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by Peter Brett - February 2009
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Old Problems New Solutions
First on my list was the High Performance Screw Releaser. I think every DIYer, and more to the point, professionals, have come across rusted-in screws as part of their job. I have direct experience of spending up to an hour, on a cost sensitive project, trying to release a rusted-in woodscrew without breaking the screwdriver or the screwhead. I did have recourse to the standard release fluid available in the UK, but to be honest, it didn’t work as well as I would have liked. It generally works better when the context is a metal screw into metal and the fluid has some time to penetrate the screwthread.
But, Wera being Wera, the traditional solution isn’t enough. New techniques and formulations mean that it is possible to have a much better screwthread releaser. Without going into exact (and therefore secret) formulations, it appears that the solution contained in the aerosol pack contains a rapid rust removal agent that is able to get beneath dirt and rust to help release the screw. Certainly, my brief experiments with the product were successful. I managed to remove all the rusted in screws on my exposed-to-the-sea-air screw rig without breaking them or rounding over the heads.
For users in the motor trade, the demonstration I saw at a recent trade show might be even more convincing. The Screw Releaser was sprayed onto a little puddle of water in a container. Within a few seconds the agent had dispersed the water to the periphery of the container and resisted all attempts to mix it up with the water.
Used preventatively, the Screw Releaser will clearly resist moisture penetration onto fixings and will therefore make them easier to remove if needed. It reminds me of the advice given to pre-war carpenters to wipe a woodscrew into a slab of tallow before inserting it into the wood. Those were the days!
Additionally, the Screw Releaser is a lubricant, making the insertion of screws and bolts easier and the screws themselves more efficient.
I am a great fan of stainless steel screws. It could be something to do with the salty sea air that surrounds me half a mile away from the English Channel! I have already had some nasty experiences with so-called “solid brass” screws and hinges on my workshop doors and so I generally go for stainless fixings despite the extra cost and availability problems. I am also lucky enough to have a set of Wera stainless screwdriving tools. Many users haven’t cottoned on to the fact that it’s no use using stainless screws unless the drivers are stainless too because ordinary steel drivers break the “passive layer” of the steel and allow rust to get a grip on the fixings.
It is also true that stainless steel needs to be maintained for it to continue to look good and remain stainless. Clearly, the stainless steel railings along the miles of south coast seafront don’t get maintained, but yacht owners, householders and business premises could easily benefit from the Wera High-Tech Stainless Steel Protector.
The problem is that stainless steel is a very practical solution in many ways, but its stainless surface does become marked and dirty, like any other surface. The Protector Spray cleans the surface of stainless steel thoroughly, preserves the “passive layer” and also has an anti-static effect. The stainless steel hinges on my workshop doors looked a 100% better after I treated them, and weeks later, despite some of the wettest weather for months, still look clean and shiny.
Interestingly, the Wera formulation is certified safe for use in the food processing industry, so can be used on all those huge banks of sinks and shelves we have seen in industrial kitchens.
To complete the trio of products in colour-coded aerosols, is the High Tech Kontaktor fluid. This is used to displace moisture from electrical contacts as well as to clean them where necessary.
Clearly, when electrical contacts are clean and efficiently maintained, the current flows more easily, is less likely to result in sparks and heat caused by resistance. As with the Screw Releaser, the Kontaktor fluid can be used in emergencies, as well as being used routinely when installing or improving electrical contacts. I confess I didn’t have much success in devising a test for this product, but I did use it when I installed a series of lights in my downstairs workshop. Hopefully, they will be immune from damp for a while.
Lastly, the product I couldn’t test at all, as it is so specialised.
It comes in a tube and enjoys the title High Tech Keramik Paste. The reason I couldn’t test it thoroughly appears on the tube - it covers the temperature ranges from -40 degrees to +1400 degrees Celsius. I know the weather can sometimes be odd here, but not that extreme!
Also, I have lost my contact in the British Antarctic Survey since he retired, and can no longer ask him to evaluate products meant for extreme low temperature use.
In many ways the ceramic lubricant would be ideal for him as he used to make machinery that would be towed under the freezing Antarctic seas, sampling and photographing the local sea creatures. The lubricant is meant to be used in a preventative way so that screw connections in either very hot or very cold applications remain clean and rust free. What tends to happen to ordinary lubricants is that they gum up in the cold or evaporate in the heat.
Wera is becoming an increasingly visible brand name in hardware outlets as the quality of its screwdriving kit becomes more well-known. Keep an eye out for the lubricants too.
Independent Review by Peter Brett
Airstream Communications