"dpb" wrote in message ...
Eigenvector wrote:
When working with wood projects and the need for a screw fastener comes
up, what head is used now a days? ... Are torx head screws replacing
phillips as
the screw head of choice or are there clear advantages to ANY kind of
screw head? This is for wood, I'm not worried about metal, or plastic,
or something else. I don't really want to start a flame war either, just
curious.

It wouldn't bother me if torx did replace phillips but there has to be
some sort of convention forming, there can't be that many reasons to
choose slotted over phillips over torx over square.

Little to choose slotted for anything other than -- well, I can't think of
any reason, really...

The choice otherwise is really pretty immaterial for the average _rec_
woodworker; the only real place it matters a whole lot is for automated,
high volume applications.

For those, square, torx and similar are preferred as they have less slip
and lift out force than Phillips or even Robertson (the advantage of it
wrt Phillips besides the licensing issues).

That, of course, doesn't address the tampering issue, etc., that is also a
major factor for commercial applications in many fields although probably
somewhat less so for woodworking than other materials.

Then, you're left w/ appearance. If it is in an area that is visible,
nothing is as good looking imo as the Phillips. If it isn't, I'll
normally choose square if all else is equal...

Oh, head shape and application is another consideration, of course,
although lesser to drive configuration, although some things aren't as
readily available in alternate syles (bugle head seem mostly square drive,
for example).

One could go on almost indefinitely w/ more and more minutiae!

In the end, choose what you like and go...again, unless you're in a
production environment it will really make virtually no difference in all
likelihood which you choose once you give up the old slotted...

--
I don't really believe that. The nominal advantage of torx or square over
phillips/slotted is in the way its manufactured. Torx head and Square have
to be stamped or cast within reasonable tolerances, whereas slotted and
phillips can be quite a bit more sloppy - especially with respect to
screwdriver bit size. You aren't going to put a T20 screw in with a T15
bit, but you can usually manage to put in a large phillips head in with a
small phillips - the end result being that the smaller screwdriver bit will
slip and tear up the screwhead. Again, the quality of the screw makes a big
difference, as well as the knowledge of the user. That's one reason why I
prefer the square and torx, I have to pay attention to the size or I won't
get the job done - the phillips lets me be sloppy and lazy. I honestly
don't have any idea what sizes of phillips are available, but there are
sizes God knows what though.