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

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:55:26 GMT, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

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

Bill Turner wrote:

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:55:26 GMT, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

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



I have never seen them with machine screw threads, only as wood
screws.


--
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
...
Bill Turner wrote:


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



I have never seen them with machine screw threads, only as wood
screws.

Ah, you poor deprived person! Got 'em aplenty up
here in the Great White North!