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When a Phillips is not a Phillips - Plus So Much More!
A Continuation of Screws and Drives
by Egon Pavlis, Biomedtronix Inc.
With overwhelming response to my preceding "ible" titled "When a Phillips is not a Phillips? - Cross-head, Cross-Point, Cruciform, Square Drive Screws and Drivers" and this logical expansion follows. Readers requested information on all - recessed screw drives including security, especially the tougher ones to find. Well, here they are.
This article contains a lot of information presented from company websites, catalogues and brochures and so 'may be biased' to highlight their drive qualities. There are some advantages and disadvantages of some drive types. This "ible" is not intended to present one drive superior over another as each has desirable qualities. Maybe it will be the definitive guide with your help it could get close.
If you disagree with any of the information or if I missed a related drive you know of, please let me know where I can validate the information. Miss-information, incorrect illustrations, screwed up usage of terms on the Internet and elsewhere is rampant and part of the problem created by so many drives.
Should you have relevant information, especially verifiable or with web links, clear pictures etc to add, correct or improve the project please email it to me so I can follow-up on it.
Please refer to the Step # when leaving comments or questions to that specific drive types.
Use this project, enjoy it, share it, just do not claim it as your own or sell it. Some of the contents have been borrowed, copied, clipped, etc and may still be copyrighted by others.
Should you feel motivated enough to forward cash $$, I'd like to inspire and encourage you to please remember I like and also collect all flavours of world currency!
If you enjoy this work, please remember to Vote accordingly if you see it in an Instructable Contest.
- Notes about project layout
Icon patterns of each screw type are a view of the screw head, straight on. They can best be visualized if you imagine the screw head is used as a rubber stamp with a black inkpad. The screw head fingerprint result transferred onto white paper should resemble the icon. The drive of course is usually, but not always, an inverse of this. Occasionally gray is used in some icons to indicate detail at a different level, one that would also not touch the black in the print, but requires the detail highlighted.
A few types are grouped at the far end of the 'ible', these include Combo Drives, Security Key Drives and Gamer Drives.
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Signing UpStep 1First a little background
So, why all the confusion then?
Why all the damaged screw heads and drivers?
Why is this screw and driver thing so awkward?
Read on and be amazed while unraveling the mystery of screw drives and present some you may have never seen. Seems everyone with an idea tries to patent a new screw to get rich, many just do not make it.
Today screws are everywhere and many are more easily confused than ever before. This guide should help you through many kinds. Let's us cover some basics and a bit of history first.
So what is a screw?
A screw is really a shaft with at least one helical groove (thanks tallmanbaby for reminding us that with today's screw products a screw could have more than one groove) or thread formed on its surface. Its main uses are as a threaded fastener used to hold objects together, and as a simple machine used to translate torque into linear force. It can also be defined as an inclined plane wrapped around a shaft.Every threaded fastener needs a way of turning it. This 'Screw' driver may be a wrench that fits a hex-head bolt or a nut, or it may have a shaped and recessed hole into which a driver can be inserted.
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Anyway, I keep all the leaky relief valves that I replace and strip them for thier brass housing. Some of them use tamper proof Torx or even Clutch G screws to secure the valve/spring assembly to the brass housing. But alot of them have these Torx 3-lobe screws that I've used larger Tri-wing bits to remove them but eventually the bit gets ruined and those aren't the easiest to come by either. Torx 3-lobe are impossible to come by and now I'm forced to just sawzall 'em off. Here's a couple pics.
It is not a large tool box. It is an old tackle box actually. All of the bits fit in a roll up canvas Skil bit assortment set I got many years ago...it came with 5 of each of many types of bits and drills in it. About 320 screw bits and drill bits in all. Now it has just the various types of screw bits, some extractors, and the drill bits are just a set of cobalt drill bits for screw drilling, the others are long gone giving their space to more screw bits. When it is rolled up it is about a foot long and about 3" in diameter.
It doesn't take much space to build up a kit. I used to hit specialty tool shops for equipment I worked on and trained techs to repair. I was in electronics, but bought tools to make tool sets for our field techs, if I saw some odd bits while out and about and they were not much in cost I'd pick them up for myself.
Excellent 'ible by the way!
A slot would most often work, although this would depend on how deeply countersunk the head is, and if the head is large enough to cut or cutting disc is thin enough. I do have some very small ones with very little 'lip' left after a slot was cut to easily remove. Security screws are intended to deter removal by unauthorised persons while retaining full functionality to authorized persons. If the screw was never intended to remove then there are some very permanent adhesives.
As well security screws are often used to indicate attempts to remove. One example of this would be when screw removal voids warranty.
All being said though, they are by no means as secure as an actual lock and key, but even those can be bypassed with picks ... and axes.
The long slot sides are parallel, and I guess the hemispherical dip in the middle is to help the screwdriver bit centre in the screw. I presumed they had automated machines installing the screws. I can take macro photos if needed.
great lexicon of screws :)
weld a piece of metal on it so i can just unscrew it.
Bzzzz, and screw
=D
Not suitable if the
* screw is screwed into plastic
* screw is screwed into wood
* screw head is 3mm wide
* equipment has to put back together, with the same screws, and no evidence is to be left, that it has been opened
* deeply recessed (no access)
just weld a piece of metal on it and unscrew it =P
Tell me if this won't work on a screw, i would love to try it myself!
~hope this helps someone
I believe the intent of tamper proof or tamper resistant is to discourage average vandalism. Of course almost any screw can be bypassed eventually but your average vandal won't go to the lengths of welding, grinding, drilling, or carrying several specialised tools, etc.
I've insert it between step 19 and 20. Called a "Notched Spanner. I have no idea how I could have missed this very logical design.
Thanks, Torqueman2002
Only joking!
Spelling corrections: brake should be break, screww, Phillipsýer
Which major car mfg refused to use these screws?
So how DO they actually make the head in the screw?
I know they can mould the metal around a former of the shape of the screwdriver, but that's unlikely, as it will possibly result in a weak screw head.
Also, the picture of the bit appears to be a Hex/Allen! Hard to tell.
This can be undone with just the right sized triangular screwdriver.
BTW: great instructable!!
Also, your B&W image isn't quite right. The white bits indicate where no metal is. But this screw head doesn't have 2 semicircular areas. It has 2 ramps and should (IMO) be indicated by gray bits. But you say gray bits are where special attention is needed, not necessarily intermediate height bits. I'll make an image...
For example, in step 56, the step title should be "Recex" not "Resex"
Oops!
One re-read would do the trick here.