Robertson, Phillips, and the History of the Screwdriver

[Dave Lehnert]

Thought this was an interesting video.

[Paul F Mills]

Stop screwing around and get back to woodworking.

Kidding, that was really interesting. My wife laughed at me though.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Thank you to whoever invented Torx so we aren't stuck with either of these two now.

[Matt Day]

Thanks for the video, good watch.
Give me Robertson screws any day over Phillips. Square drives are my screws of choice.

[Mike Kees]

Always wondered why Robertson screws were unheard of in the U.S. They have kind of disappeared locally for me here in Alberta,the lumber yards are now selling "square drive" which is close but not tapered that slight little bit which makes a huge difference. Still remember my Dad as a kid being amazed at how well Robersons worked when he "discovered" them after we immigrated to Canada in 1978. IMHO they are far better than Phillips.

[Mark Bolton]

Im with the notion that torx is an even better improvement but not as widely available. Robertson/square are my choice as well. Interestingly posi-drive phillips are just about as good as roberston/square but are hard to find. In a production environment the point of a phillips/posi-drive are most definitely faster than robertson/torx

Great video. Ive always had a sick obsession with fasteners.

[Howard Rosenberg]

Thanks for this video.
I find this sort of info fascinating.

One thing The History Guy left out is that practitioners of a brand new industry preferred Robertson screws - electricians. The superior grip allowed them to work overhead without the screws cramming out. A convergence of two brand new industries.

[Frederick Skelly]

I enjoyed that Dave. Thanks for posting it.
Fred

[John K Jordan]

I enjoyed that Dave. Thanks for posting it.
Fred

I rarely watch videos but that caught my eye and was interesting.

I'd like to learn a bit about the history Torx, my favorite in the shop and around the farm.

The phillips head is the worst, IMO. When I worked on motorcycles a lot my solution for stubborn phillips screws on engine casings was to cut a slot with a Dremel and use a slotted bit in an impact driver.

BTW, about the problem with slotted screwdrivers slipping: A blade that doesn't fit perfectly is a chance for disaster, made worse by the tapered design of most standard screwdrivers. My first set of gunsmith screwdrivers convinced me to grind some of my standard screwdrivers to have parallel rather than tapered sides when time to sharpen. The grit on the flat sides of some CBN wheels are perfect for this.

[John K Jordan]

I forgot to mention, when I run into the occasional unusual screw I keep a set similar to this:

screwdriver_bits.jpg

I only find a need for one on very rare occasions but it has "saved the day".

[Frederick Skelly]

I have one of those too John! Mighty handy on the day that I need it.

[Bill Carey]

Thanks Dave - that was pretty interesting. My wife asked what I was watching and I said the history of screwing. She walked out - I think I got some 'splainin to do.

[Tim Andrews]

They forgot to mention how to make a Phillips screwdriver: 1 shot vodka, fill glass with orange juice, finish with a splash of Milk of Magnesia...

[John Gustafson]

One of the issues with Phillips in todays market is that that's not what the screws are. There iis another standard generally used on stuff from the pacific rim, JIS or Japnese4 Industrial Standard. Looks like Phillips, phillips drivers might fit but will cam out. You can get JIS drivers. JIS is the de facto standard in Japan, China, Korea, and most of the western pacific rim. Usually the heads have a single round dimple on them but not always. That's why there is such a general hatred of "Soft Phillips screws" on Japanese motorcycles. Google JIS, it's an interesting fastener story as well. I sprung for a set of JIS drivers. It's helped keep my blood pressure down when I've had to deal with "Phillips ?????" screws. It's gotten so I almost grab them first these days when I see a cross head.