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Taking Hardware off the Mast

  • May 21, 2011 9:52 AM
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    Message # 597009
    Deleted user
    Getting ready to strip the mast down for priming and repainting (I'm doing the prep, but having the yard do the painting).   Is it true that applying a bit of heat to the fittings will loosen up the stainless screws in the aluminum mast?   Any guidance?   Also, what's the best chemical stripper to use on the old paint?  -Tom Koehl
  • May 21, 2011 12:41 PM
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    Reply # 597089 on 597009
    Anonymous member
    Thomas Koehl wrote:Getting ready to strip the mast down for priming and repainting (I'm doing the prep, but having the yard do the painting).   Is it true that applying a bit of heat to the fittings will loosen up the stainless screws in the aluminum mast?   Any guidance?   Also, what's the best chemical stripper to use on the old paint?  -Tom Koehl
    Heat and WD-40 will help.  Make sure the screwdriver bit fits snugly into the screw slot.  Sometimes tapping the screw with a hammer will help loosen the bond between the stainless and aluminum.  There is a driver tool available that has a series of bits that will fit the head of the screw, and when you tap on it, it rotates the screw to help loosen it.  Don't know what the tool is called, but I have seen it before. 
  • May 21, 2011 2:54 PM
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    Reply # 597125 on 597009
    Anonymous
    The tool you're talking about is an impact driver.  I picked one up at Harbor Freight for $4.99 a few weeks ago, but haven't tried it yet.  I'm trying to gets the screws loose to replace the pump on my old Groco manual head.
  • May 23, 2011 3:33 AM
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    Reply # 598823 on 597009
    Deleted user
    An impact driver is very useful.  The Harbor Freight one, however, is likely to fail quickly.  The bit on the one I bought broke on the first screw.