Ground glass fittings stuck

[ericsgreen]

It has happened to me, ended up breaking the female right off the pipe...and snapping the diffusor.

Another forum a guy has a downstem stuck on the male of an ashcatcher...

I said soak it in boiling water, up to the ashcatcher to try and expand the female to twist off...

Anyone have a good tip?

:)

[jusbag]

Try using sand paper and make the fittings rougher so that they come apart easier. Also sand from top to bottom not around the circumference if that makes sense...

[$$$$$$$]

i just lightly tap it on the bench one one side then on the opposite side.

[jiminyrootkit]

light tap. but i dunno if it works if they're dirty
-f

[NUBBLET]

soak it in rubbing alchohol , this will losen most anything . If it is done when working , try to use a piece of glass tape in between the fittings , or workit more controled , so it never gets hot enought to stick .

[Primathon]

Freeing Frozen or Stuck Glass Joints (http://www.ecu.edu/chem/glassblowing/frozenglass.htm)

This should be about all you need. Soaking in various solvents works as well - an old lab standby is Coca-Cola. Try it - you may be surprised ;).

[Mike_Aurelius]

Make sure the piece is at room temperature, then put it in the freezer for a couple of hours.

What's going on is that the ground fittings are too close in shape, and debris has filled in the remaining space, locking the parts together.

Freezing the glass will usually cause the two parts to separate enough to come apart fairly easily.

[smutboy420]

You should never connect a ground joint thats dry either. Do it with some labware and you will have a permanit connection after. :-(
a lil spek of baby oil works to keep the joints lubed.

resin useally keeps em lubed enough to not freeze up tho. inless it dries in there.