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I leave some of my tools in my shed which is damp and I noticed that the Craftsman screwdrivers have a white crud on them.The crud scrapes off with a finger nail and is powdery. The plastic handles are shiney underneath the crud as it does not etch them. Has anyone else experienced this and what is the best way to clean it off.I tried washing it off and rubbing it off but scratching it off seems to be the only way at this time.Very time consuming.
No rust at all on the tools.
I do not own allot of Win. rifles, just 3. On 2 the plastic butt plates have the same problem. 1 is a 74 and other is a 62, both were made in 80's + or -. I asked a Win collector about it and he said it was commen with them. Can't remember what he said caused it but it was one of those "they think" things. I imagine it just some chemical reaction of older plastic. I cleaned it off, by the way, but it comes back.
Craftsman hand tools?
The quickest and easiest way is to smack them with a hammer to break a piece off then take them to any Sears store and swap for free new ones.
Maury
I bought mine in the late 70's. They show the same trait. If you use them regularly, it won't develop. Leave them stored, they get the white "mold" or whatever it is. I also have plastic handled devices from other manufacturers that exibit the same thing in my tool box.Quote:
Originally Posted by polska
Ditto the others post about Winchester buttplates. They do the exact same thing!!!
Use a fine wire wheel on a power tool to get it off. Easy and quick. Won't hurt the handles, but, it smells. Don't know if it may be toxic, but I use a dust mask anyway.
FWIW,
Emri
I have noticed the smell of the Crafsman handles, when tool draw is shut up for long period. No white stuff yet, however. There are all kinds of chemicals used to make plastics beside the basic hydro-carbon base. These eventually evaporate I'd guess. Old Moss. 22's (1930'-40) with plastic TG's dried , shrunk and got brittle.
The acrylic plastic in the handles is degrading/oxidizing. Without needing to hit them with a hammer...Sears should exchange them! BTW, this is why I have Snap-On drivers (different handle chemistry!)! Remember, the best warranty is the one where the initial quality is so good you never have to use it!
I go through garden hoses pretty quick keeping things watered on my estate (aka "Casa del Costo El Plenty") and figured out that buying a Sears hose for 3 bucks more gets me a FREE REPLACEMENT HOSE every 2-3 years when they crack (which they all do sooner or later). Save the cardboard cover and receipt and Voila!
Mold/discolaoration, who gives a dang about that?
Read once that it was the sodium carbonate that forms on phenolic resin composition handles and does not hurt anything,some of my stored tools of all brands stored in lidded plasic boxes do the same thing.
RayP.
It's similar Ray, but those handles are acrylic and what's degrading is the plasticizer that keeps the handles from shattering like glass (which is "Phase 2" of this particular failure-mode)! Like I said, the OP just needs to take them to Sears and get new ones!
Only reason I suggested the hammer was at one time Sears was being picky about replacing tools that weren't "broken" but rather "un-maintained" (eg, rusted, corroded, etc).
Haven't tested that policy in a while but if it's still in effect then making sure the tool is no kiddin' "broken" will save any arguing :banghead:
Maury
I once tired to get new pin punchs, was refused cause they were tools which were "struck with a hammer". Guess this would leave out chisels and some other items.
Wow! This thread has left me feeling a lot better about my tools.
At one time my general purpose tool box was regularly left with the top up and the drawers open. It was the one in the garage with the standard assortment of common tools - I had other boxes with my better sets and more specialized tools, but this was my quick grab box. Anyway, some opossums took up residence in that garage and before I knew what was happening they had somehow selected that open tool box as their "litter box"!
Most of the tools have been wiped off/cleaned off/oiled, etc. and are none the worse for wear - although the box itself has a strange odor on hot days. But I've been forever-after suspicious of the white stuff that grows on some of my plastic handles. I feel a lot better now!
The first I realized that the opossums were actually residing in the garage and not just passing through was when I went to retreive an anti-freeze tester. You know how when you know exactly where something is kept you can retreive it almost unconciously without really looking? I needed that tester and just opened the cabinet drawer I knew it was in and started reaching for it before I really looked in there. I had just about inserted my hand into mama 'possum's gaping jaws before I noticed that my tester was furry and growling at me! I got my hand out of there just ahead of all those long sharp teeth!
The garage was so completely full and cluttered that I had no good way of chasing the 'possums down and killing them, so I did it like the dog pound would do it (more or less). I filled up my lawnmower with gas, tied the dead-man control, fired it up and left it in the closed garage until it ran out of gas. A couple of years later when I moved and had to actually empty that garage I found several dried out furry carcasses.
my snap on tools have not done this and they are 1975 vintage.
My craftsman tools I have not noticed this.
since I have moved to AZ, my i've had two snap on screw driver handles crack and split. Almost like they exploded from inside.
Strange. I need to find a snap on man.
Bob
I once had a flex head ratchet that kept breaking my knuckles so I welded it so it wouldn't. Years later when replacement guts just wouldn't work anymore i took it in for replacement. Not only was it a discontinued model but the manager was giving me grief about it being welded till I explained that it broke and I needed it and the nearest Sears was over 100 miles away. He replaced it wit the closest new model