161–170 of 263 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If I was in charge of these things, I would enact a 'Fahrenheit 451'-style policy, except for Flathead screws instead of books. Any of the other myriad style of screws is preferable to those ancient fasteners.
Agreed. There are two things that I feel should be destroyed and replaced on sight for the betterment of humanity: flat head screws/drivers, and network hubs. It would probably even cause a measurable increase in lifespan due to removal of a significant stress source. But I can dream...
When my wife and I bought our house, I thought the previous owner had stripped the hell out of some Phillips screws... then I learned what Robertson (square) screws were. After getting the proper bit though, I’ve started to really appreciate them. I don’t think I’ve ever stripped a single one.
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Phillips screws are design to have the driver leave the socket if it is over-torqued. Frequently people keep going after this has occurred which results in stripped heads, but if you listen to what the tool is trying to tell you then it shouldn't happen.
>if you listen to what the tool is trying to tell you then it shouldn't happen. The problem is when the tool is telling you the screw is tight enough but it's only halfway in. Or hasn't come out yet. That's where the stripping happens.
If you're getting stuck removing the screw, wait 6 months for the humidity profile to change and the wood to open up.
I'm being slightly factious and I share your pain. The vaseline tip is real though.
When my wife and I bought our house, I thought the previous owner had stripped the hell out of some Phillips screws... then I learned what Robertson (square) screws were. After getting the proper bit though, I’ve started to really appreciate them. I don’t think I’ve ever stripped a single one.
Robertson is excellent but they seem to be a uniquely Canadian phenomenon. My company ships robots to the US in big crates, and we've had to switch to building them with Philips screws instead because of issues with local availability.
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Yes, I also quickly developed some skill with a utility knife, getting the paint out and creating space for the screwdriver head, but I never found a good way to prevent the screwdriver from sliding sideways. Especially with large screws that require a lot of force to remove.
Heat and then a crack with a hammer have been my method. Always using the absolute tightest getting screw driver. I still snap the screw maybe 1 time in 5 due to the torque I can get on it. I’m repairing rusted out 1940s window hinges, and it’s truest awful. Have got about 100-150 to go, but I’ve done maybe 300.
As far as I'm concerned, torx is the only reasonable screw anymore. It seems like most construction screws (at least in the US) have moved to this. Just to make the point: I've stripped out more torx drivers than I have torx heads. I can say I truly don't understand how phillips ever even took hold over flatheads. Cheap phillips head screws seem designed to strip out. Somebody elsewhere in this thread made the point…
When my wife and I bought our house, I thought the previous owner had stripped the hell out of some Phillips screws... then I learned what Robertson (square) screws were. After getting the proper bit though, I’ve started to really appreciate them. I don’t think I’ve ever stripped a single one.