Blue LocTite- Rings and Bases or No?

[35WhelenAI]

Degrease everything, torque apply blue loctite and good to go.
I have never used fingernail polish, will check it out.

I can attest to the effectiveness of nail polish. As said by someone else, was recommended years ago. Never had an issue disassembling and dang near impervious to most anything.

 

[Wileyone]

Haven’t used loctite on any ring or base in quite sometime. Zero issues. Buy quality stuff and torque to spec.

Quality stuff also fails, nothing making metal to metal contact is exempt from failure.

 

[Cactus kid]

Those applying fingernail polish, are you guys applying to the threads ?

 

[Formidilosus]

Those applying fingernail polish, are you guys applying to the threads ?

Correct. And I do a bit around the head of the screw once tightened down.

 

[Dobermann]

I use black polish, but any color will work and a couple dollars worth will do a lot of screws.

When I first saw @Formidilosus's thread on mounting scopes that included the now-infamous pink nailpolish, I wasn't sure if I could handle the jibes from mates at the range and in the field ...

So I also went with black, thinking I'd be more low-key ...

And then immediately realised that that defeats the purpose of being able to visually see if screws have moved.

So I manned up, and now rock "Extreme Passion Red". Sometimes, you just gotta own it ...

 

[Dobermann]

@Stu, we should really start a thread with all the names of the nailpolishes we've used ...

 

[Dobermann]

On a serious note, here's a lifehack I've recently adopted - as others have mentioned, you can get blue Loctite in a non-drip stick form (Loctite 248). It's often not in hardware stores in my neck of the woods, though, but at specialty engineering tool shops: https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/us/en/product/threadlockers/loctite_248.html

The downside is that it doesn't get in all the threads as well as the liquid form. It still works, but I like the peace of mind of knowing I've coated every bit of mounting and ring screws.

So - I've taken to using standard liquid blue Loctite 243 at home when mounting optics, but take a stick of 248 in a range bag, which is either with me at the range, or in the truck if in the field, as a backup.

Being stick form, it's not going to leak or spill as bags get moved around.

No, not really expecting to have to use it, as, like most above, my stuff is degreased, Loctited, and left to fully cure.

But handy to know it's there just in case there's something else I didn't attend to - or more likely that a mate might need it.

And for anyone wondering about curing time, while the directions might say 24 hours, here's the chart from Henkel about cure times in relation to temps:



So between -5 and 22 degrees C, you reach just over 50% at only 30 mins - and very close to the breakloose strength achieved at 24 hours as you do at 6 hours.

So if someone hadn't Loctited their gear, it would be more than practical to apply the 248 as an in-field emergency measure and gain increased reliability pretty quickly.

 

[Castle Rock]

I just use epoxy adhesive under all screw on bases and make sure it gets in the screw holes and around the shank of the screw where it goes through the base
Thet won’t move unless I want them too, in which case a bit of heat and perseverance will get them off

 

[Clark33]

I use ARC M10 rings on all rifles but one, it’s 50-55in/lbs on base and rings. I don’t use loc tite on those. Haven’t had one come loose YET, my 6creed has the most rounds through it and it’s not the most punishing round on optics or mounts so it is what it is.

 

[MTNHUNTER76]

Blue loctite on base/bases. Rings, muzzle brake, action screws are checked before every hunt or range trip.

 

[Jpsmith1]

I clean, degrease and use purple loctite.

Purple is designed for very small screws

 

[BBob]

Purple 222 here as well. Doesn’t come loose and never a fight to take it apart.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Disassembly is always my worry