Yankee 131a screwdriver

[perchriver]

Does anyone know where I can purchase a replacement spring for a Yankee 131a. Thanks.

[Bill_Houghton]

You can contact the various old tool sellers, but it might be hard.  Your hardware store may have a selection of springs; you might see if you can find one that works. You're not going to find anyone to sell you a brand new factory spring, as far as I know, unless Professor Peabody has set up a side line in old tool parts brought back on the Wayback Machine.

[Admiral]

Yeah, unfortunately the only way is to find another 131; or find a spring in the bottom of a tool box, as many original owners removed the spring for some reason, I've found many that have had the spring taken out. I'll check to see if I have a donor (don't think so), but its a donor you need as these springs were pretty specific to the tool.

[Bill_Houghton]

...many original owners removed the spring for some reason...

The spring wanted to work all the time.  If you were doing rough work, this was fine, but a trim carpenter didn't want the screwdriver dancing all over freshly painted/varnished woodwork in the screwdriver slipped out of the slot, so s/he would remove the spring to increase control.

[rfd8w5]

The spring wanted to work all the time.  If you were doing rough work, this was fine, but a trim carpenter didn't want the screwdriver dancing all over freshly painted/varnished woodwork in the screwdriver slipped out of the slot, so s/he would remove the spring to increase control.

They were also sold without the return spring.

[Bill_Houghton]

They were also sold without the return spring.

Yes, for carpenters who had already figured out that the spring didn't work for their purposes.

[pprobus]

They were also sold without the return spring.

Usually without the "1" upfront, so that a "31" was the same as a "131" but without the return spring.

Paul

[Sierramtns]

Does anyone know where I can purchase a replacement spring for a Yankee 131a.  Thanks.

I have refurbished a number of old drills and braces. Often a spring or spring wire piece is missing. I just go to the hardware store and usually find a piece that is similar enough to use. Perhaps some modification to the bought piece is need, but usually this is something simple. So far so good.

[bandit571]

Picked one up for a dollar this morning....
[attachment=19499]
Along with a few other items....about $9 sitting here...

Has a good spring, no mention of "Stanley" on it...selector works...Yankee No. 131 A...
[attachment=19500]
Not too bad....

[Bill_Houghton]

Has a good spring, no mention of "Stanley" on it...selector works...Yankee No. 131 A...

Not too bad....

$9?  Not too bad at all.  Over on another forum, Papaw's Tool Talk, you'd get major "you sucks" for the perfect handle screwdrivers.

North Bros. of Philadelphia originated the Yankee name and design (although, in design, they were building on the work of others; there are bunches of different spiral screwdriver designs out there, dating back quite a ways and based on even older spiral drill designs).  Stanley bought them in 1946, and transitioned slowly from "North Bros/a Division of Stanley" to just plain "Stanley."  If yours says North Bros. alone, it's older than 1946.  As far as I know, the design never changed, except, at some point, Stanley changed the handle design. For a given size, bits that fit a Stanley will fit a North Bros., and vice versa.