Terrible smell from Craftsman screwdrivers

AmateurMechanic · Apr 10, 2016

I've got about 30 Craftsman screwdrivers made in the USA by Western Forge which smell pretty bad in the toolbox. The screwdrivers work great but the smell is annoying when I open the toolbox drawer. They've smelled like this since they were new.

They are this style:

I did find a few threads about this issue on here, and some people have suggested dipping the handles in Plasti-dip to get rid of the smell.

Has anyone actually tried this? Does it work to get rid of the smell for good?

Stevenn1 · Apr 10, 2016

I never noticed a smell, but my handles are turning to a powder like coating just sitting in the box. ACE Hardware will exchange them for me but I only do that if I can get another USA one.

OccupantRJ · Apr 10, 2016

Had some nut drivers for 30 years and they still smell bad.

Formula · Apr 10, 2016

Mine smelled bad years ago. They're so old now that the smell is almost all gone.

lakeroadster · Apr 10, 2016

I worked at Sears in the hardware department back in the late 1970's / early 1980's.

They smelled back then too. Noticed it every time I re-stocked that isle.

Never noticed it though in my toolbox... or in my shop? Then again they're all pretty much 30 years old at this point.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=169821&highlight=screwdriver+smell

AmateurMechanic · Apr 10, 2016

Has anyone tried plasti-dipping them to get rid of the smell? Does it work?

winlinmac · Apr 10, 2016

Wipe them off with WD40. I think the smell comes from the rust inhibitor which is applied prior to leaving the factory.

erty67 · Apr 10, 2016

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289078

Aqua-Andy · Apr 10, 2016

I have always liked the smell of a new Craftsman screwdriver. Reminds me of my first real set of tools.

LB-1911 · Apr 10, 2016

AmateurMechanic said:
Has anyone tried plasti-dipping them to get rid of the smell? Does it work?

03-26-2011

dodge610 said:
I took mine washed in soap and water,then dipped in plastic prep,and lastly sprayed them with adhesion promoter BINGO just like new again. Took a little work but the smell or the crud has not returned pretty sure i got rid of it for good. The best thing is it was like getting 30 new screwdrivers.

dodge610 is an active member, you may want to PM him.

They all smell like that
:see:

04-10-2014

jrw4545 said:
I have to input my story.

I worked for Sears around the early 60's At the time I purchased a lot of their hand tools.

To this day, some 55 years later the tools still stink.

Matter of fact, because of the fowl order my wife will not allow me to keep my toolbox in the house.

It's embarrassing when I go on a job to work in someone's home, when I open my toolbox it smells like I left a fart... I've noticed the look on peoples faces, you know the look.

Good Luck

theoldwizard1 · Apr 10, 2016

It took a long time (>20 years) for mine to start stinking bad. I heard that part of the problem was sweat from your hands.

Some how, mine became "defective", one by one and were replaced under warranty.

AA/FC · Apr 10, 2016

winlinmac said:
....... I think the smell comes from the rust inhibitor which is applied prior to leaving the factory.

No, it isn't...

Brownsfan · Apr 10, 2016

I don't think they smell bad. They remind me of the first set of tools I bought. When I first started out I got a Sears card and went to town. Then I discovered the Snap On truck and it was down hill from there.

rednotch · Apr 10, 2016

Its the handle, nothing will stop it, just what its made of degasses and stinks. replace them with a better set with out a handle made from cellulose butyrate

toolmutt · Apr 10, 2016

rednotch said:
Its the handle, nothing will stop it, just what its made of degasses and stinks. replace them with a better set with out a handle made from cellulose butyrate

This. Keeping them tightly closed up (mine were in a pouch, in a closed box, inside my hot truck, for example) seems to only intensify the effect.

77Mini · Apr 10, 2016

I have had the same problem with Crescent and Xcelite screwdrivers.

Skin · Apr 10, 2016

I don't think its really used much anymore but for years they made hard handles out of Cellulose Acetate Butyrat plastic. When it breaks down (purely from age) you get the odor of vinegar and butyric acid the latter of which is what smells like vomit. When it gets bad enough the handles begin to crumble too.

Davefr · Apr 10, 2016

Aqua-Andy said:
I have always liked the smell of a new Craftsman screwdriver. Reminds me of my first real set of tools.

I tend to agree. CM was a huge step up from Globemaster and the smell reminded me of quality. My how times have changed!!

afbrian13 · Apr 10, 2016

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I noticed this when I was a kid, and was just pointing it out to my wife the other day. The craftsman set drawer smells horrible. But the miscellaneous screwdriver drawer (random stuff) smells fine. Wonder if they'll warranty a full set because they smell horrid! I mean....the handles are failing...hahaha...

bonneyman · Apr 10, 2016

Soak them handles in Ballistol and water for 24 hours. Wipe dry and the smell should stay away for a while until you use the tools again and the deterioration starts anew.

http://www.ballistol.com/

Tejaas · Apr 11, 2016

I ditched the Craftsman Screwdrivers long ago, but had the exact same stink with this little guy:

Dipped the POP gun in some distilled white vinegar that i was soaking some old files in - hasn't smelled since.

~Tejaas~

lakeroadster · Apr 11, 2016

Tejaas said:
Dipped the POP gun in some distilled white vinegar that i was soaking some old files in - hasn't smelled since.

~Tejaas~

Used that pop rivet gun recently? Vinegar is a weak acid, if you didn't hose it down with WD-40 or a similar lubricant I am betting it's worse for the experience.

gdocktor3 · Apr 11, 2016

So let me see if I'm understanding this. It's ok to wash brand new screwdriver handles and all this other nonsense because they smell, but when people ask how to remove or prevent their tools from rusting they get torn apart because "they're tools" and evidentially "not using them enough."??? :headscrat

In all seriousness I've never noticed any weird or strange smells. I even have a small tool box with some new screwdrivers in it that rarely gets opened and I still haven't noticed it. Weird...

Bdgjr215 · Apr 11, 2016

I like it .It takes my mind back to being a kid using my dads tools out back working on
Bikes go-carts mini bikes and anything else we were into at the time.

leg17 · Apr 11, 2016

You know how to keep a Craftsman screwdriver from smelling?
Cut off its nose.
(Sorry, I couldn't help it.)

G_P · Apr 11, 2016

I've got a few that absolutely reek. They smell so bad I wont even use them anymore. Leave them sitting a few weeks and the handles form a white coating and when you wipe it off, the plastic feels waxy and pitted.

I will most likely pull the shanks and toss the handles. They are in near new condition so I dont want to warranty a US made one and get a Chinese one. I'll just wait until I find a broken one at a garage sale and try to swap the good shank into a non stinking handle.

tdkkart · Apr 11, 2016

Skin said:
I don't think its really used much anymore but for years they made hard handles out of Cellulose Acetate Butyrat plastic. When it breaks down (purely from age) you get the odor of vinegar and butyric acid the latter of which is what smells like vomit. When it gets bad enough the handles begin to crumble too.

This.........my tool cart at work smells like someone puked in it, late 70's Craftsman screwdrivers and other assorted plastic handled tools.

Here's something else.........

Maui · Apr 11, 2016

Funny, but I never had that issue. Mine don't have any smell at all, and never did as far as I can remember. I have had one sitting on the counter near my kitchen for weeks now and haven't notice anything.

Maui

Roberts210 · Apr 11, 2016

It's because of the cheap solvents/chemicals used in manufacturing the plastic. If you've ever taken a whiff of DuPont Centauri enamel or reducer you will smell expensive, sweet smelling solvents. When crude oil is cracked, there is a lot of the bad-smelling heavy-molecular compounds down low on the fractionater while the sweeter, lighter solvents come out the top, and there are a lot fewer of the sweet light solvents than the heavy, bad smelling ones. The sweeter stuff is a lot more expensive, but also much better for some uses.

decaf · Apr 11, 2016

Buy some Wera´s instead. Problem solved...

gdocktor3 · Apr 11, 2016

G_P said:
I will most likely pull the shanks and toss the handles. They are in near new condition so I dont want to warranty a US made one and get a Chinese one. I'll just wait until I find a broken one at a garage sale and try to swap the good shank into a non stinking handle.

All the Sears in my area still sell USA made western forge screwdrivers, with the exception of a few soft handle screwdrivers. Even then most are still USA. And it seems the smell is more common with the older ones, so buying a used one from a garage sale might produce the same smell. No?

CoogarXR · Apr 11, 2016

Funny, I've smelled that smell in my screwdriver drawer before, and I always assumed somebody dug dog poop out of their shoe with one of my screwdrivers. I can't believe it's the drivers themselves, lol. Makes sense, even the most potent poop wouldn't still stink 20 years later.

G_P · Apr 11, 2016

gdocktor3 said:
All the Sears in my area still sell USA made western forge screwdrivers, with the exception of a few soft handle screwdrivers. Even then most are still USA. And it seems the smell is more common with the older ones, so buying a used one from a garage sale might produce the same smell. No?

The smell has been hit or miss for me. Some stink only a few months after buying them new, while others that are decades old never smell. But if I can find new USA made ones in store, I'll warranty the couple of nasty ones.

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moriboy · Apr 11, 2016

Aqua-Andy said:
I have always liked the smell of a new Craftsman screwdriver. Reminds me of my first real set of tools.

Me too!

Mechanical Noise · Apr 11, 2016

Western Forge must have used different plastics or something on different runs back in the 70s and 80s. Most of my Craftsman screwdrivers came from back then and I don't remember them having much smell.

I do have some others which are kinda stinky.

gdocktor3 · Apr 11, 2016

I'm literally leaving work in 20 minutes, heading straight home and going right to my stash of new screwdrivers to see if they smell. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately in this case, my big box is filled with camphor blocks which over powers any other aroma that may exist in my screwdriver drawer, but I have a handful of brand new ones hidden that I exchanged when I cleaned out my old box.

Now I wonder, do any other western forge made screwdrivers have this smell? SK, Husky, etc

Jazz1 · Apr 11, 2016

screwdriver drawer at local Habitat has always smelled like vomit. Never attributed it to the handles before.

pauls_workshop · Apr 11, 2016

Yeah, there is a great deal of variablitiy in the stink of these. I have some Craftsman screwdrivers around 40 years old that aren't too bad, and others from just the 80's that reek terribly. It isn't just Craftsman though. Old Xcelite drivers are even worse smelling. I'll try some vinegar mentioned up above and see what happens. - Paul

Gray Ford · Apr 11, 2016

What about older Snap-On tools with the crumbling, cracking black plastic handles ??? Any resolution ??

Bob ...

erty67 · Apr 11, 2016

gdocktor3 said:
So let me see if I'm understanding this. It's ok to wash brand new screwdriver handles and all this other nonsense because they smell, but when people ask how to remove or prevent their tools from rusting they get torn apart because "they're tools" and evidentially "not using them enough."???

In all seriousness I've never noticed any weird or strange smells. I even have a small tool box with some new screwdrivers in it that rarely gets opened and I still haven't noticed it. Weird...

Oh no....my pry bars are next to my screwdrivers. Now they're gonna be rusty and stink.

lmao

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Terrible smell from Craftsman screwdrivers

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