Screwdrivers dressing

[Pip]

This should put your mind at rest. Click on this link.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~fotoplot/sdriver/sdriver.html

That's a really good link for a newly like me OldHippy, thanks. Coincidentally I put an oilstone and jig (plus pegwood and a few other bits) in my virtual basket earlier today with our friends at Cousins, will review the order tomorrow before hitting the pay button.


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[StuartBaker104]

Santa very kindly bought me a copy of George Daniels' book. GD recommends straight blades like the link which OldHippy posted.  I will save any disagreements for some future life where I know more than he!

 

[jdrichard]

Great link by OldHippy, thanks


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[sperki77]

Thanks for the link, oldhippy!

[Vich]

From scouseget posting

"3). I watched a YouTube video yesterday from the AWCI, which stated that not only should a screwdriver be just the right width for the screw slot, it should never bottom out in the slot but rather sit just above it"

Whilst I understand what is being said and why, good luck with that, especially the hollow ground enthusiasts. May get it to work on one screw in one watch but honestly! ?

my test is a bit sort of simple but I found I was doing it without thinking. With the screwdriver of the right size in the slot vertically try to roll it back and forth between thumb and forefinger, if it moves at all "without the screw moving" the driver is not fit, dress or change the bit.

Cheers,

Vic

[jdm]

54 minutes ago, Vich said:

"3). I watched a YouTube video yesterday from the AWCI, which stated that not only should a screwdriver be just the right width for the screw slot, it should never bottom out in the slot but rather sit just above it"

Whilst I understand what is being said and why, good luck with that, especially the hollow ground enthusiasts. May get it to work on one screw in one watch but honestly! ?

I agree with you. And some cuts are so shallow that unless the driver touches the bottom, no good grip is really possible.

[vinn3]

sharpening a screwdriver on a flat stone makes a wedge,  a wedge will spread the screw slot.  or a wedge shaped driver can snap off half the screw head.  (have you seen any watch screws with half a head?  I have. the screw driver head should reach the bottom of the slot. enough for now,  vinn.

[Vich]

Hello Vinn,

I agree, the drivers must be sharpened to fit the slot but also finished off by flattenning the sharp end of the "Wedge" so that the flat part is in maximum contact with the bottom of the slot and the sides just about touching. It is a painstaking process that has to be done on each size of screwdriver. 

I have bought Bergeon replacement driver heads rather than do it myself as although I can do it, I am quite lazy though I do "dress my blades" which is not a major bit of work and you usually follow the original design of the blade.  The Bergeon replacements are provided in the condition that I try to emulate when forced into adjusting a driver myself.  Most of my instruction on such matters was gained from a book "PracticaI Watch Repair by "Donald de Carle"      under " Essential Tools" I would never attempt hollow grinding on a small, say .5 mm or any small  screwdriver, quite frankly think that reduction of the metal available would weaken the blade considerably.  In fact to be honest, I have tried hollow grinding only once, on a 2 mm blade under magnification and life is too short. 

Having said all that I honestly believe that it is a personal decision and everyone should do what they want to do, if wrong decisions are made you soon realise and move on. Either way this forum is a great place for a frank friendly exchange of views that for an amateur tinkerer like myself has been really useful.

Cheers,

Vic

[vinn3]

if the screw driver tip does not touch the bottom of the slot,  you are driving a wedge in and might spread or break the screw head. have you ever seen a screw head with one side broken off?  to prevent making a wedge the blade is "hollow ground".  the tip touches the bottom - and  99.5% contact with the sides of the slot.   i hate to see a watch with distorted  screw heads.   use "blueing"  to view the contact.   vin

[PJA]

Nice Job Tim.

[Matt1]

I am looking at a vintage screwdriver set on Ebay and am wondering if you can get replacement bits for these; are bit diameters relatively standard, or do you need to determine the diameter and try to match it?

[oldhippy]

27 minutes ago, Matt1 said:

I am looking at a vintage screwdriver set on Ebay and am wondering if you can get replacement bits for these; are bit diameters relatively standard, or do you need to determine the diameter and try to match it?

Put the link up and I'll take a look and let you know.

[Matt1]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/362098713440

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-K-D-No-279-WALTHAM-SCREWDRIVERS-Original-Box-KENDRICK-DAVIS-Set-of-8/162527545557?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D41376%26meid%3D3d8b4047be5444b6879853232d4a850c%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D311955455819&_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042

I've read that people like the vintage K&D, but don't screw-in tips, as opposed to set screw type give less torque and tend to loosen?

[Matt1]

I just had the thought that if you shaped some bits from old HSS drill bits, you should be able to fit bits for any of these screwdrivers.  What do you think?

[oldhippy]

I would email the seller and ask if blades are available. Can't you get a good set for that price? after all its incomplete and one has no blade at all.

[vinn3]

it is a good idea to make screw driver bits from drill rod.   a better way to secure it to the hilt is needed.  cheaper to  buy GOOD ones new.

[Tmuir]

I agree if you are going to spend that much might as well spend a little more and get a new set.

I'm very partial to my Horotech MSA01.201-D  set

[mikesomething]

i got one of these recently, still learning how to use it,   but so far seems very good

works best with horotec screwdrivers, some others have i have are too large, but anyways horotec screwdrivers with parallel blades are fantastic 

 

 

[Eckehardt]

On 21/06/2016 at 10:33 AM, Scouseget said:

Hi. 

When I first started in this hobby, I decided not to go cheap on the tools so bought really good quality tweezers and screwdrivers, etc. This leads me to my question on screwdrivers which is that as  the screwdriver set I bought (there are 9 of them in a rotating holder) and came with multiple replacement blades for each size, I assumed then that when a blade chipped, I just junked it and put in a replacement blade, however due to my inexperience I found I was replacing them really often, and in fact soon had to order more of the smaller sizes so:

1). Is this the right approach, i.e., just junk any damaged blades and replace them with new ones and if not, why not considering how cheap the blades are?

2). If I should be sharpening them, can I use a diamond stone as I already have a set of these that i use in my furniture making hobby? I also have water stones - would these be better?

3). I watched a YouTube video yesterday from the AWCI, which stated that not only should a screwdriver be just the right width for the screw slot, it should never bottom out in the slot but rather sit just above it so that the screwdriver actually jams up against the slot walls, which will prevent it slipping out and damaging the screw and/or screw hole. Is this correct because I assumed that the screwdrivers, especially given how expensive they were, would be inherently designed like this? Does this mean that even replacement blades should be adjusted on a stone to assure that they do not bottom out, and what if some screws have shallower slots than others for a given width, should I then customize the screwdrivers to ensure the correct fit?

I should mention that, although I'm getting better at it, I still have screwdrivers slipping out of the screw slots and wreaking havoc, well at least on my ego, if not the movement itself.

Should you have any other advise regarding the maintenance of screwdrivers, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks from sunny Edmonton, which is now being subjected to a plague of mosquitoes thanks to recent heavy rains. And we thought we were going to escape that pleasure this year!

What I do is I polish mine and look at them under a loupe when they're on the screw head with good lighing I sometimes mark my screwdrivers. I sometimes have another set. Polish them and mark them for the movement I use them on. Between the 2 sets I adjust them if the tolerances are slightly off. I despise scratched or nicked screws. And I've worked on many watch movements that careless jewelers have serviced before 

[VWatchie]

I bought the following three products from CousinsUK, and by following the instructions in this video it has been working extremely well for me.

• Bergeon 2461 • Can hold screwdrivers with body up to Ø6.95mm
• Rectangle Aluminium Oxide Combination, Norton
• Oil 3 in 1 Small 100ml

As I have A*F screwdrivers, which I'm happy with, I first tried this A*F Screwdriver Sharpener with Stone but it worked extremely poorly. Only the smallest screwdrivers fitted the hole in the "roller". Plus, the screwdriver is held in place by a screw in the roller which is tightened against the shaft of the screwdriver twisting it so that it doesn't end up parallel with the stone. Also, the stone is very soft and deteriorates easily, like if it was made of compressed fine sand. Stay away from it!

[jdm]

On 1/14/2018 at 1:09 PM, VWatchie said:

I first tried this A*F Screwdriver Sharpener with Stone but it worked extremely poorly. 

You can buy that kind of tool on AliX for $2.48, shipping included. Not much less than £3.30 on Cousins.

[VWatchie]

On ‎2018‎-‎01‎-‎15 at 7:39 PM, jdm said:

You can buy that kind of tool on AliX for $2.48, shipping included. Not much less than £3.30 on Cousins.

Right, as the included stone from Cousins is useless, hench worth... nothing!

I never shop from AliX as I prefer CousinsUK for my watch tool needs. Usually they never fail my expectations, with the mentioned screwdriver sharpener kit being the only exception (so far).

[jdm]

2 hours ago, VWatchie said:

Right, as the included stone from Cousins is useless, hench worth... nothing!

From A*F, Swiss brand 6x times the price that the same product from the same factory.

[ecodec]

On 8/16/2017 at 12:45 AM, vinn3 said:

if the screw driver tip does not touch the bottom of the slot,  you are driving a wedge in and might spread or break the screw head. have you ever seen a screw head with one side broken off?  to prevent making a wedge the blade is "hollow ground".  the tip touches the bottom - and  99.5% contact with the sides of the slot.   i hate to see a watch with distorted  screw heads.   use "blueing"  to view the contact.   vin

Hi vinn3 All agreed, it works for me.

[vinn3]

On ‎1‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 9:04 PM, Eckehardt said:

What I do is I polish mine and look at them under a loupe when they're on the screw head with good lighing I sometimes mark my screwdrivers. I sometimes have another set. Polish them and mark them for the movement I use them on.   Between the 2 sets I adjust them if the tolerances are slightly off. I despise scratched or nicked screws. And I've worked on many watch movements that careless jewelers have serviced before 

"carless jewelers' ?  I say - amateur  mechanics !  it happens in cameras also.  so, get your money back  and

 

learn how to sharpen a screw driver. vin