Original poster: "Barton B. Anderson" <bartb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Hi Jim,I'm not a mechanical engineer, but I don't recommend Loctite threadlocker on components which can attain temps capable of liquefying the adhesive. Also, only use it in metal holes. Loctite can expand and if used in laminate materials will crack the material due to expansion (hydraulic pressure).
It's good stuff for the right application. It cures by the absence of air or when saturated with ions. The bottle itself is hygroscopic allowing the adhesive to breath. If you poor a little into a plastic bottle cap and place a screw in it, the ions from the screw will cause it to cure. It is also designed to liquefy under heat. For some of their adhesives, this is how you remove the bolt or screw.
Of course, in a sparkgap application where electrodes can heat up, it's not the right application. Just use the proper torque on the set screws (don't over torque). On my G10/tungsten disc, the electrodes were a press fit into their holes around the disc. I also had holes drilled and tapped for set screws around the outer edge down to center of the electrode holes. After the electrodes were pressed into position, the set screw was simply tightened down onto the electrode for added security. That same disc has been running for 7 years and I've never had an electrode or set screw come loose (I do check periodically just to make sure). I had a very experienced machinist do the work on the disc. It only cost me a case of Sierra Nevada (pretty good deal)!
Take care, Bart Tesla list wrote:
Original poster: "Jim Mora" <jmora@xxxxxxxxxxx> Hello All,Through my own stupidity I applied 710 loctite thread locker(red) to my set screws on my 12 ? rsg and twenty four hours later tried to break em loose for better adjustments. I usually use the blue on my motor cycle. Well needless to say I was twisting allen wrenches into miniature wrought iron gates.Then I went to their web site and discovered a surprise. It liquefies at 250 C (450 F), I broke out my circuit board iron (just kidding) a Weller 140watt gun. Appling heat to the longish set screw liquefied the thread locker very well thank you.Now this is a bit disturbing as the set screw is holding the tungsten. My experiment allowed me to twist the set screw at half that temperature although I don?t have a thermal couple.Now the clincher. I?m only using set screws on one side of my g10 through the allthread and brass nut method the other side is securely torqued down and double so with the new red paste stick, nice stuff except for one caveavat: it liquefies at 150 C (300 F) almost lubricates?Weren?t we just talking about flying tungsten? Would any of you material engineers out there like to offer a more suitable alternative?Long Sparks and Secure nuts, Jim Mora