Re: [GZG] [FT] Cancon 2006 Random Observations

[Adrian <adrian@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I am getting really curious.. how does this screw look????
>
> It seems like we can't live without out it for some reason....

Heh :)   Lets hear it for OT.  Awesomely OT...

The recess in the head of the screw is square.  As such, it has great 
"grip" with the screwdriver - you can easily hold the screwdriver 
horizontally with a screw on the end, aim the screw at your "target", and 
operate the screwdriver all with one hand (not needing the other hand 
holding the screw, as with most other types of screws).

(I first wrote that out as "...at your 'target', and screw away with one 
hand..." but realised that might provoke... unfortunate responses from the 
list).

Having used all the common types of screws (flat head, Phillips and 
Robertson), I feel fairly confident saying that Robertson screws are better.

Apparently, the Robertson screw is becoming popular in China.  The 
Robertson company has a manufacturing facility there...

And for all those diehard hardware fans out there...

(From Wikipedia)

"A Robertson screwdriver is a type of screwdriver with a square-shaped tip 
with a slight taper (in the same way that flatheads, Phillips, Allen, and 
Torx have flat, ×-shaped, hexagonal, and hexagrammal tips, respectively).

The drivers are famous for holding onto screws (you can start driving a 
screw horizontally into the wall, and leave the screwdriver in the screw 
while you have lunch), and allow for things like an angled screw driver and 
trim head screws.

Robertson screwdrivers have a colour coded handle for easy selection as 
different screw sizes require different size tips. The colours and their 
associated screw sizes are:

Orange (#00) ? No. 1 & 2 screws (uncommon)
Yellow (#0) ? No. 3 & 4 screws
Green (#1) ? No. 5, 6 & 7 screws
Red (#2) ? No. 8, 9 & 10 screws
Black (#3) ? No. 12 and larger screws
Robertson had licenced the screw in England but the party he was dealing 
with intentionally put the company under and purchased the rights from the 
trustee thus circumventing Robertson. He spent a small fortune buying back 
the rights. After that he refused to ever allow anyone to make the screws 
under license. When Henry Ford tried out the Robertson screws he found they 
saved considerable time in the production of the cars but when Robertson 
refused to license the screws to Ford, he realised that the use of the 
screws would not be guaranteed and stopped using them. This largely 
explains why they never became established in the United States.

Today Robertson screws are scarce in the United States, accounting for 10% 
of screws sold, while being very common in Canada, where 85% of the screws 
sold use the Robertson head."


I'm sure more than anyone wanted to know.

;-)





_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-l