Gunsmith Needed - Nipple Removal

Obx-Txn said:

Actually it was some "oldtimer" on another forum ... .

Click to expand...

Another forum!. :shocked2:

There is no other forum....................only vague reflections....

Don't forget to soak the threads from the back side....
Kroil is "the oil that creeps"...

Has anyone tried CRC Freeze-Off or Loctite Freeze and Release? Was wondering how effective these are?

I was planning on trying some Freeze and Release but ...

I've been soaking my nipple in Kroil inside and out for three days. To help the Kroil along I heated the area with a hair dryer and put an ice pack on it and tapped with a little brass hammer from time to time. I had just brought the rifle in from where I had it locked in my icy cold truck and had heated the barrel with the hair dryer when I thought "I'll just give it a middling try with the nipple wrench..." I felt the nipple protector before I tried and it still felt cold so there was a definite difference still between the temp of the hair dryer heated barrel and the nipple. Anyway it broke free amazingly easy ...

I recall my helicopter mechanic used to have to install a particular bearing every coupla years. He would order dry ice overnighted from Norfolk and cold soak that bearing ... and it would slide into place kiss my hand. Without that dry ice you would destroy the bearing trying to beat it in.

I'm giving each of my boys Pietta 1851 Navy's for Christmas so I doubt it will be too long before there's a nother frozen nipple to deal with and I'll save the Freeze and Remove for then... :grin:

Kroil.... :thumbsup:

Get a bolt & weld it to the nipple at 90 degrees with a MIG welder. Then just turn it out.
Be sure to cover & protect the rest of the rifle from spatter.
Fit new nipple.
O.

my first experience with kroil came after working on a friends revolvers. His grandson had fired them and then put them in a damp basement without cleaning them. I spent a week working on the first one getting it free and the nipples removed. Breaking 14 nipple wrenches along the way. While working on the first I received and add for kroil and thought I would give it a try. When the kroil came, I soaked the second over night. I had every thing freed up and all nipples removed in 1/2 hour. :idunno: :idunno:

Agreed, that Kroil is good stuff...along with a bit of patience ...

Original nipple. Might want to leave it alone. Just another opinion.

Ok guys, I got the original nipple out, unharmed! This is thanks to the great advise you all provided. Here's what I did . . .

Placed the breach-end of the musket in Kroil for 6 days (I had to learn the patience part of the advice to do this) and made sure it was getting through the nipple so both inside and outside of the nipple thread were getting it. Then I made the tool that Hawkeye2 recommended: "Use a 1/4" drive socket backwards. Put the drive end on the nipple which happens to be a 1/4" square. Insert an Allen wrench in the end of the socket that normally fits on the bolt head, 5/16" Allen in a 5/16" socket etc.. You'll have a tool that won't slip or break." THIS IS AN EXCELLENT TOOL FOR NIPPLE REMOVAL. Then put a little heat on it with a propare torch and it came right out!!!

Thanks to you guys this project was a huge success!

Yay... :applause:

Good news indeed! :thumbsup:

I'm glad to see you had success. :wink:

Great news, glad you got it.






William Alexander

AWESOME! I was wondering how this project was going, glad it worked

It's a good feeling when you accomplish something that you initially thought would take a professional. I learned most of my gunsmithing skills long before I found this great site and am learning more all the time since.