How to remove old prism pole point?

Heat just the tip.
Then drop pole tip first on hard surface.
Repeat. Might give it a tap with hammer.
When it's cooled and shrunk may have come loose.
Assume it's not a plastic, fibre pole.
Does it screw or push and pin?

You can make your own penetrating oil and soak overnight.
Get a small cylinder container like a mason jar ...set the rod in it using a bipod.

http://www.engineeringforchange.org/how-to-make-penetrating-oil/

An engineer friend of mine after Katrina made his own rust remover.
His woodworking shop was flooded. He's an excellent cabinetmaker. He also restored vintage bicycles as a hobby. He sad his home brew was better than any thing that was available at the stores.

I can't help you with your stuck tip, others have suggested most of what I know. Pb blaster is good though, as a penetrant.
However, when you get it off, or get a new pole, put it together with high heat silicone, as a sealant, and a water stopping film.
High heat silicone is good for water pump bolts too. They come apart, very nicely, without breaking off.
It's good for plugging Leakey exhaust manifolds.
Tighten the tips and when the silicone dries, it will seal the water out, and break apart easily, when you want it apart.
Same for bipod tips.

Thanks a lot for suggestions. I'll try to heat it first if not, I'll try Robert's idea. Thanks again!

Kroil worked well for me when I had to remove a stubborn power steering pulley a number of years ago...

If you have a couple of warm bodies around, have several people hold the pole (more hands=more grip) then have one person use channel lock pliers to remove the tip. All the hands provide lots of grip without causing the crushing damage that a vise or pliers would cause to the rod body.

This usually works for me: Heat the point and/or use penetrating oil, then put the point in a vice and a use rubber strap wrench on the pole. The strap wrench shouldn't hurt the pole and the vice shouldn't hurt the tip.

Tyler Parsons, post: 378067, member: 139 wrote: This usually works for me: Heat the point and/or use penetrating oil, then put the point in a vice and a use rubber strap wrench on the pole. The strap wrench shouldn't hurt the pole and the vice shouldn't hurt the tip.

Thanks Tyler, but broke two strap wrenches 🙂

Robert Hill, post: 377918, member: 378 wrote: You can make your own penetrating oil and soak overnight.
Get a small cylinder container like a mason jar ...set the rod in it using a bipod.

http://www.engineeringforchange.org/how-to-make-penetrating-oil/

An engineer friend of mine after Katrina made his own rust remover.
His woodworking shop was flooded. He's an excellent cabinetmaker. He also restored vintage bicycles as a hobby. He sad his home brew was better than any thing that was available at the stores.

Robert,
Your suggestion worked like a charm. Thanks!

Here in the Northwet the points are always rusting on. I have made it a habit of coating the threads with lithium grease. This puts an end to the rusting while still allowing me to change between the several pole point types I use.

My points are lubed and hand tight. Once I set a pole I do a wobble test, you can feel a loose point long before it may fall off.

After a very rainy day or a setup in a very wet area it is necessary to check all points, rods and bipods before work begins. Remove, wipe dry or clean and wipe dry, relube and replace.

Paul in PA

Stephen Ward, post: 377926, member: 1206 wrote: If you have a couple of warm bodies around, have several people hold the pole (more hands=more grip) then have one person use channel lock pliers to remove the tip. All the hands provide lots of grip without causing the crushing damage that a vise or pliers would cause to the rod body.

And post the video.

A small can of this http://www.neverseezproducts.com/neverseez.htm&apos ;">Never Seize for all the parts and pieces of equipment you don't want to fight later.

Here's a good reason to replace the points (or remeasure), the one on the left was about 2 years old and had endured I'd say on average 1 out of every 3 days RTK use, but including a 60,000 point urban road survey - we then came to using it for total station work, and got all worked up, "anti-east" (where these poles come from), when it appeared that it didn't give a correct pole height, until we realised what had happened. The one on the right is 5mm longer and is on a new pole. We have a couple of new points, and have had a crack at removing the old one but failed, so we will have a crack using the methods in this thread.

Richard Imrie, post: 410378, member: 11256 wrote: including a 60,000 point urban road survey

This is the reason I keep a topo shoe on the pole except when shooting control points. It saves the point from a lot of wear.

Jim Frame, post: 410397, member: 10 wrote: This is the reason I keep a topo shoe on the pole except when shooting control points. It saves the point from a lot of wear.

Also keeps the shot on the surface and not 1 or 2cm down.

For prevention, I keep a can of lithium grease in the truck. If I notice pole threads drying out or showing rust, I give them a quick squirt. Works well on truck door hinges too.
Also, pole heights are checked at the beginning of each day and whenever tips are changed. Pole bubbles are checked everyday, calibrated if needed.

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