My wife just picked up a plastic match safe, WWII vintage, with compass. She cleaned up the yellowing plastic. It still has the whiff of the cellulose acetate Craftsman handles. This has a bit of nostalgia to it. It brings back the feeling of opening my father's toolbox back in the 60's. Appreciate your video. I'll dig out those screwdrivers and give it a try.
Sorry to report that my experiment failed. It took several months but the stink came back. They have started getting a bit hazy looking as well. Don’t think there is a long term solution.
I have a few Craftsman plasitc handles that had that smelly white mold on them. I figured if its mold, i should put something on them that gets rid of mold. I sprayed them with Tilex and used my finger nail brush very lightly and all was gone. I'm not intereted in polishing the handles as they are never going to look like new and they are only screw drivers. It will be interesting to see how long the mold stays off.
This is nice to know. I was at my brother's house last week and needed to use one of his screwdrivers. When I opened up his screwdriver box the smell was overpowering. It smelled like something died in his screwdriver box. I have some leftover automotive clearcoat left from another project, so I'll take your advice and clean up his screwdrivers next time I go visit.
I really appreciate your video idea on how to remedy this poor engineering flaw. I too have some tools that were passed down to me from some family members that are no longer with me, and I don’t want to throw away these stinky handled tools, but I cannot keep these in my nice new tool chest. Also, every time my wife looks for a screwdriver she has something to say about something stinky in my tools, HAHA. Anyways, this is worth a try and thanks for the idea!
I've routinely cleaned up a bunch of my "legacy" screwdrivers and, as you found, in time some of them get nasty again. I've used the clear acrylic clear coat on headlamps because it is UV resistant, unlike the polish sealer that comes with headlamp restoration kits, and it works well. But I never thought of using the clear coat on my plastic tool handles. DUH. 🙄 That is a GREAT idea. 👍👍 THANKS!!!
Thanks for the information! I'll be setting up my last shop in the near future and will be doing some flea marketing shopping and will keep an eye out of items like this to restore.
OK guys, I may have stumbled on the best fix of all. I have seen all the YT videos on this fix or that fix, but nothing seems to compare with what I found. I wish I could attach a photo but can't. I have Craftsman screwdrivers that are upwards of 50 years old. As you know, the older ones get what was described as the "mange". We learn that the mange is caused by a bacteria that feeds off the decaying cellulose in the plastic screwdriver handles. I tried CLR overnight and it softened the mange so I could wire brush and wipe it clean but required some effort. While doing this, I saw a bottle of Wet & Forget on my shelf and decided to give it a try. It is designed to kill algae, mold, etc on housing, so I dunked a couple screwdrivers in full strength. Within 2 hours, all mange was complete gone except for a couple nooks and crannies. I'm not sure if the foul odor is gone, because there are other screwdrivers sitting there yet to be done. Wet & Forget is used once a year so will the screwdrivers last a year????
Only comment is that Wet and Forget is bloody expensive at $12/gallon, so if you're using it for the patio or deck, a little bit set aside is OK, but buying a $24 64 oz jug is a bit much just to clean screwdriver handles.
@@MrGsteele Thanks for this comment. That's the kind of situation where someone would buy the product, use the little, needed then return it for refund It will be important to check for a previously opened container.
Great work Ray they look brand new. I need to do that to a multitude of my own drivers. I didn’t know that bacteria will actually eat away the cellulose in the plastic. I found that fact very interesting. Another well done video and I’ll see you in the next one. Take care👍
It's a bacteria. There's few that have been discovered that attack the plastic. Ammonia takes it right off and I have good luck using a cleaner called Purple Power.
I've lived in the arid Southwest all my life... There's no outgassing of plastics of any kind here. So I haven't the slightest idea how an acetate handle can smell bad or even get a little foggy.
Bob, after 6 months some of the screwdrivers begin to give off a slight odor. Not sure how they will smell in several years. They certainly look better. May have to give them a refresher coat every few years so they don’t stink up the toolbox.
I’d much rather have a box full of restored USA made tools than any piece of china garbage! I so miss USA making quality stuff! I don’t know how RU-vid knew I needed to see this video but I’m glad I got here! I do have some tools in need of help as I’d like to get another 30 yrs out of them!
Those look great now and like you said only time will tell if it keeps them from "Rotting" again......................I use Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze Spray on those type of handles, works great and it's usually only about 4-6 Bucks at most of the big box type stores.
I wonder if there is a way to first kill that bacteria before doing this process. I suspect that once that is on the "plastic" it stays. And even under that clear coat, I bet it comes back - maybe slower. I'd be interested to see what this looks like in 5 years. I've dealt with this as well, I started by cleaning in vinegar which takes off all the "stuff" then soap and water, then the light sanding process. Great idea on the clear coat... thanks
We all learned what Butyric acid smelled like in high school…..peeyoo..! That stuff prolly contributed to that very early plastic compound stench…! Thanks for your video
I try to keep some light oil.on all my tools. I will go as far as spraying them in the drawers I would rather have to run a rag over them than have rust start in. Normally the oil sinks to the tray over a few days. And I don't need to wipe them off. On the screwdrivers, I think this oil helps with a the smell and seals them from the air.
If I were painting a car inside a booth I'd certainly have on a respirator. For these few screwdriver handles, I painted them in my garage while wearing my RX mask. I'm aware the clear coat fumes are much stronger than regular rattle can paint. I only sprayed for maybe a minute for each coat.
Just an observation: once you've gone through all the trouble to buff and clean the screwdriver shaft, removing rust with a wire wheel and hand sanding, why not extend the clear coat to the shaft? At the very least, it would retard the return of rust - which itself is smelly, albeit different from the acetate decomposition. Ammonia, of course, dissolves the oxidized acetate so it can be toothbrushed off (don't return the brush to the bathroom sink afterwards . . .) But the polishing, while nice, seems superfluous if the handle's irregularities are going to be leveled off with a clear coat. Interesting video - thanks for the hint.
We do not have this problem in the UK because our screwdriver handles are not made of CAB, instead a form of PET is used, the same polymer that is used for carbonated drinks bottles. The smell is due to Butyric Acid which is one of the break down products of CAB, it is also what gives American chocolate its distinctive taste/smell which is foul to the UK/European Palate, that leads to America chocolate failing to sell over here.
Sorry to report that my experiment failed. It took several months but the stink came back. They have started getting a bit hazy looking as well. Don’t think there is a long term solution.
A bit. Not nearly as strong. I have those screwdrivers stored in a footlocker so there’s not ventilation. The classic “dog vomit” odor is there so the clear is doing about a 60-70% odor reduction. Maybe 2 more coats would help.
The EASIEST way EVER to clean the white stinky fuzoff the handles is with muriatic acid. Hold the screwdriver by the shaft and use a cheapo paint brush and just paint the handle with the acid. It comes of IMMEDIATELY. Rinse and dry them.
We’re lucky out here in Australia as I have never had a screwdriver handle cloud up and stink like that. Hope I never do. Regardless, great job on them. Hope it works out long term for you.
**VIEWERS**Do yourself a favor and change the playback speed to 1.25 of normal. The faster playback speed will make this video way more pleasant to watch. The host is kind of a slow talker with lots of pauses that make it practically unwatchable at normal speed.
Plastic is fantastic, it has transformed the modern world - sterile medical products, extending food shelf life, low cost electronic products etc etc. You just need to choose the right plastic and the right design.
My favorite screwdriver by far was one I made a wood handle for. I bought the driver without a handle and made a birdseye maple handle shaped just so. Super comfortable, great torque when needed, attractive to look at. It just felt right in my hand. I had it for 30 years until some scumbag stole my toolbox off my back porch when I wasn't looking. I lost a number of good expensive tools but that was my favorite. I was really upset at losing it. I'll make another one day. But yes, wood and metal can make great handles. Better than plastic.
Put them in a drawer & not your drawers, Don't use on job that might well have rectum'. Gear oil is not that sort of lube. Then, zip tie a pine tree air freshener on it.
My experiment with clear coat was a very moderate success. The odor is still apparent when I open the tool box but just more subtle. Cat poop is bad stuff.
From a first-time viewer's perspective, why did I (and everyone else) have to wait until 1/2 through this video to get to the meat? Next time just start with the meat, and do yourself, and the rest of us, a favor.
Sorry I wasted your precious time. Judging from the content you have created you certainly qualify as an experienced expert. Maybe one day I’ll create a perfect RU-vid video that pleases everyone.
I'm sorry, but do you know what drives me absolutely NUTS about most "How to do it" RU-vid videos? People who take 15-minutes or an hour to tell you something that they could tell you in three minutes. Why do people feel like they have to tell you about their life story and all their friends and acquaintances. Just get to the point!!!!! I don't have time to listen to all your rambling.
Mountain Man, my video was 11 minutes , 45 seconds long. I’m sorry you felt like it was a waste of your time. I do my best to focus on presenting a concise but informative video in the 10 minute range. However, I’ve had a few last a good bit longer.
You can put a video on up to 2x speed so you can listen for the parts you like. You can also fast forward very quickly in 5 second increments here on RU-vid. Hope reading my comment didn’t waste your time.
@@16-BITFPV They should, because they'd get more people watching their videos. But, if you like listening to people ramble on about inane things that are completely off subject when you are trying to learn something...more power to you.
