flat screwdriver set for my Lie Nielsen hand planes?

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

Hi everyone,

I just got my first decent hand plane, a LN number 4

as excited as I am about it, I quickly realized that my flat screwdrivers are inadequate -I can tell that if I keep using them, I will damage the brass screw heads.
the screwdrivers sold by LN are beautiful but way out of my budget. for the price of one of them I can get a set from Grace USA gunsmith style screwdrivers (does anyone know if they are a good fit for the LN planes?). so my question is, does anyone have any experience with alternatives to LN flat screwdrivers? If so what sizes do I need? ? I know that the planes are tools but they are beautiful tools and I really want to do right by them and get a decent screwdriver set.

Thanks,

Assaf

[Bob Jones 5443]

Assaf, I said the same thing for years about the expense of the Lie-Nielsen screwdrivers. Then one day I just got fed up with seeing the screws’ vulnerability to my standard drivers. I broke down and spent the $25. It helped that I was at one of their hand tool events, so there was no shipping (even though they had to ship it to me because they ran out at the event). Now I just regard it as a part of my sharpening kit, a dedicated tool for a specific step.

Karma footnote: after it shipped but before it arrived the order receipt listed the wrong size. I called them and they shipped out the correct one and asked me to return the other one. It turned out that the first one actually was the right size, just mislabeled. So then I had two of them. I chose to keep (and pay for) both, because I noticed that the Hock set screws are slightly narrower and the L-N driver doesn’t fit them. So I ground one of the drivers down. Now I have one marked “L-N/Stanley” and one labeled “Hock.” A luxury, I know, but so are my 8000 waterstone and granite surface plate.

But just try to convince me to swap my $15 Eclipse honing guide for the fancy ones. No need.

[Scott Winners]

I used to be a recreational pistol shooter before the arthritis got really bad. I still have in my shop a gunsmithing screwdriver set like this one (no affiliation):

https://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Engin.../dp/B07NDFW974

So far I have a bit in stock to fit every screw on every woodworking tool. Those LN screwdrivers sure are pretty though.

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

LOL I just got the LN honing guide yesterday (ordered with the plane)

[Stephen Rosenthal]

I have many, many LN planes and believe in supporting them, but would never buy their overpriced screwdrivers (one for every tool!). Check out Chapman gunsmith screwdriver kits. One appropriate for your needs will probably cost less than $50. Family-owned and in business since the 30s. Made in USA. If they’re good enough for Wilson Combat pistols and other custom firearm manufacturers, they’re good enough for LN planes. Disclaimer: I have no affiliation whatsoever with them, just a very satisfied customer.

[chris carter]

I had this exact dilemma. Looking and looking it seemed like the only option was to get a giant screwdriver. I've seen plenty of folks with their giant 15" in long or whatever it is screwdriver taking off chip breakers because that's the only way to get a flat head wide enough. I have seen people buy one of those beasts, cut it down, and then fashion on a new handle. I considered that and various other hacks. In the end, I gave up and got a LN screwdriver. Except I was smart and put it on my Xmas list! I will say, it's a great screwdriver.

[Thomas Wilson]

About the L-N screwdrivers, they are lovely and fit the slots precisely. I have 1 through 9. On several of mine, the shafts came loose from the handles. I called L-N, they did not offer replacements. They advised me to re-glue them. I got some Gorilla epoxy, acetone, and rough sandpaper and did so. I also rolled my eyes. So far, the repair has held. I read that they have changed the handles since I bought mine. Perhaps, the gluing issue was a reason.

[Michael Fross]

About the L-N screwdrivers, they are lovely and fit the slots precisely. I have 1 through 9. On several of mine, the shafts came loose from the handles. I called L-N, they did not offer replacements. They advised me to re-glue them. I got some Gorilla epoxy, acetone, and rough sandpaper and did so. I also rolled my eyes. So far, the repair has held. I read that they have changed the handles since I bought mine. Perhaps, the gluing issue was a reason.

Same thing happened to me. They also told me to re-epoxy it. I won't buy another of their screwdrivers, although I do love their tools. On the other hand, if they have changed their design to correct this, maybe they are worth another try.

[Thomas Wilson]

Same thing happened to me. They also told me to re-epoxy it. I won't buy another of their screwdrivers, although I do love their tools. On the other hand, if they have changed their design to correct this, maybe they are worth another try.

Good to know it wasn’t just me and my massive wrist strength.

[Jim Koepke]

Most of my screwdrivers have come from suppliers of automotive tools.

For chip breaker screws my largest cabinet maker's screwdriver works fine. There are a few other large screwdrivers that may be a better fit, but they are a few feet further away.

Many of mine are over 40 years old so not even sure if they are still made.

Stanley and Craftsman used to offer a short screwdriver with a blade about 1/2" wide but only about 1-1/2" long out of a regular handle.

If you are one who likes to work metal, a nice screwdriver could be made out of a 1/2" spade style drill bit.

jtk

[michael langman]

I have many, many LN planes and believe in supporting them, but would never buy their overpriced screwdrivers (one for every tool!). Check out Chapman gunsmith screwdriver kits. One appropriate for your needs will probably cost less than $50. Family-owned and in business since the 30s. Made in USA. If they’re good enough for Wilson Combat pistols and other custom firearm manufacturers, they’re good enough for LN planes. Disclaimer: I have no affiliation whatsoever with them, just a very satisfied customer.

Chapman driver sets are used by toolmakers alot. Their hex key set with the ratcheting handle is the perfect tool for working in tight places. Their products are very good quality.

[Jim Koepke]

Chapman driver sets are used by toolmakers alot. Their hex key set with the ratcheting handle is the perfect tool for working in tight places. Their products are very good quality.

Regarding Chapman sets, they impressed me to the point of purchasing three sets and giving two of them to friends.

jtk

[michael langman]

You are a very generous friend Jim.

[Mike Brady]

If you read reviews, there are plenty of harsh ones about Chapman screwdrivers from people who use them for their intended purpose. Personally, I have never liked screwdrivers with interchangeable bits, as they are a compromise from conception.

That Lie-Nielsen does not offer to repair their failed screwdrivers is curious.

[Jim Koepke]

If you read reviews, there are plenty of harsh ones about Chapman screwdrivers from people who use them for their intended purpose. Personally, I have never liked screwdrivers with interchangeable bits, as they are a compromise from conception.

That Lie-Nielsen does not offer to repair their failed screwdrivers is curious.

Sometimes a compromise is better than carrying a dozen screwdrivers, sometimes it is better to have the exact driver for the purpose. My preference is for an exact fitting screwdriver but my old changeable bit driver sure comes in handy when carrying tools to a remote site.

Searching > chapman screwdriver set reviews < didn't find any 'bad' reviews so changed it to > chapman screwdriver set bad reviews < and found this:

I had never heard of them until about a week ago. Small Ct based company that makes screwdriver sets.

I was looking for a simple around the house interchangeable tip 1/4 based screw driver set, something to keep in the kitchen toolbox. Everything I looked at either seemed gimmicky (self loading tips) or just cheap. Couple German ones looked good, Wera I think was the name.

Anyhow, in just googling for some reviews I came across Chapman Mfg. Seems nobody had written a bad thing about them, based in Ct, small company and they had what looked like a really well though out product.

This is from 2014 so maybe things have changed at the small Connecticut based company. My Chapman set has saved my bacon more than a few times. It has never been used to try and loosen a stuck nut with a socket and a cheater bar.

As far as LN is concerned they are a great company even if my personal experience is not perfect. Screwdrivers are possibly one of the most abused tools. In some shops they are considered consumable items.

There are also people who have no concept about how any tool works. As an example a friend of mine collected items that would create a pleasant tone when tapped with a stick or other object. Thinking he might enjoy a mallet just for such a purpose some scraps of wood were glued into a small mallet. The head was at most 2" in the longest dimension. It was nice for tapping his pot lids and large pieces of metal to make pleasing sounds. He decided to take it camping and was a bit disappointed it didn't work for driving his tent stakes.

Some folks can not understand force required versus size of tool involved to apply said force. That is why some people will look at a screw head that is a half inch wide slotted head screw and pick up a screwdriver with a quarter inch blade and be amazed when it cams out and messes up the screw head. Of course they will complain it should have worked fine.

jtk