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Alan- Yes, I've used that trick with a small Victor torch outfit many times with good success. Just don't hit the cutting oxygen handle! What you do is a very rapid heating of a nut, up to yellow heat, and then shut down and let every thing cool. The nut expands and the rust weld to the stud is broken. As the nut cools and shrinks the stud heats and expands. It breaks things loose and the trick is to be patient and let everything cool down. After everything is cooled down you can usually unscrew the threaded fastner with minimial hassle. There is another option on all this told in a post here someplace, about putting a bit of wax on the threaded joint during the cool down period. It makes a heap of sense, but I've never done it. Very important is to "chase" the threads after you get things taken apart, then use some kinda lube or anti-sieze compound when you put it back together. "What" is of minor importance, "that" you did is what is of big importance. Do the put together like you are the one that will next have to take the old iron apart. Do not ever reuse a nut you did this trick on... IHank
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