Mysterious case of rusting screwdrivers

[plewlandsbob]

Opened the screwdriver drawer, od my toolbox and found several screwdrivers , in one corner , were all rusty. There was also an acid / vinegar smell. It is only this drawer. Everything else in toolbox is fine. Everything gets wiped clean, before it goes back. At a complete loss , to explain this. Scraped them clean. Doped them in water, then sprayed with WD40.
Anyone gt any ideas, for this

 

[BrokenBiker]

what is in the drawer above them?

 

[Barking Mat]

That's pretty weird.

 

[chrismac]

Must be something in the Scottish air, a while ago I had the same thing.

 

[Screwdriver]

Got any bottles of acid anywhere in the workshop? No matter how well sealed, the acid will diffuse through any plastic cap and rust everything in the room. Ask me how I know.

A good tip is (get rid of the acid!) store some camphor tablets in the tool drawer. Seriously, it sublimates and coats metal surfaces with some weird oily thing and stops rust. Make sure it is camphor and not naphthalene..

 

[chrismac]

Got any bottles of acid anywhere in the workshop? No matter how well sealed, the acid will diffuse through any plastic cap and rust everything in the room. Ask me how I know.

A good tip is (get rid of the acid!) store some camphor tablets in the tool drawer. Seriously, it sublimates and coats metal surfaces with some weird oily thing and stops rust. Make sure it is camphor and not naphthalene..

I did have some acid until I got rid of it, it was for topping up batteries, that must have been it as I have never had the issue again.

 

[Kram]

They look to have been previously chrome plated and its worn significantly through from use., allowing acids to attack it.

Either way the resulting green mess will be a mixture containing hexavalent chrome and best not to touch it.

 

[eddie49]

I have exactly the same problem, again in a single drawer of a Bisley cabinet, only containing screwdrivers, smells of acid ot vinegar or ammonia. I thought it could be due to pickling fluid trapped in the handles during the plating process...?
No acid or alkali anywhere, and no similar rust on any other items.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Any acid anywhere remotely near will do that. I’d used some brick acid to clean some horseshoes and left it in the open container. My nice spanner set was nearby….

 

[Gragson]

Weird never had that, but get some barrier cream on those fingers once scrubbed

 

[Screwdriver]

For the record, I bought these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156686977397

They are the real deal….

 

[richie00boy]

The cause is those coloured transparent handles breaking down and releasing acetic acid. I've had it happen to me with an old Stanley screwdriver, started causing other tools in the box to rust. Unfortunately there is no cure - they just keep gassing off once they start. You might find it's one particular screwdriver that's the culprit, but could be more.

 

[plewlandsbob]

Spanners in drawer above and they are untouched. Only acid , in garage , is 5lt of vinegar. It is 20ft away at other end of garage. Haven't charged any batteries either, for months.
Didn't touch any of the rust/ green stuff? As I thought it looked a bit weird.

 

[plewlandsbob]

The cause is those coloured transparent handles breaking down and releasing acetic acid. I've had it happen to me with an old Stanley screwdriver, started causing other tools in the box to rust. Unfortunately there is no cure - they just keep gassing off once they start. You might find it's one particular screwdriver that's the culprit, but could be more.

I do buy up, old , decent brand screwdrivers. That could explain it. Any way to tell which one / ones are doing it?

 

[knighty]

For the record, I bought these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156686977397

They are the real deal….

link is dead... any chance or another one so I buy the right thing?

sounds pretty interesting to test out :-)

 

[Screwdriver]

link is dead... any chance or another one so I buy the right thing?

sounds pretty interesting to test out :-)

Just looked and they sold out.

It's described as "Elephant Refined Camphor / Kafura Pelebe - 4 Roll (8 pieces in a roll)"

Looks like this:

 

[oldbikedavey]

Have you by any chance angered a local cat ?

 

[frank horton]

it's a mouse / rat latreen......
there will prob be a nest somewhere.....
at least they r not in the Mig welder wiring......

 

[winchman]

The cause is those coloured transparent handles breaking down and releasing acetic acid. I've had it happen to me with an old Stanley screwdriver, started causing other tools in the box to rust. Unfortunately there is no cure - they just keep gassing off once they start. You might find it's one particular screwdriver that's the culprit, but could be more.

I have also had this and I have some old screwdrivers where the handle is decomposing

 

[Morrisman]

Got any bottles of acid anywhere in the workshop? No matter how well sealed, the acid will diffuse through any plastic cap and rust everything in the room. Ask me how I know.

A good tip is (get rid of the acid!) store some camphor tablets in the tool drawer. Seriously, it sublimates and coats metal surfaces with some weird oily thing and stops rust. Make sure it is camphor and not naphthalene..

I inadvertently left an open bowl of concrete cleaner (hydrochloric?) acid in my workshop for a month, and when i returned every piece of bare steel in the shop was rusty.