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Ground Glass Stopper Stuck
Q: Stuck Decanter Top Hi there, We recently used my Mom's decanter for a party at my sisters place. This beautiful decanter is very special to my Mom. However some bright spark pushed the top too far down into the decanter and we now cannot separate the two. We do not want to break this decanter and it also happens to have quite a bit of Cherry inside. We do not mind loosing the cherry as we would really like to save the decanter. Please could you give us a solution.
a.. We have tried resting it in hot water. NOTHING
b.. We tried pouring oil around the seal . NOTHING
c.. We twisted and pulled as hard as we could. NOTHING
d.. We prayed really hard. NOTHING YET.Desperate -- Tracy Jutzen Cape Town South Africa Reply Ref:0503
Answer #1: When you can't use lots of physical force to separate two "stuck" things, heat is often the best way to do it. The principle here is that when you heat something, it expands a little. When you cool something, it shrinks.
You need a temperature difference (what scientists call a "delta-t") between the outside (neck) of the decanter and the stopper. This causes increases the space between the two parts, hopefully enough to separate them. For example, you could tie a piece of cloth on the outside, soaked in hot water. You could even try ice on the stopper at the same time.
Another application of this idea is to apply a torch to a nut that won't come loose from a dirty or rusty bolt. The nut heats up faster. This helps to break the "glue" binding them together. -- (Tony Midibeast ) Comment
Answer #2: The differential temperature thing does work but a problem with decanters is that sometimes some or all of the problem is the dried sugar from the contents. Leaving underwater for a couple of days ofter does the trick. You can also soak a tissue in vodka and leave for an hour or two. After trying one or more of the above suggestions tapping the stopper with a wooden spoon often works. Tanya Merriman Comment
Related Problem:- Separating Stuck Glasses