Use a Wrench to Loosen Very Hard Bolts, Nuts or Screws
There are many ways to remove a rusted, stuck or jammed nut or bolt from a piece of furniture or other item, but the people at Make Magazine cite several methods, each slightly more damaging, in this great summary. Our favorite tool, however, is the impact wrench, an affordable tool worth keeping in your craft kit.
You can see how the wrench works in the video above, but it’s pretty simple. It snaps into place on the top of the nut, tightens to fit snugly against it, and from there you can use a spacer for extra leverage to loosen and release the ratchet nut, or you can keep tightening it until the nut cracks completely and falls off immediately. These are special tools, but if you’ve ever had to deal with one that’s pretty much rusted or just doesn’t budge, you’ll be glad you have it, plus they’re only around $ 20 on Amazon .
However, before breaking the nut, you should obviously try less destructive methods, including lubricants and penetrating oils like WD-40 and Kroil, or gently heat the bolt to try to loosen it up a bit so you can unscrew it. and release. Check out the full guide at the link below, but you bet I’ll probably add a nut to my toolbox anyway.