Ad and lockite......bracelet is now stiff!!!

[swils8610]

Took my Milgsuss and Explorer in to have the bracelet screws replaced. They were all marred up from previous owners and links being taken on and off. Anyway....the Ad replaced the screws and used lockite. He used to much! Now the bracelet in stiff between the links. He obviously put the lockite on the screws and then slid them in. The question is...how do I loosen it up? Is there a solvent or something that will dissolve the lockite between the links? Will this wear the bracelet out?? Thanks.


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[Darlinboy]

I wouldn't bother. It'll loosen up in time.

The other alternative is to take all the screws out, clean them and the links, and put it back together with the loctite applied properly.

I'd take it back to your AD for a re-do if that's the route you choose.

[thewatchguy93]

Hello!!!


So sorry to here your bad news and I here of this very often and have managed to resolve it quite easily...


The best thing to do, is.. Get a lighter of some form and hold the blue (bottom) part of the flame on the thread end of the screws (not the screw head side)..


Keep the flame in position for around 6-7 seconds, this will certainly loosen the lock tight, and is an official prodecure Rolex reccomend to use when adjusting bracelets..




I really hope this helps! and best of luck


Dino

[RolexDivers]

Take the watch back to that loser and call his boss ....

[swils8610]

Any chemicals that will loosen the lockite?


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[thewatchguy93]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Any chemicals that will loosen the lockite?


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No need to use chemicals.. Take my advice on the lighter/flame.. I work in an AD and do it daily

[TimeOnHand]

This just happened to me as well on my new TT Blue Sub... however, I just haven't had time to get it fixed... I plan to take it to the RSC in HK and get them to sort it out!

Good Luck mate...

[TimeOnHand]

Are you serious? There is no harm / danger to the watch bracelet in doing this?

Originally Posted by Dingoo93

Hello!!!


So sorry to here your bad news and I here of this very often and have managed to resolve it quite easily...


The best thing to do, is.. Get a lighter of some form and hold the blue (bottom) part of the flame on the thread end of the screws (not the screw head side)..


Keep the flame in position for around 6-7 seconds, this will certainly loosen the lock tight, and is an official prodecure Rolex reccomend to use when adjusting bracelets..




I really hope this helps! and best of luck


Dino

[Minuteman]

Funny thing, I just purchased a secondhand Oysterquartz for my wife today, and I experience the exact same problem. Two of the links are completely stiff and there is no way I can unscrew the screws. They are stuck, by the use of lock-tite, I presume.

Thanks to this amazing forum I have now learned what to do.

[thewatchguy93]

Originally Posted by TimeOnHand

Are you serious? There is no harm / danger to the watch bracelet in doing this?

As the melting point of 904L Steel is 1510 (°C) its absolutely fine This method is used by Rolex, and suggested by Rolex to all AD's..

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by Dingoo93

As the melting point of 904L Steel is 1510 (°C) its absolutely fine This method is used by Rolex, and suggested by Rolex to all AD's..

HAGWe

[Tools]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Any chemicals that will loosen the lockite?


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Acetone is the clean-up for Loctite.. Heat is the "breaker", but you don't really want to break the thread seal..

It's likely just dried in-place and a sink full of hot soapy water and some brushing and flushing and it will be back to normal..

[TimeOnHand]

Originally Posted by Dingoo93

As the melting point of 904L Steel is 1510 (°C) its absolutely fine This method is used by Rolex, and suggested by Rolex to all AD's..

Cool mate... thanks for that... I will give it a try on my TT and see what happens!

[77T]

Poor application of heat can cause some surface discoloration. For example if you held a butane micro "pencil type" torch too long in one spot, you'll see some darkening in the overheated spot.

Just use good judgement and warm the area where the screw threads engage the link. It pays to take your time to work up to the loctite's softening point.

Of course you could have the AD undo their poor work...

[franklin]

I would talk to the ad.

[swils8610]

Will soaking the bracelet in acetone help?


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[Hairdude1]

Originally Posted by Dingoo93

Hello!!!


So sorry to here your bad news and I here of this very often and have managed to resolve it quite easily...


The best thing to do, is.. Get a lighter of some form and hold the blue (bottom) part of the flame on the thread end of the screws (not the screw head side)..


Keep the flame in position for around 6-7 seconds, this will certainly loosen the lock tight, and is an official prodecure Rolex reccomend to use when adjusting bracelets..




I really hope this helps! and best of luck


Dino

Thanks for the info

[CKL1213]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Will soaking the bracelet in acetone help?


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just soak the bracelets into hot water (just hot but not boiling) and keep the watch head out.

soak for a minute and the screw will be loosen up.

[dcash0615]

I have had this happen to me before. Take the watch back to the AD and ask them to steam the links in question with the machine they use to clean jewelry. That will do the trick.

[Htab]

Use a blow dryer to heat it up.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by 77T

Poor application of heat can cause some surface discoloration. For example if you held a butane micro "pencil type" torch too long in one spot, you'll see some darkening in the overheated spot.

Just use good judgement and warm the area where the screw threads engage the link. It pays to take your time to work up to the loctite's softening point.

Of course you could have the AD undo their poor work...

I agree with you Paul.
The locktite family are mainly thermoset polymers and require a temperature of 200 to 300 degrees C to weaken the bond.
The temperature at the hottest part of a butane lighter flame is just below 2000 degrees C and seems like overkill to me.
Just don't burn your fingers.

[bardm]

I believe Locktite also produces superglue now. Hope your AD used the correct type of Loctite

[gregdolley]

My cents: don't worry about it. The loctite will wear out after a few months. All new Rolex bracelets are stiff anyway and get loose pretty quickly if you take if on and off once or twice a day.

[amexx83]

Originally Posted by Tools

Acetone is the clean-up for Loctite.. Heat is the "breaker", but you don't really want to break the thread seal..

It's likely just dried in-place and a sink full of hot soapy water and some brushing and flushing and it will be back to normal..

Agree. Acetone as a molecule is small enough to creep in between the links and solve the glue. It might take some time. But it doesnt for sure solve the links or damage them. You would need a strong acid for that. Use sulphuric acid and your bracelet is GONE. The glue would remain...

I`d stay away with any burner or flame from any part of my rolex.

[gregdolley]

Originally Posted by bardm

I believe Locktite also produces superglue now. Hope your AD used the correct type of Loctite

That made me think too. I hope he didn't use the "glue" type of loctite. The loctite strength you're _supposed_ to use is the threadlocker strength - basically it adds a little friction to the screw threads so they don't come loose, but not actually glue them together. I personally use Loctite 222MS, and it works great, but I've heard of other Loctite strengths from other peoples' recommendations that work good too (I don't remember the exact type # though).

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Tools

Acetone is the clean-up for Loctite.. Heat is the "breaker", but you don't really want to break the thread seal..

It's likely just dried in-place and a sink full of hot soapy water and some brushing and flushing and it will be back to normal..

Have to agree Larry and to the OP, hot water will not harm your bracelet or a lighter flame in any way.

[Minuteman]

The correct type of Loctite in this case is the 222, or 222MS (military specs). The 222 is made for small screws that are ment to be unscrewed every so often. Hot water will not dissolve dissolve this Loctite as the "working temperature" of this type of Loctite is up to 150 C.

In my case it has been used a much stronger Loctite and the screws are absolutely impossible to loosen with hot water. Believe me, after reading all the "good advices" in this thread, I have tried.

The heat from the lighter did the trick. It was only necessary to hold it in the flame for a few seconds. And, of course, the stainless steel wasn't harmed in any way. In order to discolorate the steel it must be exposed to much more heat and over a much longer period of time.

Also, in mye case the screw was locked in both ends. In other words is was used far to much Loctite and when the screw was inserted through the bracelet it came Loctite at both ends of the screw and even in between the links. This lead to a total lock-up and the two links of the bracelet became stiff.

There certainly are different opinions amongst the members here, but thanks to the advice from Dingoo93, who apparently works with Rolex, I have now solved the problem.

[Sous]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Any chemicals that will loosen the lockite?

Use a hairdryer to warm the screws, no need for fire.

[rolex75216]

I would go back to the AD and have a quick chat. It does not seem like a big deal and something that can be resolved pretty easily. If you attempt to fix the issue on your own and make it worse then you will not have any leverage to have the AD fix for you. Thanks for sharing.

[Minuteman]

Originally Posted by Sous

Use a hairdryer to warm the screws, no need for fire.

Have you actually tried this? Unless your hairdryer can warm the Loctite up to app. 200 celcius it will not do the job. My wifes hairdryer gets warm, alright, but not that warm. To losen the Loctite is one thing, to remove it is another. I don't want to argue about this, but I have just done the exact job today.

The links must also be dismantled in order to remove the Loctite which in this case is otherwhere than on the screws. If one have little or no experience with this kind of work I would also recommend the AD.