It’s doable with hand tools after it’s been left to work.
It’s been my experience that it may require several applications. I use a saturated cue tip to apply it to the screw. Also, a little bit of heat (think heat gun, not acetylene torch) prior to your first application seems to accelerate things a bit.
Lastly, be careful to NOT get the uncure on any plastic…especially not something like your smart TV Bluetooth remote. That bitch was a goner. Melted through the chassis of the remote like the alien spit in the first alien movie meted through the decks of that spaceship.
So, for me, it was more like a $100 bottle. Consider yourself warned.
I was able to find it locally at the creepy hobby shop in town. I will give it a shot over the next couple days and report results. Im hoping it works out.
May have to try that stuff. But I have been 100% successful removing Loctited gas blocks and gas block screws using a 15-20sec blast with my MAP gas torch.
My torch must suck. I tried MAP and didn’t get anything. I don’t think the torch is even meant for MAP, but it’s what I had from what the Hardware store guy showed me for a home project.
I actually use a mini torch that has a flame not much bigger than the screw. Not to dogpile, but I’ve never had an issue doing that either.
Also, BCM’s selection of the Loctite they use is very specific. If one pays attention to the break torque AND the prevail torque, this is for a reason. The screws are still substantially retained even after break torque has been reached. They don’t just break loose like normal Loctite formulas…there is substantial resistance for several full turns after breaking torque.
Followed IGs advice and grabbed a bottle of UN-Glue from my local HOBBYTOWN.
Let it sit on screw heads for a bit and placed a little on the barrel/gas block “seam” to wick in to the threads as well.
Laid a soldering iron tip on top of the block for a little heat for 15 minutes and they came off with moderate force using a screwdriver handled Allen socket.
Well that gives me some hope that it will work out for me. Im going to give it a try tomorrow. How long did you let the uncure sit before trying to remove them?
This thread is outstanding, it should be a sticky. I never did like using a torch, especially after I once watched a “gunsmith” successively heat a flash hider until it smoked and glowed thinking it was secured with loctite after several unsuccessful attempts to break it loose. Found out it was Rocksett the hard way!
Now that I think about it, my barrel was wet with UnCure where the gas block was. It did seem that the UnCure migrated all around the block/barrel interface.
First for those that asked … I sent two uppers to ADCO recently to have rails swapped out. The first was a Noveske N4 with a factory pinned Switchblock and SWS rail. While I was not necessarily concerned with driving the gas block pin out without buggering up the Switchblock (I have heard horror stories that IG alluded to), the reality was I did not have the correct SWS barrel nut wrench and it was out of stock at SWS, so I paid ADCO a slight premium to do the NSR swap. Since I was paying the freight to ship the N4 upper, I included a BCM upper along with it. I had no issues with the work that ADCO performed. It was done professionally and fairly quickly. Both of the uppers were in excellent shape going out, and came back the same way. You would not have known the work was done outside of either brand’s factory. I believe ADCO also used the same red Loctite BCM uses upon reassembly.
Second, thank you IG, BTJ and others for the helpful hints on the matter. It will help with projects in the future.
The uncure worked perfectly on one of the set screws. That one came out without the application of heat, using only moderate force. The other is still being a pain in my ass. I went and bought a 30 watt soldering iron and new hex wrenches and am going to apply some more uncure, let it sit then apply about 15 mins of heat to the set screw and try to back it out. If this doesn’t work, I may just drill this one out. My patience is running thin.