The Perfect Gift: A Tool Box

[dick on the langwang]

I've kept a long, slim, scalpel (+ pack of spare blades) in my toolbox
for over 40yrs, wouldn't be without them. Can be used for cutting,
poking, as an improvised instrument probe and (if push comes to shove)
the final solution to that b****r of a problem ........ provided you
fit a new blade first !!

 

[Highland Ham]

I can see where the Posidrive may be used in some electronic equipment,

but all of the screws in the hinges in my house, as well as the screws
holding the locks on the doors, are definitely Phillips. Are Posidrive
screws used for those applications in other countries?

==============================
Most wood screws in (at least)western Europe are now posidrive ,because
the grip is so much better ,which is necessary due to the frequent use
of electric screwdrivers.

A tool company Draper are selling chromium-vanadium steel screwdrivers
in sets with coloured plastic grips (in the UK)
A set comprises 3x3 ,total of 9 screwdrivers
Flat blade : Red grip
Phillips : Blue grip (or is it Philips?)
Posidrive : Green grip

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

 

[Highland Ham]

I've kept a long, slim, scalpel (+ pack of spare blades) in my toolbox
for over 40yrs, wouldn't be without them. Can be used for cutting,
poking, as an improvised instrument probe and (if push comes to shove)
the final solution to that b****r of a problem ........ provided you
fit a new blade first !!

===========================
Talking tools , I consider different dental 'poking'utensils and
twizzers essential for dealing with circuit boards ,especially in the
homebrewing arena. I use these frequently.

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

 

[jakdedert]

===========================
Talking tools , I consider different dental 'poking'utensils and
twizzers essential for dealing with circuit boards ,especially in the
homebrewing arena. I use these frequently.

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

....and on medical instruments: a pair or two (or three) of locking
medical forceps are indispensable...rubber gloves are handy...syringes
are good for dispensing various compounds, especially glue.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

I've kept a long, slim, scalpel (+ pack of spare blades) in my toolbox
for over 40yrs, wouldn't be without them. Can be used for cutting,
poking, as an improvised instrument probe and (if push comes to shove)
the final solution to that b****r of a problem ........ provided you
fit a new blade first !!

You can buy an Exacto knife a lot easier, and there are a lot of
different blades available.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Tom Holden]

Frank-

I've heard of Posidrive. I think they are used in an old Hewlett Packard
counter I have. However, the tool dealers I asked had never heard of
them. I ended up using a common Phillips driver for my counter.

Certainly Posidrive would be a better choice where they are more commonly
used.

Fred

In that vein, Canadians would have Robertson screwdrivers in their basic
toolbox for home use. Described, with history, at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver .

Tom

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

In that vein, Canadians would have Robertson screwdrivers in their basic
toolbox for home use. Described, with history, at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver .

Tom

I despise Robertson screws, along with the "Clutch head" screws.
Every time I run into either of them, someone has put them in with a
worn bit that strips the head and makes them almost impossible to
remove. I've used surface grinders, drills, and a cutting torch to
remove them to make repairs. I generally replace them with hex head
screws and make sure that I always inspect the bit before I start a job.
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Bill Turner]

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

I've used surface grinders, drills, and a cutting torch to
remove them to make repairs.

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

Often a Dremel tool with a thin grinding wheel will allow you to make
a slot and then use a regular screwdriver to remove it.

Bill, W6WRT

 

[Michael Kennedy]

I've never seen anything with a posidrive screw in it.. They aren't used
very much in the USA or at least in Florida... I have yet to need a
posidrive screwdriver and I've taken all kinds of things apart in my life..
I consider a good set of torx and allen wrenches a necessity along with a
set of sockets and wrenches and of course a small set of jewlers
screwdrivers and mini torx bits, hammers, saws, etc...

The funny thing is I never knew what that weird looking phillips bit I had
was called until today.

- Mike

 

[Michael Kennedy]

I hate those stupid robitson bits too... Like you said they always seem to
be stripped off...

 

[Bill Turner]

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

I've never seen anything with a posidrive screw in it.. They aren't used
very much in the USA or at least in Florida...

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

Tektronix used Pozidriv for many years in their scopes. Sometime after
I left the company in 1986 I was told they changed to Torx.

You can recognize a Pozidriv screw because it looks like a Phillips
but has a fine line scribed between adjacent flutes.

Bill, W6WRT

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:



*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

Often a Dremel tool with a thin grinding wheel will allow you to make
a slot and then use a regular screwdriver to remove it.

Bill, W6WRT

Yes, sometimes, or even a fine toothed blade in a hacksaw, but not
when you are standing on top of a ladder and struggling to reach the
crappy hardware. The moron who built my four car garage used 4" or
longer Robertson screws everywhere, and most of the heads were puled
below the surface before the #2 bit slipped and chewed up the head. I
broke two crowbars removing a dangerous hanging rack he's built to hold
plywood above one of the bays. Both were flimsy, and they hung low
enough that you could bump your head on exposed screw points sticking an
inch though the bottom 2*4 beams. I had to remove and replace a lot of
lumber that split because of the way he screwed things up.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

I've never seen anything with a posidrive screw in it.. They aren't used
very much in the USA or at least in Florida... I have yet to need a
posidrive screwdriver and I've taken all kinds of things apart in my life..
I consider a good set of torx and allen wrenches a necessity along with a
set of sockets and wrenches and of course a small set of jewlers
screwdrivers and mini torx bits, hammers, saws, etc...

The funny thing is I never knew what that weird looking phillips bit I had
was called until today.

Microdyne and Lockheed-Martin both use it, although Microdyne has
moved out of the area.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Tom Holden]

I despise Robertson screws, along with the "Clutch head" screws.
Every time I run into either of them, someone has put them in with a
worn bit that strips the head and makes them almost impossible to
remove. I've used surface grinders, drills, and a cutting torch to
remove them to make repairs. I generally replace them with hex head
screws and make sure that I always inspect the bit before I start a job.
--

Misdirected feelings - should be towards worn bits of all types that can
mess up all types of screws. Don't blame the screw for the fault of the bit
and the recklessness of the user. Among the three common wood screws here
(slot, Phillips and Robertson), I'll take the Robbie anyday. The ability of
the bit to retain the screw is a big advantage.

Tom

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Misdirected feelings - should be towards worn bits of all types that can
mess up all types of screws. Don't blame the screw for the fault of the bit
and the recklessness of the user. Among the three common wood screws here
(slot, Phillips and Robertson), I'll take the Robbie anyday. The ability of
the bit to retain the screw is a big advantage.

Tom

You can have all of them. I'll keep using hex and torx head screws,
thank you! ;-)


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Bill Turner]

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

You can have all of them. I'll keep using hex and torx head screws,
thank you! ;-)

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

I kind of like the square drive myself. I wonder why it's not more
popular? Is there an inherent deficiency I'm not aware of?

Bill, W6WRT

 

[Greg Neill]

I kind of like the square drive myself. I wonder why it's not more
popular? Is there an inherent deficiency I'm not aware of?

The Robertson drive screws are ubiquitous in Canada where
they were first made (in 1908) and patented. They are less
so in the U.S. due to the fact that, after one business
fiasco with licensing the right to manufacture to a third
party in England, Robertson refused to license it to any
one else, including Ford in the U.S. Ford would not adopt
any screw for its production lines for which it could not
guarantee unbroken availability, despite the fact that the
screw proved to save considerable time in the production
of cars. So, they never really caught on there like they
did in Canada.

 

[Roy Lewallen]

The Robertson drive screws are ubiquitous in Canada where
they were first made (in 1908) and patented. They are less
so in the U.S. due to the fact that, after one business
fiasco with licensing the right to manufacture to a third
party in England, Robertson refused to license it to any
one else, including Ford in the U.S. Ford would not adopt
any screw for its production lines for which it could not
guarantee unbroken availability, despite the fact that the
screw proved to save considerable time in the production
of cars. So, they never really caught on there like they
did in Canada.

They're catching on. I recently had my deck surface replaced, and nearly
all the screws are square drive. (The remainder are Torx.) It's the
first use I've seen of them here. They're readily available now at Home
Depot and, I assume, other DIY stores.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

They're catching on. I recently had my deck surface replaced, and nearly
all the screws are square drive. (The remainder are Torx.) It's the
first use I've seen of them here. They're readily available now at Home
Depot and, I assume, other DIY stores.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

They have been used in mobile homes for years in the US. I can buy
them bulk at several local building surplus stores. There are several
mobile home manufacturers in the area that dump a lot of leftover or
damaged items.

--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Bill Turner]

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

They have been used in mobile homes for years in the US. I can buy
them bulk at several local building surplus stores. There are several
mobile home manufacturers in the area that dump a lot of leftover or
damaged items.

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

I would think one advantage of square drive would be it is nearly
impossible to strip the drive hole, unlike Phillips and especially hex
(Allen). I think I'll scout around for some for my next building
project in 6-32, 8-32 and 10-32.

Who knows, might even try metric sizes.

Bill, W6WRT