd rather use a dessicant to get a dry atmosphere and wait a week or so, you can make some pretty effective dessicant by spreading dry white rice on a baking sheet and putting it in an oven set on "warm".  Open the oven and let the humid air exchange every 15 minutes or so.  In an hour, the rice will be very dry, and will work very well as a dessicant.  Get a box of the huge ziplocks that are sold in the grocery store for storing clothing (about 10 gallons, I think), put a couple of cups of the warm (do not let it cool in room air - it will readsorb the moisture given up in the oven) rice in the bag and the stuck clamp and seal it.  Come back to it after about a week - I suspect you'll find that the clamp's now un-stuck.