Can candle wax loosen rusty nuts?

boing
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That’s putting it really gently.

AvE makes me sad. In theory, the subjects he covers should be right up my alley, and YouTube is constantly recommending his channel to me. In practice, even though I’m surely the target demo for all of this (a white, middle-aged, straight man with some interest in engineering and repairing things), the turned-up-to-11 locker-room-talk shtick makes even me feel excluded sometimes. And it’s all so unnecessary. He can actually be interesting and entertaining without resorting to such crude and exclusionary jokes. But he seems to think the exclusionary jokes are a really important part of his appeal. Maybe he’s right.

I used to suffer through his videos from time to time but then he posted that vacation “vlog” and I was just done.

Anyway, I do thank you for the contribution of information. Allow me to offer a summary: Penetrating oils can make bolts easier to loosen, but the effect isn’t big. The exotic and expensive ones do not make a compelling case for themselves. The cheap old standbys (WD-40, Liquid Wrench, 50/50 ATF/Acetone) are about as good as it gets.

2 Likes
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Good summary. I’m always hit it really hard a few times, if that doesn’t get it, try some heat, and if those don’t work, spray some goop on and walk away for a while, then go back and repeat the cycle.

Yeah, it is unfortunate that he seems to revel in his dick-jokery. It wouldn’t bother me, but it’s absolutely part of what keeps traditionally male occupations closed to women unless they are willing to put up with shit they absolutely shouldn’t have to put up with. It’s a shame that he, and guys like him, are often the only accessible repository of practical knowledge on shop and field tips and tricks.

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