Hi,

I want to purchase some "Robertson #2" screwdriver bits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver

These have a square tip, and are commonly used in N America, especially
Canada.

Can anybody recommend a UK supplier for these? I'm having no luck.

D

Hi

On Tue, 2 May 2006 07:39:49 +0100, "Vortex"
wrote:

Hi,

I want to purchase some "Robertson #2" screwdriver bits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver

These have a square tip, and are commonly used in N America, especially
Canada.

Can anybody recommend a UK supplier for these? I'm having no luck.

Not sure about hand screwdrivers - but Screwfix (www.screwfix.co.uk)
do 'bits' with a square end to fit in drill-drivers. Search at
Screwfix for 'square bits'......

Hope this helps
Adrian
Suffolk UK
======return email munged=================
take out the papers and the trash to reply

In message , Vortex
writes
Hi,

I want to purchase some "Robertson #2" screwdriver bits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver

These have a square tip, and are commonly used in N America, especially
Canada.

Can anybody recommend a UK supplier for these? I'm having no luck.

I can't recommend them, never having used them but this was the top link
when searching Google UK on 'Robertson Screwdriver'

http://www.abbeypowertools.co.uk/sto...nd-bit-sets/-5


Or the aptly named:

http://www.squarescrews.co.uk/catalogue.htm

Or:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...55234&id=12165



Though these might lack the taper of kosher Robertson ones.

Trend UK seem to list them,. maybe a dealer could order them in.

I happen to have some in cheapo screwdriver/bit set that I bought once,
I suspect some of the bit sets around have them in.


--
Chris French

On Tue, 2 May 2006 08:35:54 +0100, chris French
wrote:



I happen to have some in cheapo screwdriver/bit set that I bought once,
I suspect some of the bit sets around have them in.

Me too, always wondered what they were ;-)

Having worked with both slotted and socketed (philips, pozi, hex,
spline) screws / bolts over the years I do now feel that our ould
slotted screw is very 'crude', especially in the smaller sizes. The
fact that it won't 'easily' hold a screw on the bit and is pretty
specific about the bit size wrt the slot all makes it more akward.

But once Pozi etc get 'quite big' (or very small like watches /
glasses etc) then I think the old slotted screw seem to come back into
their own?

I think it's a 'human' thing .. like inches .. (I still have to try
hard to use metric measurements)? ;-)

So, for those that have used these Robinson screws / bits .. what are
the pro's n con's please? They do look like a good idea and in this
country (where they aren't commonly used) could provide a bit of mild
security on 'publically' accessable things?

All the best ..

T i m

Vortex wrote:
Hi,

I want to purchase some "Robertson #2" screwdriver bits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver

These have a square tip, and are commonly used in N America, especially
Canada.

Can anybody recommend a UK supplier for these? I'm having no luck.

I have a screwdriver set from Maplin, Pro'sKet SD-205
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...=SEO&U=strat15

Which has four tapered square bits, S0, S1, S2, S3. Estimated to be 1.5
to 4mm.
Could be the same thing.

john2

Vortex wrote:

Hi,

I want to purchase some "Robertson #2" screwdriver bits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver

These have a square tip, and are commonly used in N America, especially
Canada.

Can anybody recommend a UK supplier for these? I'm having no luck.

They are now becoming more common here in NZ and most hardware
shops have them.
What I want to know is, why were all the other kinds of screw
head ever invented? They are all stupid compared with the
Robertson. Maybe before 1908 it was hard to make them, but there
is no excuse now. I prefer to use nothing else.

Can anyone explain this statement, which apparently explains why
they are fairly unknown:
"Robertson had licensed the screw in England but the party with
which he was dealing intentionally put the company under and
purchased the rights from the trustee thus circumventing Robertson."

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 2 May 2006 08:35:54 +0100, chris French
wrote:



I happen to have some in cheapo screwdriver/bit set that I bought once,
I suspect some of the bit sets around have them in.

Me too, always wondered what they were ;-)

Having worked with both slotted and socketed (philips, pozi, hex,
spline) screws / bolts over the years I do now feel that our ould
slotted screw is very 'crude', especially in the smaller sizes. The
fact that it won't 'easily' hold a screw on the bit and is pretty
specific about the bit size wrt the slot all makes it more akward.

But once Pozi etc get 'quite big' (or very small like watches /
glasses etc) then I think the old slotted screw seem to come back into
their own?

I like the look of good quality countersunk screws with slot heads.
I have severl boxes I am gradually using up of the higher quality ones
bought from a shop where the man wore a grey overall coat and kept a pencil
behind his ear.
They have very sharp threads and will cut through soft wood. Just make sure
there is enough of a clearance hole drilled.
They work very well into rawplugs because they get thicker towards the head
end unlike a lot of the modern screws.

T i m wrote:

So, for those that have used these Robinson screws / bits .. what are
the pro's n con's please? They do look like a good idea and in this
country (where they aren't commonly used) could provide a bit of mild
security on 'publically' accessable things?

You can put a Robinson screw on the bit in an electric drill,
hold that horizontally and the screw won't fall off as you screw
it in. And the bit never slips and messes up the screw head.

In article ,
T i m wrote:
So, for those that have used these Robinson screws / bits .. what are
the pro's n con's please?

PROs
Good and positive - though quality of screw does vary and I have encountered a
batch of poor screws.
You can't use the wrong size driver and not realise it.
They always work and work well.
There is a minor aspect of security.

CONs
It's not always easy to get hold of drivers - esp drivers of the style you
like.
It's not possible to buy screws everywhere so you need to get a stock in when
you find a good supply.
If you make a pig's ear of a piece of work using the screws you can't then
blame it on the 'previous owner' because all Robinson Screw work in the house
is undoubtedly your own!

They're brilliant. Why anyone uses slotted, Phillips, or so-called Pozidrive
is beyond me.

--
John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822
Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com
Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing

Nick wrote:

Can anyone explain this statement, which apparently explains why they
are fairly unknown:
"Robertson had licensed the screw in England but the party with which he
was dealing intentionally put the company under and purchased the rights
from the trustee thus circumventing Robertson."

It seems to suggest that he signed away the rights to a company in
England to make the things, the owner of which then intentionally put
the company into receivership so that he could purchase the rights to
the screw from his company, but at the same time leave all the
obligations that originally came with those rights behind in the defunct
company. He was then free to make the things without paying the license
fees.

The description in the wiki does not quite ring true however. Since
granting a license to a firm to manufacture something does not usualy
deprive you (the owner) from either revoking that license or granting
another to someone else... (unless it was a very badly worded
"exclusive" licence). Most contracts are worded to become void should
either party be placed into receivership (other than for reorganisation
purposes)


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"Vortex" wrote in message
.. .
Hi,

I want to purchase some "Robertson #2" screwdriver bits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver

These have a square tip, and are commonly used in N America, especially
Canada.

Can anybody recommend a UK supplier for these? I'm having no luck.

D


Problem solved: some Googling found me this:

http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/libr...s/PAGE_184.PDF

They have a dealer 5 miles away who keeps stock. I'll be there in the
morning.

It's great news that they screws are easily available at
www.squarescrews.co.uk

Thanks for the comments/hints.


David

On Tue, 02 May 2006 11:16:20 +0100, John Cartmell
wrote:


CONs

snip

They're brilliant. Why anyone uses slotted, Phillips, or so-called Pozidrive
is beyond me.


Because the sheds don't push em and / or I've never knowingly seen
them anywhere (and I do like to lurk in a good tool shop) ;-)

Another 'con' I thought of is if the hole get's blocked with paint
etc? Because a std X head is set at a good angle it's fairly easy to
clean it out (same with a slotted screw) but I'm not sure how easy
this would be with a Robertson?

Also, wuth X head screws you can push them with a bit of an angle if
needbe, can you do that with a Robertson (or do they do a 'ball ended'
Robertson like they do with 'hexes') ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

On Tue, 2 May 2006 07:39:49 +0100, "Vortex"
wrote:

I want to purchase some "Robertson #2" screwdriver bits.

Can anybody recommend a UK supplier for these? I'm having no luck.

Same place as you bought your Robertson screws (which are practically
unheard of in the UK).

If you're using square drive screws rather than genuine Robertsons, then
Screwfix do them. If you want real Robertsons, with all the not-falling
off advantages they convey, then try Lee Valley in canada (good mail
order, even trans-Atlantic). Or else buy them in Ireland, where I got
mine. They seem commoner there than in the UK.

In article , T i m
wrote:
On Tue, 02 May 2006 11:16:20 +0100, John Cartmell
wrote:


CONs

snip

They're brilliant. Why anyone uses slotted, Phillips, or so-called
Pozidrive is beyond me.


Because the sheds don't push em and / or I've never knowingly seen them
anywhere (and I do like to lurk in a good tool shop) ;-)

Another 'con' I thought of is if the hole get's blocked with paint etc?
Because a std X head is set at a good angle it's fairly easy to clean it
out (same with a slotted screw) but I'm not sure how easy this would be
with a Robertson?

I'd thought you could have drilled it out lightly or poked it out with a sharp
implement.

Also, wuth X head screws you can push them with a bit of an angle if
needbe, can you do that with a Robertson (or do they do a 'ball ended'
Robertson like they do with 'hexes') ;-)

You can get a good purchase on it even if the handle is at 90 degrees. No
pressure required as there is with Pozi - and even slotted.

--
John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822
Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com
Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing