Free Custom Screwdriver in Under Two Minutes

Hey everyone, in this I'ble we'll be making a custom screwdriver from a plastic fork and a lighter in less than two minutes!

This design works better for tiny screws that are not too tight, and I wouldn't use it to tighten my bike's brakes, but it may well spare you a couple bucks and a trip to the hardware store, and is free and quick to try.

Let's get started!

Step 1: Tools and Materials

You'll need nothing more than :

A lighter or other source of heat/flame (match, stove...)

A piece of plastic : this can be a plastic fork, a toothbrush, a pen... If it melts and hardens again nicely, it'll do the job !

Something to screw or unscrew : I wanted to open my computer's back to remove the dust inside.

That's it!

Both my lighter and plastic were pink ; although it adds much classiness to the craft, it does not affect the performance of the final product.

Step 2: Heat It Up!

Now, you want to heat the tip of your plastic part without heating the whole thing and without setting it on fire.

I used a bic lighter to heat a broken tooth of the fork as the screw I wanted to remove was very tiny.

Step 3: Make an Imprint of Your Screw

Now, be quick and before the plastic cools and hardens, push it on the screw head, firmly and very very steadily, try to move as little as possible and only exert downward force to fill the screw head with as much plastic as you can.This is why you want to heat up just the tip of the plastic piece, so that you can use the rigid base to push the tip in the screw head with quite some force without squishing all your soon-to-be screwdriver. Then, just let it cool down and pull it out gently. You can blow on it or dip it in water to cool it quicker. Once the plastic is hard again, you can start using it as a screwdriver!

Step 4: Done!

That's it ! You just have to push on the screw and gently screw/unscrew, it should work if the screw isn't too tight. This way, you can make a screwdriver on the go for those proprietary Apple and torx head screws that usually require a specific tool.

Thanks for reading that instructable, if you liked it please vote for me in the reuse contest!

See you soon,

Deluges

Comments

[sway]

That's great. 6, almost 7 years later and here I am learning something new and potentially quite helpful. Thank You

[SherylinRM]

Proof you can always learn something.

I have been doing woodworking for over 50 years. This is the first time I have seen this.

Saving this one. Thanks :)

[kenyer]

Really smart. This would be great for special safety screws like star and triangle.

[beardedchipmunk]

also, from my experience, this is one great way of making tools in prison.
had a few mates who could open air vents, etc thank to this technique

[beardedchipmunk]

also, from my experience, this is one great way of making tools in prison.
had a few mates who could open air vents, etc thank to this technique

[beardedchipmunk]

careful not to set fire to the electronic device of interest, you seemed to cut it quite close? was that done for the purpose of generating dramatic auxiliary imagery?
the project would have hooked me without that element of $$daNg3R, fyi - its creativity and environmental A+ score (minus toxic fumes from burning plastic) were super sweet!

[beardedchipmunk]

careful not to set fire to the electronic device of interest, you seemed to cut it quite close? was that done for the purpose of generating dramatic auxiliary imagery?
the project would have hooked me without that element of $$daNg3R, fyi - its creativity and environmental A+ score (minus toxic fumes from burning plastic) were super sweet!

[Yonatan24]

I don't understand exactly how this works, Isn't it like trying to connect a female connector to another female connector (in electronics)?

[deluges]

Hey, not really : you make a male impression of a female screw, let it solidify by cooling and then use that male impression to remove the screw. I hope that makes sense ?

[SoomyL]

Unbelievable

[derek white]

necessity, the mother of invention. Bonzer job mate. This one's in the memory bank, thanks.

[deluges]

Absolutely! It's an easy trick to remember indeed

[ShakeTheFuture]

Very good idea. Could save some time if no tools to be found.

[deluges]

Thanks for your kind words! I am quite fond of your projects

[1984gabriel]

this is genius. 1000 thumbs up

[deluges]

Thanks you!

[lathe_makeatio]

Great idea :-) one (plastic) fork fits all! I wonder how many screw driver s I had thrown into to trash before this Instructable. ;-)

[deluges]

One plastic fork to rule them all and in the darkness unscrew them

[bcrocker1]

This'll save me a trip to the Apple store. Brilliant!

[deluges]

Thanks! Glad it will be useful for someone