Friday, April 26, 2013

REMARKABLE SCREWDRIVERS

     At least, they look remarkable.  I haven't had a chance to try them and I am arguing with myself over buying a set: Lee Valley's Woodworker's Parallel-Tip Screwdrivers.  Sized, they say, for #4 through #10 woodscrews, they have hollow-ground parallel tips the same width as the shaft and the rugged "perfect handle" design, in which the driver body is one piece of steel with two wooden scales to form the grip.  The cross-section of the grip is oval, allowing a better hold and keeping them from rolling.

     This is just about every desirable feature in a flat-blade screwdriver.  They include a carbide burnisher to improve grip with brass screws, a great idea if it works.

     I rarely endorse current commercial products and this is based on the catalog info -- but the design is just plain right in many ways.

5 comments:

  1. Yes, those appear to be beautiful as well as functional. On my tool-bench is a Brownell's Magn-Tip set. Hollow-ground interchangeable tips. Roll-resistant handles of varying proportions; I like the LE model. Accepts hex bits from other sources too. Between my 58-bit set, and the thin-bits too, I'm covered for most needs. (see http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/skus/l_080112804_2.jpg)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have a set like that and it's very handy -- the (only) drawback is the diameter of the magnetic hex chuck compared to the smaller driver sizes. Upside, you can make your own driver handles for hex bits; I really ought to post an image of my "drive anything" set.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those are pretty. Not a bad price either.

    I see most gunsmith screwdrivers advertised at places like MidwayUSA are hollow ground as well. I bought a cheap set of bits + handle for doing first aid on my guns. (I can hardly call what I do to them "surgery," except in a cheap slasher film way.) They do seem to fit the screw slots better. For $17 it was worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the heads up. I love perfect handle stuff. Except when I touch something energized with the screwdriver tip.

    ReplyDelete
  5. NJT: If the handle is no longer perfect after the incident, you are probably in no shape to contemplate its shape. Not for a while, at least.

    ReplyDelete