That’s right, I think I love square. Swore off slotted screws years ago, reasoning phillips were superior. Bought square drive on occasion for specific jobs, like pocket screws, but still had the screw box loaded with phillips.
Today I treated myself (and Mcfeelys) to a reload of all the bins and some tips… something I’d thought about but never did. I’ll dump the phillips, maybe even give the box a coat of shellac and hopefully never look back.
Anybody else go this route?
PJ
Whatever you can do or dream you can,
Begin it
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Goethe
Replies
well yeah...like 10 yrs ago..LOL
actually, I am hooked on the torx drives now.
still use all three in various and sundry situations.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I'll just do it>
Seems trends take a while to slow down to my speed :-) It's Idaho, you know! PJ
Whatever you can do or dream you can, Begin it Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Goethe
I have a cousin in Idaho, in Ketchum. He's one of the best stone mason I have ever met.
They sure build some fancy houses out your way!
That's a real microcosm (sp) in Ketchum / Sun Valley. Big money from outside the area, quite a few celebs, I think. Great place to ply his trade, I'll bet. PJ
Whatever you can do or dream you can, Begin it Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Goethe
Every Canadian went this route, except for the cool box, eh? Only we call them Robertsons up here. Robertson's the name of the Canadian with the original patent for the square drive screw. Used to laugh when American customers asked me what the h*ll those funny screws were. I'd put one on the end of the screwdriver and then ask them to shake it off (with proper Robertson screws and a decent screwdriver, it's well nigh impossible to shake the screw off the driver). We still have to use all "bisexual" screws so an American without a square screwdriver in his toolbox can take our units apart...
HA! Bisexual screws! Got a bunch of 'em that I purchased thinking that I'd cover the bases... I'll use them up and go straight square... errr.... Robertson...turns out I'm not AC/DC.PJ
Whatever you can do or dream you can, Begin it Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Goethe
I went with square drive a while back, and really like them. Don't use phillips at all if I can help it.
I like Mcfeelys, but they're kinda expensive.
Like Sphere mentioned, the Torx head screws are nice too. I think they even hold better 'n square drive.
I like the torx boss, cept for the varying size heads/hence tip of close to the same size screw. With a phillips changing size, easy to see the difference w/o having to reference the tip to the head. I did an exterior framing job with several connectors and had a severe learning curve having to change a tip between repetitive functions. Would have used more drill motors, but we were hanging on with the other hand to keep from sliding down the hill. Good thing we had some 2x4 kicks to take some of the weight.
Anything can set me off in the rain.Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I find that I have to be equipped to deal with whatever head is already there -- slot, Phillips, Robertson (square), Allen (hex), torx. And also hex and square fasteners the other way around, socket on the driver, not the bolt.
Take the amount of torque that a drive design can transfer before it strips out, and divide that by the volume of the head. The resulting number (foot-pounds per cubic inch) seems to me to be a measure of the quality of the design.
-- J.S.
Heh heh, I guess them Canuks know a thing or two about screwin. I like the torx too, love them GRK's. Phillips is still the thing for DW. Camming out is actually good there, lol. All my pocket screws come square drive though.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
But are there any 2 1/2 inch number 9 screws in that batch? Been looking for them to fix my doors. I've had offers of hen's teeth & snake shoes, but no #9's.
Don
http://www.metalgrip.com/search.html?category_code=WOOD&sell_code=DPF&3U9H6X Phillips Flat Full Body Wood Screw Zinc
Item No Size Carton Qty Weight
0948DPF 9X3 800 13.92 lbsChoose Your Carton Quantity Discount
1-3 Cartons
$66.49 4-9 Cartons
$63.16 10+ Cartons
$59.84
google result
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter
Bobl: Unfortunately, I only need a dozen. A case would be overkill - unless I needed a doorstop.Thanks.DonThe GlassMasterworks - If it scratches, I etch it!
another vote for the torx head here. I used some fancy stainless deck screws reecently for a deck right off the ocean an i was blown away with the quality of the screws(sorry dont know the brand).. expensive at just under $70 a box but they looked like each one came off of a cnc mill. Ane they were unbelievably nice to use.-->
measure once
scribble several lines
spend some time figuring out wich scribble
cut the wrong line
get mad
I went square. Now torx.
When I ordered square I had the #6 screws supplied with a #2 drive, simplified things.
Welcome to the dark side,eh!
Torx huh? Only used them on cars and trailer decks. Sounds like they may be making inroads like Robertson did 10 years ago. Is there availability in general sizes or is it mostly specialty screws like decking and timber? Where you buy them? PJ
Whatever you can do or dream you can, Begin it Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Goethe
The torx screws I recently used were 3" stainless steel that we used to build a porch and handicap ramp. Don't recall the brand, they were just what the local lumberyard had in stock.I haven't seen any from a place like McFeely's yet.
Talent is that which is in a man's power; genius is that in whose power a man is. [James Russell Lowell]
The local ACE hardware store has the Torx (They call them Start Drilve)."Power Pro"http://www.hillmangroup.com/powerpro.htmThey are a great screw self drilling tip and smooth section of shankk so that if really pulls the pieces together.The only problem with this brand is that head is not tight on the bit and it takes two hands to get one started.
Hey it is about time you Amerks started using Robertson screws. Us north of the border have laugh everytime we see one of your Bob Vila, Hometime, Trading Places etc television shows and some poor soul is fighting with a phillips screw (phillips did not even invent his screw) Robertson would not licence his screw to Ford so Phillips got his chance.
Have a good day
Cliffy
Edited 1/4/2005 5:40 pm ET by cliffy