Odd Craftsman screwdrivers

[nz44tool]

Can one of you Craftsman experts please tell me what's going on here?
I just found these two items today - the handles say they're both 41948 3/8" nut drivers, but...but...they're clearly screwdrivers, a slot-head and a Phillips #2.
I am very puzzled (not difficult for me to be in that condition) but maybe I'm just being dense.
Anyone?

 

[RTM]

Some one added new handles to a screwdriver? Or maybe even two?

 

[rooster59]

There used to be some “hey, let’s try this“ stuff appear, white boxes on the bottom shelf, $1 $2.

 

[nz44tool]

Some one added new handles to a screwdriver? Or maybe even two?

Dunno - they sure look like factory work.

 

[nz44tool]

There used to be some “hey, let’s try this“ stuff appear, white boxes on the bottom shelf, $1 $2.

They came out of a 1980s or '90s Craftsman toolbox, with quite a few other ordinary U.S.A. Craftsman screwdrivers (and a lot of similar-vintage S-K wrenches and socket stuff). They look very lightly used.

 

[Lesserstore]

Those blades came out of another brand. Western Forge and Pratt-Read both cross-ground their flat blade tips. The code on the handles is H for Danaher, whose screwdrivers were made by WF & PR. The handles came from the stubby nut drivers, sold from 1997 to about 2000.

 

[nz44tool]

Those blades came out of another brand. Western Forge and Pratt-Read both cross-ground their flat blade tips. The code on the handles is H for Danaher, whose screwdrivers were made by WF & PR. The handles came from the stubby nut drivers, sold from 1997 to about 2000.

Huh. How do you suppose these came to be? I'm pretty sure these blades were molded into the handles when the handles were made, not inserted later on.

 

[Lesserstore]

I would assume somebody stuck the blades in like RTM suggested. The handles are extruded and drilled to fit the blade. The standard thread which a 3/8 bolt usually goes onto is a #10 (.190"), so a 3/8 nut driver with a 1/4" shaft would be within reason. I don't have a Craftsman stubby to measure, but for reference Tekton & Crescent used a .280" shaft. Considering the flanges on the 1/4" blades, it would probably work fine.

 

[nz44tool]

I would assume somebody stuck the blades in like RTM suggested. The handles are extruded and drilled to fit the blade. The standard thread which a 3/8 bolt usually goes onto is a #10 (.190"), so a 3/8 nut driver with a 1/4" shaft would be within reason. I don't have a Craftsman stubby to measure, but for reference Tekton & Crescent used a .280" shaft. Considering the flanges on the 1/4" blades, it would probably work fine.

Thanks - it's plausible, but gee whiz, it's an incredibly neat job, and finished seamlessly (not sure you can tell from the pics just how good). Seems a little nuts to go to the trouble.
Another thing - could you actually pull out the original shanks without making a huge mess?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

In cases like this I think it helps to stick to what we all not only can but should be able to objectively agree on. And that is that neither Sears, Roebuck, & Co. or its supplier would deliberately insert screwdriver blades into handles reading "3/8 NUTDRIVER" with nut driver part numbers as an intentional CRAFTSMAN product. In other words, if they were constructed like that at the factory, they were mistakes. Clearly. And if a PO did it - it wouldn't be the first time someone played Frankenstein at the shop - he did it a pretty good job of it. I have no familiarity with this era Craftsman and I can't ascertain from the photos, but if it's just a round shank in a round hole and there's no cruciform pattern to the shank inside the handle meant to stop the shank from turning and resist it from pulling out, it's just as plausible.

 

[nz44tool]

In cases like this I think it helps to stick to what we all not only can but should be able to objectively agree on. And that is that neither Sears, Roebuck, & Co. or its supplier would deliberately insert screwdriver blades into handles reading "3/8 NUTDRIVER" with nut driver part numbers as an intentional CRAFTSMAN product. In other words, if they were constructed like that at the factory, they were mistakes. Clearly. And if a PO did it - it wouldn't be the first time someone played Frankenstein at the shop - he did it a pretty good job of it. I have no familiarity with this era Craftsman and I can't ascertain from the photos, but if it's just a round shank in a round hole and there's no cruciform pattern to the shank inside the handle meant to stop the shank from turning and resist it from pulling out, it's just as plausible.

Thanks - agreed on all points. I don't have an agenda, just wondered what wiser folks would make of these. Holding them in my hands, they absolutely look like factory work. But more experienced eyes will see things I don't.
Interestingly, both shanks do have the anti-twist ridges - a bit hard to see in the pics, but they are there. They are different styles, though - the Phillips has two ordinary little "wings" protruding from the shank, while the slot-head shank has two "ridges" that extend from almost the top of the shank all the way down to where they're covered up by the blue paint.

 

[Lesserstore]

It's pretty simple to pull a handle off, stick a washer on the blade to protect the handle, stick blade in vise, and pop it off with a couple of pry bars. Did it with a rusted slotted Corsair USA (Great Neck) handle and stuck a Snap On #2 PH blade into it.
Now when you have to drill out a handle to make it wider, it can get tricky, at least with a handheld drill. Ask me how I know....

 

[nz44tool]

It's pretty simple to pull a handle off, stick a washer on the blade to protect the handle, stick blade in vise, and pop it off with a couple of pry bars. Did it with a rusted slotted Corsair USA (Great Neck) handle and stuck a Snap On #2 PH blade into it.
Now when you have to drill out a handle to make it wider, it can get tricky, at least with a handheld drill. Ask me how I know....

I'm pretty sure that with my middling skills, I'd be looking at some broken or bent stuff and saying lots of forbidden words.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...both shanks do have the anti-twist ridges -

In my experience - which is replacing deteriorating stinkdriver handles on rare midget spinner shanks, any kind of cruciform anti-twist shank will deform the edge of the round opening being forced out or in. They're not impossible to pull out, or tap in, but it will leave a mark. In looking closer at your photos, a divot just like this one.



If that is aligned with the anti-twist provision, you may have your answer.

 

[nz44tool]

Ask me how I know....

I can pretty much guess...

 

[nz44tool]

In my experience - which is replacing deteriorating stinkdriver handles on rare midget spinner shanks, any kind of cruciform anti-twist shank will deform the edge of the round opening being forced out or in. They're not impossible to pull out, or tap in, but it will leave a mark. In looking closer at your photos, a divot just like this one.



If that is aligned with the anti-twist provision, you may have your answer.

That's what they appear to be, all right. I'm just impressed that the handles don't shatter when the blades are forced in.

 

[captain14]

magdad357 replaced a screwdriver blade with a tap handle from an old no name screwdriver. He got the idea from YouTuber mrpete222

He shows how to remove the blade from the handle.

 

[FrankLee]

Here are all the blades I removed from Craftsman screwdrivers. I never needed heat to get any off; just a pry bar with a washer.

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If you want to drill into a handle, use a drill press with a vise clamped to the table.

 

[nz44tool]

!!!!!!! What a bunch of cool new uses for the handles. Nice! Love the chuck key!

 

[FrankLee]

IIRC, there was a time you could get surplus Craftsman handles-only, somewhere, somehow. Ebay maybe?

Anyone remember that?

 

[nz44tool]

IIRC, there was a time you could get surplus Craftsman handles-only, somewhere, somehow. Ebay maybe?

Anyone remember that?

Well, that's interesting. Never heard that, but it could help explain the two oddities I found. Although - it's hard to imagine they would let branded handles out into the world.

 

[RTM]

IIRC, there was a time you could get surplus Craftsman handles-only, somewhere, somehow. Ebay maybe?

Anyone remember that?

Well, that's interesting. Never heard that, but it could help explain the two oddities I found. Although - it's hard to imagine they would let branded handles out into the world.

I swore I used to see unmarked handles in the wild, like the OP 's blue n clear, but only the CMan name, not a size like his. Similarly the red clear, but I thought those had a part number, but never cared enough to look up the number.

 

[FrankLee]

The shanks from nut drivers and magnetic bit screw drivers are very easy to r&r.

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I reinstalled the magnetic bit shank, but I'm going to repurposed the nut driver handle.

 

[nz44tool]

The shanks from nut drivers and magnetic bit screw drivers are very easy to r&r.

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I reinstalled the magnetic bit shank, but I'm going to repurposed the nut driver handle.

Thanks, FrankLee! You could do a YouTube video of your process! (For all I know, you or someone else already has...)

 

[FrankLee]

You could do a YouTube video of your process!

My process would make one very short video. One photo should do it.

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[FrankLee]

magdad357 replaced a screwdriver blade with a tap handle from an old no name screwdriver. He got the idea from YouTuber mrpete222

He shows how to remove the blade from the handle.

The screwdriver handle concept is not bad, but I don't get the tap handle. A small chuck is much more versatile. Use it with taps, countersinks, step bits, magnetic bit holders, etc.

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The screwdriver tap is not new though. These Tri-Tap-Tools have been around for a long time.

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[413dan]

Makes me wish I hadn't gotten rid of an old USA handle recently due to a broken tip. It was a p3, my mind is churning thinking about ways to upcycle and repurpose. GJ always piques my interests, even when I didn't know it, thanks for sharing.