Rounded off drain plug

   / Rounded off drain plug #1,732  
Am I missing something here?
Steel when heated EXPANDS!
Expanding the plug size will make it come out easier?

The heat and expansion weakens the lock between the parts.

Bruce

Perhaps after it cools?
Or, at least equalizes. The key is a relative movement driven by a quick temperature change applied through one of the parts. The thread bond is crushed, or relaxed, depending on which part. This disturbs the bond.

^^^THIS^^^
^^THAT^^
 
   / Rounded off drain plug #1,733  
Or, at least equalizes. The key is a relative movement driven by a quick temperature change applied through one of the parts. The thread bond is crushed, or relaxed, depending on which part. This disturbs the bond.


^^THAT^^

What he said ^^

Rapid Heating of one of the parts to weaken the "lock" is a standard "treatment" . Try it sometime, it is amazing the difference.
 
   / Rounded off drain plug #1,734  
Or, at least equalizes. The key is a relative movement driven by a quick temperature change applied through one of the parts. The thread bond is crushed, or relaxed, depending on which part. This disturbs the bond.

To digress a little more in abstract...the "relative movement" is at (or at least begins at) the molecular level...i.e., the higher the temperature rises the faster the molecules move...as the temperature cools the molecules slow down and depending on how fast or slowly they cool determines how the atoms line up again...in the case of steel etc. the way the atoms in a particular molecule are lined up determines how hard (temper) the steel is...
...Very hot steel (cherry +) is very soft because the molecules are moving around so fast they can't possibly be lined up...

OK back to the topic at hand....still think 1/4" of threads is enough for the jaws of a properly sized pipe wrench...plus you get the full leverage of the larger arc...(further away from the center)...

For a "don't let this happen again" thought... grease the new plug with anti-seize compound ...
 
   / Rounded off drain plug #1,735  
For a "don't let this happen again" thought... grease the new plug with anti-seize compound ...

Aw C’MON!! I was saving that for WHEN Kando got it out.

IMG_5266.jpg
 
   / Rounded off drain plug #1,736  
.still think 1/4" of threads is enough for the jaws of a properly sized pipe wrench...plus you get the full leverage of the larger arc...(further away from the center)...

I do too. I still feel I could have that plug out in seconds with a pipe wrench. The OP spoke of "cinching down the pipe wrench on the flats". That is precisely the WRONG thing to do. pipe wrenches aren't adjusted down, the flexible movement of the pipe wrench is the principal of how they work.
 
   / Rounded off drain plug #1,738  
While you guys are messing around with your pipe wrenches, i'll clamp my vise grips down and turn it out.
 
   / Rounded off drain plug #1,740  
While you guys are messing around with your pipe wrenches, i'll clamp my vise grips down and turn it out.

Winner winner chicken dinner. Post 1750. Piney piddled.
 

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