Slotted or Phillips ?
- Thread starter CYQK
- Start date
I prefer slotted or Frearson to Philips.
Provided you use a properly sized slotted driver, you can generate a lot of torque. I was able to remove all 16 of the 4 1/2" bronze slotted screws holding the centerboard trunk in my 1966 GP14 once I cleaned the slots well.
Frearson is a cross shaped head that looks similar to Philips, but is much better. The flutes of Philips drivers are tapered in thickness, and designed to "cam" out with high torques. This is partially why it's so easy to wear out and ruin a Philips screw driver, and to mung up the head of your fastener. Frearson bits have non-tapered flutes, and they don't cam out at all. Of course, you need to have a Frearson bit around...
Oh, the cool thing about Philips or Frearson is that they are self-aligning across the X and Y axis, whereas slotted is not. This can be where you get into trouble with slotted fasteners... Much easier to shoot fasteners in using a mechanical means like a screw gun with Philips or Frearson...
Provided you use a properly sized slotted driver, you can generate a lot of torque. I was able to remove all 16 of the 4 1/2" bronze slotted screws holding the centerboard trunk in my 1966 GP14 once I cleaned the slots well.
Frearson is a cross shaped head that looks similar to Philips, but is much better. The flutes of Philips drivers are tapered in thickness, and designed to "cam" out with high torques. This is partially why it's so easy to wear out and ruin a Philips screw driver, and to mung up the head of your fastener. Frearson bits have non-tapered flutes, and they don't cam out at all. Of course, you need to have a Frearson bit around...
Oh, the cool thing about Philips or Frearson is that they are self-aligning across the X and Y axis, whereas slotted is not. This can be where you get into trouble with slotted fasteners... Much easier to shoot fasteners in using a mechanical means like a screw gun with Philips or Frearson...
I had to look that up, I did not know a square-head was called a Robertson.
Just to drive my son crazy...I'm going to casually toss that out next time I'm in the shop...
"Hey bud, can you pass me the Robertson bit?"
Pozi was designed as an 'improvement' of the Phillips to facilitate volume production, both automated and manual. 95% of the benefits of the design lie there; in the speed and ease of alignment of the tool facing. If care is taken with a phillips, pozi is not really any better.
Phillips or Reed-Prince .. I like to see the little "X's" all lined up ... look at a Hinckley and you'll see what I mean; if the heads are visible, they are all aligned. They come from builder that way.. I took some time to do the fasteners on my toe rails and T-tracks that way .. my Hunter certainly did not come that way!
Pozi is used on Alpine ski bindings - I'm shootin' screws into skis all the time. Having seen Bosman's pic above, I can totally see how the bit looks to be an evolution of Philips. However, to me, the fastener head still looks like it can cam out and get ganked up easily. That's why I like Frearson... Never knew Frearson existed until I bought a bunch of silicon bronze screws from Jamestown Distributors to work on the GP14...
Lots of options presented. probably need a poll next
I prefer Phillips. Common drivers are always slipping out of the slots
I prefer Phillips. Common drivers are always slipping out of the slots
Frearson-Reed and Prince - Basically same thing
I like Roberson or star drives when I can use them
I like Roberson or star drives when I can use them
And how much of that is an attempt to make you buy more crap?This shows the differences.
