Under my bathroom sink I have two supply lines from the shutoff
valves. They are part of the valves. From there they go up to a 1/2"
fitting that is soldered to the copper pipes coming down from the
faucets. The lines go inside the 1/2" fittings and use the cone
shaped washers. I have tried everything short of dynamite to get
those cone washers out of the fittings. I don't want to break
anything, and I don't want to damage the internal surface of the 1/2"
fittings by digging around in there with a sharp object. What is the
secret to getting these things loose after being in there for 15
years?

Dick