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Gunsmithing DO NOT USE VIBRATITE HOT LOCK

redneckbmxer24

Four Star General
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Jan 15, 2005
    12,135
    9,180
    Gulf Coast, FL
    Be warned, don’t use this shit if you ever want your muzzle device to come off. It was installed per their instructions and removed per their instructions with extended soaking time and it took half of the threads with it.

    After 2 days of soaking in water (how they say to remove it) I called vibratite because the fucker wouldn’t budge and spoke to a lady there. I told her that I had soaked it and it wasn’t coming off and asked if there was a solvent I could use.

    I was advised that soaking in warm water was what dissolved it and that it shouldn’t take long but to keep swapping the water out for warm and to also tap on the muzzle device with a hammer. The lady also said the only person that couldn’t get one off took it to a gunsmith and it was locked on because they used a spacer shim and said the spacer shims are what would lock it… my ass.

    So I soaked it two more days and this was the result when it finally came off.

    I’m going to call them tomorrow and see what they have to say.


    *UPDATE*

    I've spoken to Vibratite and Larue. I spoke to the same lady at vibratite who I guess is the main contact point. I told her I followed her instructions for two whole days of soaking and periodically swapping out with warm water and tapping it with a hammer, and that it came off but the threads came with it. She said this is unheard of and will need to forward this to her chemists to find out what happened (probably what to blame it on to deny responsibility). I'll follow up with their response but it likely won't be until next week.

    Larue gave me as much info about the barrel steel as they could for me to forward to vibratite and also said they've seen the same thing happen with rockset and is partially why they stopped using it and use a non ceramic loctite product now. This failure was not at any fault of them or their barrel but they said if I don't get anywhere with vibratite that they would replace the barrel at a reduced cost which I think is very generous.
     

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    I'm no expert but it looks like you could have simply heated everything up to 2001 degrees F and Voila!


    .

    It’s not tight if it’s a liquid 😂

    They said not to heat it, they said that would reactivate it.

    Serious question. Did you install this? Or did a gunsmith install it?

    Asking because if a “gunsmith” did it, were they covering up their mess?

    I installed it. Threads on brake and barrel cleaned and degreased with brake clean and alcohol and an even light layer applied to the threads.
     
    • Sad
    Reactions: Baron23
    It’s not tight if it’s a liquid 😂

    They said not to heat it, they said that would reactivate it.



    I installed it. Threads on brake and barrel cleaned and degreased with brake clean and alcohol and an even light layer applied to the threads.
    That sucks. Sure fucked up the threads for sure.

    Really, really tough to do a forensics on it. We have seen something as simple as one piece of blast abrasive or a loose tag of metal on a thread termination do the same damn thing on receivers and muzzle devices over the years.

    Apologies for throwing a joke into the thread about your costly damage. I was just taking an early dinner break at my desk and saw the low hanging fruit. I was weak and had poor judgment as usual.

    .
     
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    How do the threads in the brake look?

    Could it have galled up and fucked up threads on the way off?

    I’ve no experience with Vibratite, obviously.
     
    How do the threads in the brake look?

    Could it have galled up and fucked up threads on the way off?

    I’ve no experience with Vibratite, obviously.

    Threads in the brake are mint, I’ll clean it up after dinner and try to get some good pics.. It was a nitrided Rearden vs a SS Larue… Rearden won.
     
    Here’s inside the brake, it’s still a little dirty but no real damage to the threads. I spun it on another barrel and it went on fine.
     

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    I'm parly wondering if this glue/threadlocker is designed for sloppy joints vs precision joints or something.
     
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    Reactions: BurtG
    this joint looks like it was so tight, no water could get thru
    othewise, simply false advertising that its water soluble... :confused:
     
    That sucks. Sure fucked up the threads for sure.

    Really, really tough to do a forensics on it. We have seen something as simple as one piece of blast abrasive or a loose tag of metal on a thread termination do the same damn thing on receivers and muzzle devices over the years.

    Apologies for throwing a joke into the thread about your costly damage. I was just taking an early dinner break at my desk and saw the low hanging fruit. I was weak and had poor judgment as usual.

    .
    I also can make insensitive jokes at just the wrong time.

    I recycle a punch line from Ron White, which you may find useful. It is from the "I got thrown out of a bar / Tater Salad" story.

    "I had the right to remain silent. I did not have the ability."

    Roast away.
     
    I wonder how bad the threads were before the 'smith spun the brake on? I ask because the OP did not mention any metal chips or debris that came off after the brake was removed and it looks like there would have been some chips from the missing threads.
     
    I wonder how bad the threads were before the 'smith spun the brake on? I ask because the OP did not mention any metal chips or debris that came off after the brake was removed and it looks like there would have been some chips from the missing threads.
    Post #12
    Who has a gunsmith install brakes?
     
    I wonder how bad the threads were before the 'smith spun the brake on? I ask because the OP did not mention any metal chips or debris that came off after the brake was removed and it looks like there would have been some chips from the missing threads.

    A smith didn’t spin the brake on, and the threads were flawless when I installed it about 2 years ago. Yes there were plenty of metal chips, I took plenty of pics of those too.

    The hot lock did not dissolve in the middle and the bond and the bond and nitrided brake was stronger than the barrel threads.
     
    I haven’t had the same experience with Hot Lock across any of the last 10-15 muzzle devices I’ve done and I can’t say I’ve soaked all of them either.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: powdahound76
    That looks like it was cross threaded on / off. Thread lock will not remove threads.
     
    I'm parly wondering if this glue/threadlocker is designed for sloppy joints vs precision joints or something.
    This^^^^^^
    Because if both threads are correct you don't need shit except torque to keep things in place. The old way (before all the chemicals came along) to correct a bad threading job was to cross drill & tap for a set screw. Once it was tapped you dropped in a slug of lead then tightened the set screw, it was there until you wanted to remove it. Pop out the set screw and it would allow removal w/o dicking up either thread.
     
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    Reactions: Baron23
    Y’all gonna regret that when your can carbon locks on. Or you try and remove hot and your brake comes with it
     
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    Reactions: AMGtuned
    Y’all gonna regret that when your can carbon locks on. Or you try and remove hot and your brake comes with it
    Not as much as the OP regrets using vibra-tite. And granted that in the last 10 years and 20k rounds I have not had a problem. And if I did, I would just fill it with CLR or a while, then put it in the US cleaner. Then I would torque it down on a shot out barrel from the pile and take the can off. If I couldnt get it tight enough to take apart. I would just tack weld the muzzle device to the junk barrel.

    How are you cleaning your crown and removing cleaning solvents that get stuck in the gap between the end of the muzzle and the muzzle device? ITs also a great place for condensation to pool from your can if you leave it on to cool down.
     
    A lot of brakes you can get to the crown with a Q Tip to clean it and there isn’t a gap between them either. With the TBAC CB brakes and the Rearden I can easily get to the crown with a Q tip to clean it. The CB’s I go right through the ports.

    I’ve had plenty of brakes back off when thread locker wasn’t used unless it got carbon locked which also isn’t ideal. A thread locker is absolutely the best way of installing a muzzle device that a suppressor will be attached to.

    On pretty much anything but a gas gun that might see higher temperatures I’ve always just used high temp red and have never had a problem removing them. Heat it with a heat gun or torch until it’s about 500 degrees and it comes right off with barely any more torque than it was installed with. I’ve also never had a problem removing a muzzle device attached with rockset, it’s a pain sometimes but they’re always come off.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: M4orturnate
    You don’t own device mounted silencers ?
    15 plus years of suppressor ownership and I have never used any type of help with muzzle devices for them.

    I will probably jinx myself, but have never had an issue yet. I’ve had my YHM Phanton SD pasty white and steaming, yet it always comes off. I’m more worried about the spring retention system failing on the mount more than anything.
     
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    Reactions: TheBigCountry
    There is absolutely a gap between the end your muzzle and the muzzle device. If not you would risk the device bottoming out on the muzzle before it did on the shoulder where its supposed to bottom out.

    I have never had to use anything but my hands and a pot holder, before I had heat shields, to remove my YHM QD cans.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: roostercogburn98
    I guess you can be assured that stuff isn't gonna let something just vibrate off the end of your barrel to get you a baffle or end cap strike.