Hacker News Reader

How do you tighten a nut until it loosens?

I read it as "something gives". Either you strip the tread or the nut breaks, or something else unexpected/unwanted happens.

I've never been able to strip the tread off a nut using just the strength of my bear hands (:p). Sure, I've over-tightened screws into nylon walls plugs or even into wood. But to damage a nut just by overfastening the bolt? I'd need a pneumatic drill at least.

> I've never been able to strip the tread off a nut using just the strength of my bear hands (:p).

I have. small metric 10 nut.

Also, with almost no effort you can strip the threads in spark plugs holes (aluminium head).

Different, but I have a habit of breaking valve cover bolts too, with just a screwdriver even.

Click, swear, back it off a quarter turn. Often with vice grips. I've been lucky so far.

Not great either is the way my impact gun is designed. You put it down on the wrong side, and the direction slider gets pushed so you're ramming it back on instead of taking it off.

You break something

Reply on news.ycombinator.com