So I’ve got this light fixture in my bathroom. The bulbs inside burned out some months ago, and I’ve grown tired of shitting in the dark. So I got some new bulbs and ascended the step ladder to dismantle the fixture. It’s one of those circular glass “globe” things, where you unscrew the brass nut at the bottom to remove the glass and reveal the bulb sockets. But the damn thing is stuck. No matter how hard I twist that little brass fitting, it just won’t turn. Also, it’s round, so there’s no way to get any leverage on it, even with a wrench (I tried.) So, how should I get this thing off? A little WD-40, perhaps? Liquid nitrogen? Sledge hammer?
The screws have probably rusted. WD-40 might help - squirt some on and let it alone for a day. And cross your fingers. I’ve replaced more than one bathroom light fixture because the screws had rusted and sheared off when I (or someone else) tried to remove them.
Tap on the screws to see if you can break the rust-lock. Liquid nitrogen is a good idea, but in case you can’t get any there is a product called freeze spray that service techs use to identify thermal intermittents on circuit boards. If you can’t locate any of that, go buy some canned air and turn the can upside down and spray. The propellant that comes out will be damn cold.
It is not about lubricant. I had the same problem with an apartment that I rented. The key was to pull straight down on different parts. There were some hidden holders that suddenly released. It took me two weeks to figure that out.
Welp, I tried pulling on anything and everything, but that doesn’t seem to help. I’m reasonably certain it’s a screw-type thing, as all the other fixtures in the apartment are. I tried WD-40 and gave it a few hours to soak in, but that didn’t help. I don’t think there’s really any space for the lubricant to get through and soak into the bolt. I’ll try and find some of that Liquid Wrench stuff, but other suggestions are appreciate in the meantime.
A replacement glass globe might be cheaper than a can of liquid wrench.
Hold a laundry basket lined with an old sheet or drop cloth under the fixture and tap it lightly with a hammer till it breaks (wear eye protection) and falls into the basket.
Get those old crappy screws out and put up a new globe.
My impression is that this is the sort with a single vertical threaded rod, over which the globe, via a hole in the bottom center, fits and is held in place by a decorative metal screw-on fastener. It’s not really screw, as such.