Let’s see that Vaco stuff!

[d42jeep]

I almost gave up on this rusty screw starter. Even after an evaporust soak and dowsing with penetrating oil repeatedly it showed no signs of movement. I decided to hit the outside of the sleeve with the 3M 220 polishing disc to heat up the sleeve and then clamped it in the wood vise while still warm. Turning it back and forth repeatedly finally broke it loose and it came apart. I removed as much additional rust from the shaft as possible and sprayed some fluid film into the sleeve. It is now straight and ugly but perfectly functional.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found an extra long 5/16” nutdriver at a moving sale today. It has a couple of minor surface issues but overall looks pretty good.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found these nutdrivers at an estate sale this morning.
-Don

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Got this real nice Number 2. Phillips today.

 

[bonneyman]

I almost gave up on this rusty screw starter. Even after an evaporust soak and dowsing with penetrating oil repeatedly it showed no signs of movement. I decided to hit the outside of the sleeve with the 3M 220 polishing disc to heat up the sleeve and then clamped it in the wood vise while still warm. Turning it back and forth repeatedly finally broke it loose and it came apart. I removed as much additional rust from the shaft as possible and sprayed some fluid film into the sleeve. It is now straight and ugly but perfectly functional.
-Don

Sounds a little like me these days.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Here are 2 of my latest ones, the no.3 phillips is badged as klien, the flat head is a nice bull driver.

 

[CoogarXR]

The True Value store in Fremont OH. has some NOS Vaco Screwdrivers and nut drivers in stock.

Thanks for the tip! I happened to be in Fremont today, and I remembered this post, so I decided to pop in and have a look at this place.

They did have some NOS Vaco stuff:





They even had some NOS SK and Indestro Sockets (and Indestro wrenches)




I got a kick out of their "lighting" area too. NOS 70s swag lamps!


My wife, my friends and I all enjoyed it, and we all found something to buy. It was a neat place that I totally would have never found on my own.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Got this sweet no 2 phillips bull driver.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Got these 4 Vacos from the Flea Market yesterday.

The first one is a custom made tool for something, next is a pretty nice No.3 phillips, after that is one i’m super excited about, it’s an Archer badged bit screwdriver! It’s good other than the cap is broken, and finally a Vaco awl.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Picked these 2 up a while back.

Before

After.

 

[Fred Knox]

Here’s my littlest Vaco screwdriver - a 1/8” slot S\BA-000, all of 2 3/4” long!

 

[d42jeep]

I feel sorry for this 1/4” nutdriver I found today. The shaft has been forced into the handle, swelling up the handle a little.
-Don

 

[genog]

Here we go, ANOTHER Vaco nutdriver pouch

Got this from a friend of mine.
I had been trying to give him a Craftsman nutdriver set -H-, but he wouldn't take it

I've been trying to give nutdrivers away to just about anyone and everyone
Like trying to give away Zuchini from the garden....

Hey, you want some squash?
Noooooo!
Ok then, how about a nice nutdriver set?
Noooooooo!!!

So, I offered to trade that nice Craftsman ND set for these ole well used Vacos
The answer was ok...

 

[red94chev]

Stumbled upon this thread yesterday, anybody interested in these? I have had them for probably 20 years and never used them.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Thats some nice stuff.

 

[Grimm_the_Grey]

Here's an NOS Robertson set I had:

That Robertson set... I'm so envious. If you ever come across another like that you don't need to waste your time (and money) on eBay. I'll gladly give you your "top dollar"

 

[four.cycle]

VACO 7-pc SAE nutdriver set

* the 7/16" unit was marked by a previous owner *

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Wonder whats up with those handles, they aren’t Vacos “comfordome” I have a 1/4” with that handle, I don’t really care for it.

 

[d42jeep]

What is the difference? They look like regular Vaco nutdrivers to me, but I’m no Vaco expert.
-Don

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

The **** of them is less rounded and the flutes are sharper

Here is a side by side, not exactly fair because the right one has a strangely large handle and a odd number, but you get the jist.

 

[Mintgrun]

The handle on the left above was probably machined out of a long length of handle stock and the one on the right was cast, for lack of a better word. It was made in some sort of mold. You can tell by the closed end of the flutes at the **** end.

We made plastic handled scratch awls in junior high school and turned them on a lathe from lengths of plastic.

This thread needs more rusty tools. Which of these VACO drivers qualify as vintage, based on the fifty year definition?

 

[d42jeep]

No rust but how about old looking pouches?
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

@S-K Tool Fanatic! --

you're right. they're different. good catch.

 

[JohnDeere]

@Private Lugnutz, any way you could make a sticky for this thread? Tired of looking for it.

 

[four.cycle]

@JohnDeere -

(and anybody else reading)

download my LIST (link is below on my "signature" line.

In every case where I could, when I remembered to do so, I've entered the link to the GJ thread for that brand:

VACO / Vaco Products Co., Jonesville, MI (519 No. Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60610 1973) / acquired by Klein 1986 / patent D168900 Feb 24 1953 Simon Lutsker / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/lets-see-that-vaco-stuff.511768/ /

there is, believe it or not, a method to this madness.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I started doing that because I had such difficulty trying to find the appropriate thread to post in.

And.... there are some really good reasons why Private Lugnutz does not have everything listed in his sticky thread

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...any way you could make a sticky for this thread? Tired of looking for it.

If you mean add it to the A-Z Thread Index in the existing sticky, no, not right now. Unfortunately, the system has a character limit on each post. (It's 30,000, for the nerdy!) I haven't been able to add new thread links or edit it in any additive way for several months now. As soon as I have time to talk to NUTTSGT about this, I plan to re-organize the entire Sticky in a way that affords the Index section three (3) posts. Something like A-I, J-R, and S-Z. So that it has plenty of room to expand. When that happens, I have no problem adding it. The number of participants and page count demonstrates an enduring popularity deserving easy access even if it's not on page 1 regularly. That was the whole point of the A-Z Thread Index to begin with.

Consider yourself in the queue.

A search on "Vaco" and 'This forum' in the Search tool (upper right) will also work.

 

[four.cycle]

^ you and I talked about that months back.
splitting it up into three sections so you can put more entries in would be the way to go - maybe four.
that's why I had to split up the list into a separate post for each letter of the alphabet, and that still wasn't enough room for a couple letters.

I am almost never able to find the thread I'm looking for by using the "search" function here - there is no way to select "most recent" or "most active" - the search result returns are several pages of irrelevance.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

I’ve basically given up on the search feature…

 

[four.cycle]

"... 'This forum' ..."

This is the first time I've been aware of that little button, and I've been here eight years.

If you just go to "search" and select "titles only" (searching for "VACO"), you get no fewer than two pages of search results.

With some other brands, you may as well have your eyes closed - it's easier to find the thread I'm looking for using Google.

 

[Mintgrun]

If you just type "Vaco stuff" in the search window it is the only result that comes up, as long as you click the "titles only" option.

It even works if you search "everywhere" as opposed to "this forum".

I am a fan of the search feature on this site. I appreciate how easy it is to search by user name as well. I can pull up images I've posted in a matter of seconds that way.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I am a fan of the search feature on this site.

Big time. And in almost every case I hear someone complain, they are just not using it correctly or fully.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This is the first time I've been aware of that little button, and I've been here eight years.

This search function is only as old as the new site. But I do explain how to use it in the Sticky. The Sticky is not only the A-Z Index. But not many users go deeper than that for some reason.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

there is no way to select "most recent"

Yes, there is. Go to Advanced Search. You can set date parameters. Or sort by date.

 

[four.cycle]

"...not many users go deeper than that for some reason...."

.... you can lead a horse to water....

(myself included, obviously.)

 

[jeffmoss26]

As posted on the garage sale thread. Got these at the restore - marked Knight but they sure look like Vaco to me

 

[jeffmoss26]

I will try and post a group shot of my other Vaco stuff later today!

 

[JohnDeere]

Here are some slightly rare vaco made proto drivers:

 

[d42jeep]

Mine look Xcelite sourced.
-Don

 

[JohnDeere]

Mine look Xcelite sourced.
-Don

Most were, provoking my “slightly rare” remark. I suspect that they were only made a year or two. My 3/8 also seems to be an error. It is printed opposite of the others.