The $90 heat gun that finally saved a stuck helicoil job

I've been fighting a stripped screw hole on a Canon AE-1 bottom plate for two days. Tried the usual drill and tap trick but kept slipping. Last night I broke down and spent $90 on a proper heat gun from the hardware store in Portland. Heated that plate for about 90 seconds and the old helicoil came out like butter. Wish I'd done this years ago instead of struggling with torch lighters and ruined screwdrivers. The gun also works great for shrinking heat shrink tubing on wire repairs, so it's pulling double duty now. Anyone else swear by heat for stubborn threadlocker jobs, or is that just me playing risky with plastic parts?

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jason_stone122d ago

Heat guns are a total game changer for threadlocker, no question. I had a similar nightmare on an old motorcycle carb where the previous owner used red Loctite on everything, and torching it just melted the nearby rubber lines. That gun approach is way more controlled, you can hit the exact spot without cooking the rest of the part. Plus the shrink tubing bonus is real, once you own one you start finding uses for it every week. Just keep the heat moving and watch the plastic, but for metal plates it's basically cheating.