As

Australopithecus scobis

11/09/2004 10:04 PM

Ever diassembled a Yankee screwdriver?

Greetings,
Anybody ever disassembled (and successfully reassembled) one of these?
Google groups showed nothing apropos.

Just got a pre-Stanley North Bros 30A Yankee screwdriver off ebay. Not
surprisingly the right-hand ratchet pawl is worn. Works ok as is, just
have to hold the tip of the chuck on the return stroke. The guts appear
to be held together by a split-slot nut which surrounds the shaft. There
is a third notch on the outer circumference of the nut. I figure
there's a special tool to wring it off. I tapped a bit with a tiny cold
chisel, but it didn't budge. (Metal innards have been soaked, brushed
and/or wiped with carburetor cleaner, penetrating oil, WD-40, and 3-in-1.)
I left the wood handle and the exterior finish alone, BTW.

I successfully rebuilt the ratchet on my Defiance brace, so
this shouldn't be too much of a challenge. Stanley even carries parts, in
case I drop something in the sawdust. Just wanted to garner advice before
I reach for a bigger hammer.

--
"Keep your ass behind you"


This topic has 6 replies

rB

[email protected] (Bob Swan)

in reply to Australopithecus scobis on 11/09/2004 10:04 PM

12/09/2004 9:54 AM

Australopithecus scobis <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Greetings,
> Anybody ever disassembled (and successfully reassembled) one of these?
> Google groups showed nothing apropos.
>
> Just got a pre-Stanley North Bros 30A Yankee screwdriver off ebay. Not
> surprisingly the right-hand ratchet pawl is worn. Works ok as is, just
> have to hold the tip of the chuck on the return stroke. The guts appear
> to be held together by a split-slot nut which surrounds the shaft. There
> is a third notch on the outer circumference of the nut. I figure
> there's a special tool to wring it off. I tapped a bit with a tiny cold
> chisel, but it didn't budge. (Metal innards have been soaked, brushed
> and/or wiped with carburetor cleaner, penetrating oil, WD-40, and 3-in-1.)
> I left the wood handle and the exterior finish alone, BTW.
>
> I successfully rebuilt the ratchet on my Defiance brace, so
> this shouldn't be too much of a challenge. Stanley even carries parts, in
> case I drop something in the sawdust. Just wanted to garner advice before
> I reach for a bigger hammer.

I haven't yet, but as mine has just given up the ghost after 10 years
with me, and an unknown number with a grandparent, I shall follow this
trail with interest.

As I try it I'll try and post some results.

WB

"Wood Butcher"

in reply to Australopithecus scobis on 11/09/2004 10:04 PM

12/09/2004 9:36 PM

I just looked at the Stanley parts diagram
http://www.stanleytools.com/xhtml/literature/RepairPartsCatalog0304.pdf
pg 21; and added the part #'s to my previous msg.

Art

> I'm not sure about the pre-Stanley models but I'll describe the
> Stanley #30A and if it looks like yours - go for it.
>
> On the shaft is a screw(15). It's at the handle end of the large collar(6)
> which has the direction switch(12) in it. Remove this screw(15). Push
> the selector button(12) into the shaft and rotate the collar(6) CCW
> (viewing from the handle end). Secure a rag around the shaft to catch
> any flying parts then slide the collar(6) toward the handle. This will expose
> the ratchet mechanism(7, 8, 9, 10, 11).
>
> Art

WB

"Wood Butcher"

in reply to Australopithecus scobis on 11/09/2004 10:04 PM

12/09/2004 9:06 PM

I'm not sure about the pre-Stanley models but I'll describe the
Stanley #30A and if it looks like yours - go for it.

On the shaft is a screw. It's at the handle end of the large collar which
has the direction switch in it. Remove this screw. Push the selector
button into the shaft and rotate the collar CCW (viewing from the
handle end). Secure a rag around the shaft to catch any flying parts
then slide the collar toward the handle. This will expose the ratchet
mechanism.

Art


"Australopithecus scobis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Greetings,
> Anybody ever disassembled (and successfully reassembled) one of these?
> Google groups showed nothing apropos.
>
> Just got a pre-Stanley North Bros 30A Yankee screwdriver off ebay. Not
> surprisingly the right-hand ratchet pawl is worn. Works ok as is, just
> have to hold the tip of the chuck on the return stroke. The guts appear
> to be held together by a split-slot nut which surrounds the shaft. There
> is a third notch on the outer circumference of the nut. I figure
> there's a special tool to wring it off. I tapped a bit with a tiny cold
> chisel, but it didn't budge. (Metal innards have been soaked, brushed
> and/or wiped with carburetor cleaner, penetrating oil, WD-40, and 3-in-1.)
> I left the wood handle and the exterior finish alone, BTW.
>
> I successfully rebuilt the ratchet on my Defiance brace, so
> this shouldn't be too much of a challenge. Stanley even carries parts, in
> case I drop something in the sawdust. Just wanted to garner advice before
> I reach for a bigger hammer.
>
> --
> "Keep your ass behind you"
>

As

Australopithecus scobis

in reply to Australopithecus scobis on 11/09/2004 10:04 PM

12/09/2004 7:29 PM

On Sun, 12 Sep 2004 21:06:29 +0000, Wood Butcher wrote:

> I'm not sure about the pre-Stanley models but I'll describe the
> Stanley #30A and if it looks like yours - go for it.
>
> On the shaft is a screw. It's at the handle end of the large collar which
> has the direction switch in it. Remove this screw. Push the selector
> button into the shaft and rotate the collar CCW (viewing from the
> handle end). Secure a rag around the shaft to catch any flying parts
> then slide the collar toward the handle. This will expose the ratchet
> mechanism.


Many thanks, friend. That did the trick. Here's what I learned, for others
who might try this. Pay special attention to the part about wrapping a
rag around the works. Things don't go flying, but they do fall out.
Keep an eye on that little screw. It likes to play hide-n-seek.

Push the button to the reverse position. Work the sleeve back, off the
stop. The stop is on the opposite side of the sleeve from the button,
adjacent to the knurled lock ring. This helps a little later, as you try
to keep the button depressed. Be careful to keep the button depressed
fully until the sleeve is turned enough to keep the button down. This
takes three hands... A couple the lands of the detentes for the selector,
part of the sleeve, were bent on mine. I gently levered them back into
place before starting the rest.

Watch the button and its slider as the sleeve comes back. Don't let the
slider get carried under the sleeve as you pull the sleeve back. The
button can, however, be gently worked back into shape, and its tabs
re-peened onto the spring if the slider gets crushed under the sleeve.
damhikt.

There they are, those pesky pawls. Even after flushing the tube with carb
cleaner, there was still gunk in there. Note that the pawls are handed--I
tried to do a Scot's staircase, but it didn't work. I did swap the pawls
fore and aft. That was enough to make the ratchet happy.

I put a wee bit of extra curve in the copper-colored spring. I added
lithium grease to the outside of the shaft so the sleeve would go back
down more easily. The pawls look easy to make, if one had a dremel.

I hope this additional reporting helps many more old yankees return to
youthful vigor.

--
"Keep your ass behind you"

As

Australopithecus scobis

in reply to Australopithecus scobis on 11/09/2004 10:04 PM

12/09/2004 7:46 PM

On Sun, 12 Sep 2004 20:32:05 -0400, Roy Smith wrote:

> What is a "Scot's staircase"?

You heard him, folks. He asked for it.

Generations-old Scots law firm. Pop kicks off, son wants to put his own
mark on the place. Finds price of replacing worn, cupped, shabby marble
steps out front is very expensive. Tells the foreman, "Just turn them
over." Few minutes later, foreman comes back, tugs his forelock and says,
"Sorry, guvner, but your granddad had the same idea."

So, pawl is worn on one side, flip it over. But the handedness, inherent
in the structure, was grandfathered...

--
"Keep your ass behind you"

RS

Roy Smith

in reply to Australopithecus scobis on 11/09/2004 10:04 PM

12/09/2004 8:32 PM

Australopithecus scobis <[email protected]> wrote:

> Note that the pawls are handed--I
> tried to do a Scot's staircase, but it didn't work.

What is a "Scot's staircase"?


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