Hey European & American friends who use tools and do building, repairs, DIY – are Robertson screws common in your area?
Are Robertson screwdrivers common in European toolboxes?
In Canada I suspect that 99% of people who have tools would have Robertson screwdrivers in their toolbox. At least the red & green (#2, #1) sizes. The more intrepid will have the yellow and black (#0, #3) sizes too.
#DIY #tools #carpentry #joinery #Question
Poll to follow…
This entry was edited (1 year ago)
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •- Yes (I'm not in Canada) (11%, 40 votes)
- No (not in Canada) (35%, 119 votes)
- Yes (I'm in Canada) (51%, 173 votes)
- No (I'm in Canada) (0%, 3 votes)
335 voters. Poll end: 1 year agoRoss of Ottawa
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Dave Plummer :TheCDN4: :mfv:
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Probably about 25 years ago, my father sent a homemade box of stuff to family in the UK. A few weeks later he got a letter asking how they were supposed to own a box constructed with these weird screws.
He sent them a Robertson screwdriver by return post.
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Dave Plummer :TheCDN4: :mfv: • • •Dave Plummer :TheCDN4: :mfv:
in reply to Dave Plummer :TheCDN4: :mfv: • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Dave Plummer :TheCDN4: :mfv: • • •Michael Porter
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Michael Porter • • •@MichaelPorter I particularly like when you discover a Phillips screw that has the hidden compatibility with Robertson built into the middle.
Canadians everywhere release a comforting sigh when their Robertson slots nicely into one of those.
Martin Settle 🇨🇦
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Those are actually specially designed with the idea that you screw them in with the Phillips, so that you can't overtorque them. If you need to remove them years later, you can use much more torque with the Robertson to break through any sticky rust. My pool is constructed with them...
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Martin Settle 🇨🇦 • • •frandroid à Toronto
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •LillyLyle/Count Melancholia
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to LillyLyle/Count Melancholia • • •@LillyHerself True - maybe that would be the start of a new proliferation of them into Europe.
The little item I sell can be mounted with a couple of screws and is very cheap, so I'll probably just put a couple of Phillips screws in the package.
LillyLyle/Count Melancholia
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •What was their normal application? Can't be bicycles or electronics, or I'd have seen one, as I regularly took those things apart.
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to LillyLyle/Count Melancholia • • •@LillyHerself Lots of wood-joinery use. Pretty much all deck screws are Robertson here. They're not as commonly in machine screws, or electronics, but we don't build a lot of that domestically.
All electrical receptacles, light switches and boxes - everything behind the decorative plate really - are Robertson here. Often Phillips compatible too.
Many hinges on doors are Robertson here. A lot of us will throw away the phillips wood screws that come with anthing and use our own Robertsons.
jarkman
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •@LillyHerself Phillips is pretty rare in the UK. Pozi is by far the most common for woodscrews, with Torx a rising second. I don't think I've ever seen a Robertson in my life.
I suspect Europe is the same, maybe more Torx and less Pozi.
Emily S
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •I'm in the UK, but I've been seriously considering making my own screwdrivers. Mostly so I can have stupidly long ones.
While those wouldn't be much use, I don't think I've seen them outside of construction, I've got to appreciate the ease of machining. I think I could manage one of those with a bench grinder. A Phillips? Not so much
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Emily S • • •@Emily_S True - that's appealing in a pinch, to be able to grind one down.
The only grind-your-own screwdriver I've had to make was a crazy equilateral-triangle socket heat a little while ago. I think it was on an espresso machine. I ground a nail into a triangle and mounted it in a dowel, and it worked very nicely.
Had never seen those screws before or since.
Emily S
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Emily S • • •anotherandrew
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to anotherandrew • • •anotherandrew
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Chris Begley
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Use Phillips or include a driver
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Chris Begley • • •Alfred Chow - Maker of Things
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •I need to get hold of No0, 1, and 3, but they seem rare and expensive.
In the meantime I grind my own as needed.
I am in the UK
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Alfred Chow - Maker of Things • • •@Maker_of_Things Nice - thanks.
Do you see Torx much in repair scenarios?
Alfred Chow - Maker of Things
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •I see a lot of torx and pin torx, and I have a full set of micro and standard torx drivers.
For day to day use construction adn woodwork screws I use torx if I can, though I end up with Pozidrive of hex for stainless steel.
I am also seeing a lot of triangular, Y and triwing screws, so have a set of them too.
I used to have a System Zero driver many years ago but have lost it. I could do with another one as these are appearing too!
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Alfred Chow - Maker of Things • • •Alfred Chow - Maker of Things
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •I think a welder would be more effective. The domed head is very hard, if not impossible, to grip with vice grips.
The ones I have seen have been in recessed holes in plastic appliance casings, so absolutely no non damaging access to them.
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Alfred Chow - Maker of Things • • •Reach for the Stars :verified:
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Reach for the Stars :verified: • • •Alfred Chow - Maker of Things
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •It would be if it is a surface fixing.
The ones I have come across are in deep tubular recesses in plastic.
The one that wasn't was still difficult and would have needed a Dremel cutting disc to get at as it was in a hollow under a toaster.
Alfred Chow - Maker of Things
in reply to Alfred Chow - Maker of Things • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Alfred Chow - Maker of Things • • •@Maker_of_Things Don't know if they ship internationally, but Canadian Tire or Rona would be where many of us would go if we needed a replacement:
canadiantire.ca/
rona.ca/en
The favorite store of home improvement enthusiasts | RONA
www.rona.caAlfred Chow - Maker of Things
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Alfred Chow - Maker of Things • • •@Maker_of_Things That's probably the best approach. Shipping to UK is often uniquely expensive from here for some reason.
If a friend gets some on a trip, you should caution them to put them in checked baggage, as security will confiscate any tool items in carry on. I lost a nice compact multi-driver that way once, in the early days of airport security paranoia.
Alfred Chow - Maker of Things
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Karl Morant 🇨🇦 :mstdn: 🖖
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Cocoa
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Chris Ely
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •I'm one of the odd people outside Canada who has one.
Between my grandfather who did woodworking and airplane maintenance, a father who did automotive maintenance, and my own work, I have collected an odd assortment of screwdrivers.
That being said, I don't know where I would go to find a Robertson screwdriver if I wanted to buy a new one.
@ottaross
Clinton Anderson SwordForHire
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •I have Robertson bits.... and I fkn HATE them.
I only use them if I cannot avoid it.
emurphy42
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Jon_Alper
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Jon_Alper • • •Justin Buist
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Jamie Booth
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Workshopshed
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Workshopshed • • •Mike Morris
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Mike Morris • • •Mike Morris
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Camerondotca
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Canadian, as you know. I can't imagine a life without them.
This book has interesting info about them (and all screws really) amazon.ca/One-Good-Turn-Natura…
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Camerondotca • • •Ross of Ottawa
Unknown parent • • •Ross of Ottawa
Unknown parent • • •Ross of Ottawa
Unknown parent • • •@yngmar Oh absolutely we're enthusiastic about them.
A Robertson screwdriver and a buttertart can get us talking for hours.
Phillips are very common here too, as we're so near to the US, so I'd likely provide those with my item for Euro customers.
dasgrueneblatt
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to dasgrueneblatt • • •Kate Watson
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •rag. Gustavino Bevilacqua
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Here they are so uncommon I use them as "antitampering" screws 😄
Ross of Ottawa
Unknown parent • • •@tantramar @MichaelPorter
lol
Rob Attrell
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Rob Attrell • • •Ross of Ottawa
Unknown parent • • •Ross of Ottawa
Unknown parent • • •Maarten
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Maarten • • •The S Kate M 💛💙
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to The S Kate M 💛💙 • • •Shaun
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Shaun • • •Richard W. Woodley NO THREADS 🇨🇦🌹🚴♂️📷 🗺️
in reply to Shaun • • •Will no one think of the poor lonely slotted screwdriver ?
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Richard W. Woodley NO THREADS 🇨🇦🌹🚴♂️📷 🗺️ • • •Kyle Davis
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Before I even thought about immigrating to Canada, I read an article about the advantages of "square drive" screws and built quite a few things with them.
Maybe I was destined to move to Canada?
Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Kyle Davis • • •Kyle Davis
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •I also started drinking Tim Hortons before I thought about immigrating.
I was marked.
🐧DaveNull🐧 ☣️pResident Evil☣
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
Unknown parent • • •MJ
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Robertson, Phillips, and the History of the Screwdriver
YouTubeRoss of Ottawa
in reply to MJ • • •Sören
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Fuerchtegott
in reply to Ross of Ottawa • • •Ross of Ottawa
in reply to Fuerchtegott • • •Ross of Ottawa
Unknown parent • • •