Stuck nipples.

jeager106 · September 12, 2014, 12:44 PM

Yeah it's a gunsmithing question. Oh, and please do add nipple jokes if you like.
Years ago I bought a slightly used Navy Arms .36 caliber 1858 Rem. clone, revolver in real nice shape for $40 bucks. Probably it's made by Umberti as the quality is excellent, fit & finish superb.
Whoever shot it never removed the nipples & probably didn't know to lube the threads either.
I've tried many time to get the nipples out & don't want to damage the revolver so no dremels or hammers used.
I've tried heating, freezing, and really cranking on a nipple wrench to no avail
I was wondering if putting the cylinder in my TUMBLER would help loosen the nipples????
Would putting the cylinder in my ULTRASONIC CLEANER help loosen the
things?
I got stuck nipples out of s.s. 1858 no name made in Italy revolver that seemed hopeless by repeated heating & freezing but it was s.s. and this Navy is nicely blued, afraid I might damage the bluing.
Thoughts?

mehavey · September 12, 2014, 01:20 PM

-delete-

olddav · September 12, 2014, 01:21 PM

I know you've tried penetrating oil, you know like let it set for a couple of days.

mehavey · September 12, 2014, 01:27 PM

Have you soaked things in Kroil for a couple of days yet?

- Put the cylinder nipple-side down in a small glass of just enough Kroil to cover the nipples inside and out. Leave it for 24 hours.

- If the nipples then won't crack loose, heat heat the glass of Kroil to "coffee" temp in a pot of water on the stove, place cylinder
in the hot kroil to get up to temp, then firmly tap the nipples a few times with a brass hammer to cause tiny cracks in whatever
thread corrosion there might be

- Leave in hot Kroil another 24 hours and then check...

James K · September 12, 2014, 01:43 PM

Do you have access to a drill press? If so, try this:

Soak the cylinder as advised above.

Get or make a nipple wrench of the kind made from a piece of round steel (not the L shaped kind). Knock out the T handle. Chuck the nipple wrench in the drill press. DO NOT TURN THE POWER ON!

Clamp the cylinder, nipple end up, in the padded vise. Bring the wrench down onto the nipple, turning the chuck and moving the vise until it lines up.

Then rotate the chuck back and forth by hand, striking the nipple hard.

If a few minutes of that doesn't loosen the nipple, replace the nipple wrench with a drill the size of the minor diameter of the nipple threads, and drill the nipple out. If you do it right, you can pick the nipple threads out of the cylinder with a dental pick, and with no harm to the cylinder.

Jim

g.willikers · September 12, 2014, 03:53 PM

I have one like that, too.
After trying everything under the sun and moon, I finally decided there's not a thing wrong with having permanent nipples in the cylinder.
It's been running just fine like that for many years, now.

jeager106 · September 12, 2014, 04:03 PM

Ditto on leaving it alone rather than damaging it.
I've been shooting it and the nipples are o.k., caps fit nice.
But there will come a time to replace the nipples I suppose so I'd like to loosen them.
I've done the Kriol & Mystery Oil, kerosene, soaks for days, no good.
I like the idea of carefully heating Kroil tho so might give that a try.
I read about making a jig out of a small flat board, & two dowels of about caliber size. The dowels go in opposite side of the cylinder to keep the cylinder from turning then force can be applied to a good sturdy nipple wrench.
I have one a friend lathe turned out of tool steel. A nice one.

mehavey · September 12, 2014, 07:05 PM

Don't forget to "tap" the nipple before/when soaking.
Just the the smallest crack in the interfering corrosion
can wick the penetrant further in....

nemesiss45 · September 13, 2014, 12:04 AM

I second the long soak in penetrating oil.

10-96 · September 13, 2014, 01:55 AM

And, I'd say no to the corncob media type tumbling. I feel all that will gain you is to have dust get worked into whatever cracks and crevasses there may be and compound your problem.

Hawg · September 13, 2014, 04:36 AM

What James K said.

olddav · September 13, 2014, 08:18 AM

Perhaps you could take advantage of hydrostatic preasure as well. Use a narrow tall container to house the cylinder, fill with penetrating oil. The higher the column of oil the greater the preasure, and should cause the oil to penetrate any voids or less dense areas. Or did I get it wrong again.

James K · September 13, 2014, 04:05 PM

I might be wrong, but I doubt any convenient size of container could create pressure high enough to make a difference. But, if the nipple were sealed off and pressure applied by something like a bench loading tool, the idea might work.

Jim

g.willikers · September 13, 2014, 05:35 PM

Air "pressure" from a compressor nozzle might do the trick.
Add some oil, seal the chambers up around the nozzle and give it a squirt.

Snyper · September 17, 2014, 05:18 AM

You can also try heating the cylinder to a couple of hundred degrees and then putting it in the oil.

The cooling/contraction should help suck the oil into the threads and break loose the corrosion

Rather than trying to pressurize the container, I think you'd get better results by creating a vacuum, again sucking oil into the threads

September 12, 2014, 12:44 PM	#1
jeager106 Junior member Join Date: November 24, 2006 Location: N.E. Oh. Posts: 527	Stuck nipples. Yeah it's a gunsmithing question. Oh, and please do add nipple jokes if you like. Years ago I bought a slightly used Navy Arms .36 caliber 1858 Rem. clone, revolver in real nice shape for $40 bucks. Probably it's made by Umberti as the quality is excellent, fit & finish superb. Whoever shot it never removed the nipples & probably didn't know to lube the threads either. I've tried many time to get the nipples out & don't want to damage the revolver so no dremels or hammers used. I've tried heating, freezing, and really cranking on a nipple wrench to no avail I was wondering if putting the cylinder in my TUMBLER would help loosen the nipples???? Would putting the cylinder in my ULTRASONIC CLEANER help loosen the things? I got stuck nipples out of s.s. 1858 no name made in Italy revolver that seemed hopeless by repeated heating & freezing but it was s.s. and this Navy is nicely blued, afraid I might damage the bluing. Thoughts?

September 12, 2014, 01:20 PM	#2
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	-delete- Last edited by mehavey; September 12, 2014 at 01:26 PM.

September 12, 2014, 01:21 PM	#3
olddav Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2008 Location: Lower Alabama Posts: 727	I know you've tried penetrating oil, you know like let it set for a couple of days. __________________ Never beat your head against the wall with out a helmet

September 12, 2014, 03:53 PM	#6
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	I have one like that, too. After trying everything under the sun and moon, I finally decided there's not a thing wrong with having permanent nipples in the cylinder. It's been running just fine like that for many years, now. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

September 13, 2014, 01:55 AM	#10
10-96 Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2005 Location: Tx Panhandle Territory Posts: 4,159	And, I'd say no to the corncob media type tumbling. I feel all that will gain you is to have dust get worked into whatever cracks and crevasses there may be and compound your problem. __________________ Rednecks... Keeping the woods critter-free since March 2, 1836. (TX Independence Day) I suspect a thing or two... because I've seen a thing or two.

September 12, 2014, 01:27 PM	#4
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	Have you soaked things in Kroil for a couple of days yet? - Put the cylinder nipple-side down in a small glass of just enough Kroil to cover the nipples inside and out. Leave it for 24 hours. - If the nipples then won't crack loose, heat heat the glass of Kroil to "coffee" temp in a pot of water on the stove, place cylinder in the hot kroil to get up to temp, then firmly tap the nipples a few times with a brass hammer to cause tiny cracks in whatever thread corrosion there might be - Leave in hot Kroil another 24 hours and then check...

September 12, 2014, 01:43 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Do you have access to a drill press? If so, try this: Soak the cylinder as advised above. Get or make a nipple wrench of the kind made from a piece of round steel (not the L shaped kind). Knock out the T handle. Chuck the nipple wrench in the drill press. DO NOT TURN THE POWER ON! Clamp the cylinder, nipple end up, in the padded vise. Bring the wrench down onto the nipple, turning the chuck and moving the vise until it lines up. Then rotate the chuck back and forth by hand, striking the nipple hard. If a few minutes of that doesn't loosen the nipple, replace the nipple wrench with a drill the size of the minor diameter of the nipple threads, and drill the nipple out. If you do it right, you can pick the nipple threads out of the cylinder with a dental pick, and with no harm to the cylinder. Jim

September 12, 2014, 04:03 PM	#7
jeager106 Junior member Join Date: November 24, 2006 Location: N.E. Oh. Posts: 527	Ditto on leaving it alone rather than damaging it. I've been shooting it and the nipples are o.k., caps fit nice. But there will come a time to replace the nipples I suppose so I'd like to loosen them. I've done the Kriol & Mystery Oil, kerosene, soaks for days, no good. I like the idea of carefully heating Kroil tho so might give that a try. I read about making a jig out of a small flat board, & two dowels of about caliber size. The dowels go in opposite side of the cylinder to keep the cylinder from turning then force can be applied to a good sturdy nipple wrench. I have one a friend lathe turned out of tool steel. A nice one.

September 12, 2014, 07:05 PM	#8
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	Don't forget to "tap" the nipple before/when soaking. Just the the smallest crack in the interfering corrosion can wick the penetrant further in....

September 13, 2014, 12:04 AM	#9
nemesiss45 Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2014 Posts: 526	I second the long soak in penetrating oil.

September 13, 2014, 04:36 AM	#11
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,189	What James K said.

September 13, 2014, 08:18 AM	#12
olddav Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2008 Location: Lower Alabama Posts: 727	Perhaps you could take advantage of hydrostatic preasure as well. Use a narrow tall container to house the cylinder, fill with penetrating oil. The higher the column of oil the greater the preasure, and should cause the oil to penetrate any voids or less dense areas. Or did I get it wrong again. __________________ Never beat your head against the wall with out a helmet

September 13, 2014, 04:05 PM	#13
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I might be wrong, but I doubt any convenient size of container could create pressure high enough to make a difference. But, if the nipple were sealed off and pressure applied by something like a bench loading tool, the idea might work. Jim

September 13, 2014, 05:35 PM	#14
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Air "pressure" from a compressor nozzle might do the trick. Add some oil, seal the chambers up around the nozzle and give it a squirt. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

September 17, 2014, 05:18 AM	#15
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	You can also try heating the cylinder to a couple of hundred degrees and then putting it in the oil. The cooling/contraction should help suck the oil into the threads and break loose the corrosion Rather than trying to pressurize the container, I think you'd get better results by creating a vacuum, again sucking oil into the threads __________________ One shot, one kill