On 11/18/2010 7:21 AM, Smitty Two wrote:
Had occasion recently to move a bunch of stuff in order to replace a
clothes dryer. One thing that got moved was an old oak desk, with an
assortment of hand tools in one of the drawers. I discovered that the
tool drawer is quite malodorous.

I've run into this before. Years ago I worked at a shop where one drawer
of a rollaway tool cabinet smelled exactly like vomit. And, a few years
ago I bought a set of nut drivers in a plastic case (bought new) that
smelled awful. I aired them outside for weeks to no avail and finally
threw the plastic case away, which got rid of most of the smell but I
found that even the plastic handles still stink.

In that last instance of course, I identified the source of the smell,
but in those other two I did not. Anyone else have stinky tools?
Diagnosis? Remedy?

Of the tools I've owned that had that smell and oily feel, I worry
when the smell goes away. Fungus grows on the handles of the tools
that have the smell cooked out of them. I've had some that were
left in hot vehicles for years where the temperature exceeds 120°F
and fungus will grow on them when they are later stored away in a
toolbox or drawer.

TDD