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List of screw drives

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Re: List of screw drives

#171

Post by sophacles »

mikepurvis wrote: post #164
nfriedly wrote: post #131

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.

Maybe it's a regional thing? Here in the midwest US the hardware stores carry them and Phillips, in about 50:50 proportion -- At least for construction screws (decking screws for example) this is true. Most of the contractors I know locally prefer them as well.

Re: List of screw drives

#172

Post by dsfyu404ed »

lsc wrote: post #103
TeMPOraL wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Anyone who has worked on vehicles knows the importance of getting the exact right tool to unfasten a fastener If you're a pro auto shop, you can probably get your hands on all of the exactly right tools. If you're an individual, it's another story... It's a matter of lag in the supply/demand loop. The moment Apple introduced pentalobe screws, or in general, the moment a different company introduces an unusual screw…

>If you're a pro auto shop, you can probably get your hands on all of the exactly right tools. If you're an individual, it's another story... Meh, I'm mostly talking about getting the right socket for the job... I mean, don't use the ASE socket that is almost the same as the metric bolt you are working on, go down to the hardware store and get the right tool. That's the thing about automotive work; as far as I can te…

>I mean, don't use the ASE socket that is almost the same as the metric bolt you are working on

Just use whatever fits tightest. Fasteners get smaller from rust.

Some people organize their sockets by size and ignore which unit they're sized in.

> they can answer even relatively difficult questions. This is not, in my experience, true of Frys.

This is only because you don't know what you don't know and don't have reason to ask complicated or very specific questions at the auto parts store whereas you do at the computer store. The median parts counter person has the same depth of knowledge across basically all industries.

https://seekerblog.com/2006/01/31/the-murray-gell-mann-amnes...

Re: List of screw drives

#173

Post by simonbarker87 »

mattmaroon wrote: post #122
blhack wrote: post #73

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…

Square heads are also acceptable. Kreg uses them for pocket hole screws and I like how easy it is to get the bit in when you're in a tight spot. They resist cam out pretty well also, I've not yet had a screw of either type I couldn't easily remove. A good flat head screw is better than a crappy Phillips but a bad one is worse. The bad ones seem to strip by design.

My issue with kreg is that the driver isn’t a perfect fit for the screws so when you take them out you have to knock them off the driver tip somehow. It’s like it’s an imperial metric mismatch but they are all official kreg parts so don’t know.

Re: List of screw drives

#174

Post by linsomniac »

sophacles wrote: post #171
mikepurvis wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Maybe it's a regional thing? Here in the midwest US the hardware stores carry them and Phillips, in about 50:50 proportion -- At least for construction screws (decking screws for example) this is true. Most of the contractors I know locally prefer them as well.

They are around here, but I'd say star point (not sure if they are double square or Torx), seem to be as prevalent at Home Depot as Robertson. I'm in Colorado, so on the cusp of the West.

Re: List of screw drives

#175

Post by Lionsion »

Important FYI for any Americans who don't know:

Ikea screws are not Phillips, they're actually Pozidriv, which is different enough to matter. Do not use a Phillips screwdriver to assemble Ikea furnature, as that combination will easily cam out and ruin the (typically soft metal) screw. It's easiest to buy the correct Pozidriv screwdriver bits from Ikea, but they're also available online.

My understanding is that Pozidriv is as popular in Europe as Phillips is in America. They look so similar that you probably won't know the difference unless you're told about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives#Pozidriv:

> Pozidriv and Phillips are not interchangeable. While Pozidriv screwdrivers fit Phillips screws, they may slip or tear out the Phillips screw head. Conversely, while Phillips screwdrivers will loosely fit and turn Pozidriv screws, they will cam out if enough torque is applied, potentially damaging the screw head or screwdriver.

Re: List of screw drives

#176

Post by [deleted] »

Lionsion wrote: post #175

Important FYI for any Americans who don't know: Ikea screws are not Phillips, they're actually Pozidriv , which is different enough to matter. Do not use a Phillips screwdriver to assemble Ikea furnature, as that combination will easily cam out and ruin the (typically soft metal) screw. It's easiest to buy the correct Pozidriv screwdriver bits from Ikea, but they're also available online. My understanding is that Poz…

[deleted]

Re: List of screw drives

#177

Post by linsomniac »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #45

Not sure how common in the rest of the world it is, but in New Zealand it's quite common to have screws that are a combo-bit, and accept Phillips/pozi drive and also Robertson drive. The construction industry is a bit split between Pozi and Robertson, or at least it was a few years ago. Robertson drive is an amazing drive for construction work. The screws stick nicely onto magnetised drivers, so that you can screw th…

I first noticed this on electrical components like switches, receptacles, and breakers here in the US, a few months ago. All the screws on the devices themselves are flat, Phillips (maybe Pozi, didn't check) and square. I was remodeling my kitchen and adding some circuits, replacing all the devices, and pigtailing all the old Aluminum.

Those multi-driver heads are pretty wonderful!

Re: List of screw drives

#178

Post by Lionsion »

sophacles wrote: post #171
mikepurvis wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Maybe it's a regional thing? Here in the midwest US the hardware stores carry them and Phillips, in about 50:50 proportion -- At least for construction screws (decking screws for example) this is true. Most of the contractors I know locally prefer them as well.

> Here in the midwest US the hardware stores carry them and Phillips, in about 50:50 proportion -- At least for construction screws (decking screws for example) this is true.

I've seen them too, but only as construction screws. I've never seen a square drive sheet metal or machine screw in the US, for instance.

Re: List of screw drives

#179

Post by nsxwolf »

Lionsion wrote: post #175

Important FYI for any Americans who don't know: Ikea screws are not Phillips, they're actually Pozidriv , which is different enough to matter. Do not use a Phillips screwdriver to assemble Ikea furnature, as that combination will easily cam out and ruin the (typically soft metal) screw. It's easiest to buy the correct Pozidriv screwdriver bits from Ikea, but they're also available online. My understanding is that Poz…

Amazing that this has never met my attention. Why doesn't IKEA make this more clear?

Re: List of screw drives

#180

Post by jgibson »

barrkel wrote: post #78
jgibson wrote: post #50

As a teenager I stripped nearly all the screws holding the crankcase of my motorcycle together before realizing that JIS was different from Phillips. Didn't help that most of the old steel screws had seized against the aluminium crankcase. After a few unsuccessful attempts with an impact driver, I ended up just welding nuts to the heads, waiting for the heat to soak, then then wrenching them off. Then threw the lot o…

Stainless will sieze in aluminium much easier than plain steel due to https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion . Anti-sieze copper paste recommended if stainless is used, and it's often not a bad idea in any case.

Yeah, I definitely had some of that around, although I think I used the nickel stuff as it was cheaper. Reminds me of this quote:

"The key to motorcycle maintenance is knowing when to use anti-sieze and when to use thread-locker"

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