Tom Holden wrote:

"Fred McKenzie" wrote in message
...
In article , Highland Ham
wrote:

What about Posidrive screwdrivers ? These are similar to Philips type of
screwdrivers but have additional 'notches' (if that is the correct word)
for better grip . The relevant screw heads are accordingly.

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

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

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 04:39:30 GMT, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

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

Bill Turner wrote:

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 04:39:30 GMT, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

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

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

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


"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
Tom Holden wrote:

"Fred McKenzie" wrote in message
...
In article , Highland Ham
wrote:

What about Posidrive screwdrivers ? These are similar to Philips type
of
screwdrivers but have additional 'notches' (if that is the correct
word)
for better grip . The relevant screw heads are accordingly.

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

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

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
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

Tom Holden wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
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


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

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:38:10 GMT, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

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

"Bill Turner" wrote in message
...


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.

Greg Neill wrote:

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

Roy Lewallen wrote:

Greg Neill wrote:

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


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