how do you loosen a cross-threaded glass light fixture?

4 Answers

• ?

  7 days ago

  Get a stout pair of pliers – slip joint pliers should work. Grab the little screw so the serrations on the jaws are across the twisting motion, grip it as tight as you can and turn the screw. I’m hearing that it’s one of those glass globes with a rim and three screws on the base that hold on that rim. Correct me if I’m wrong. Back out the two easy screws and the third doesn’t have to turn so far for the globe to come out. After you may be able to get by with just a new screw or buy a new base – they are cheap these days unless it’s real custom.

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• Mike1942f

  7 days ago

  Can you remove the fixture mount base?

  A problem with working overhead is the constant risk of the glass suddenly breaking and both dropping glass on you and making you fall off the ladder.

  If made the way the fixtures I worked with at the hardware store, perhaps a wet towel enfolding crushed ice wrapped around the glass and another towel soaked in really hot water wrapped around the metal base and with differential expansion/contraction and working fast, it might come free.

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• Philomel

  7 days ago

  Turn off the light. Use gloves and safety glasses.

  Break the bulb and stem out of the base, grip the alum. threaded base with needle nose pliers. Fold the alum base inward, crush it until it falls out. In the future use silicon grease on light bulbs. Just a tiny bit.

  look at a hardware store for Silicon Plumbers Grease.

  You can sometimes use a potato. Cut the end square. Jam it onto the base and unscrew the bulb.

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• Flo

  7 days ago

  not the bulb…..it’s the actual glass fixture that is stuck in the ceiling mount base. it was cross threaded last time the bulbs were replaced

  I have tried gripping with rubber gloves, WD-40…..can’t budge it

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