An actual post related to flying

Viperdoc wrote
... a single bone screw can cost close to $100.

I was going to ask if that was hospital cost or patient cost, but thought
better of it.

Hospital cost is less, patient charge is around 3X.

Viperdoc wrote:
We're still in the throes of winter here in Wisconsin- low ceilings, ice,
snow encrusted taxiways and ramps. One plane is gone for a month for an
avionics upgrade, while the other sits waiting for the return of the prop.
No flying for a while. Perhaps I'll organize my tools.

So, how about a new poll- how many screwdrivers does the average airplane
owner own?

Who makes the best screwdrivers?

What's your personal favorite tool? (Mine is the Snap on ratchet screw
driver. It has a great action and feel, and in fact we use their same
mechanism in the operating room for placing bone screws)

So, back to aviation- let's hear your responses!


I have about 15 screwdrivers. Most are snap-on.
Michelle

Had to go to expensive stainless surgical instruments instead. I went to
all
stainless screws on my planes, but it seems like the heads are easier to
chew up.


That's no surprise, as there are many kinds of stainless--and I don't know
enough about metalurgy to offer advice on which to use.

Try mentioning the problem to your supplier, if you have not done so
already, as they may have similar hardware in a harder or tougher grade.

Peter

Viperdoc wrote:
So, how about a new poll- how many screwdrivers does the average
airplane owner own?

All of the screwdrivers one owns can be classified into M sets of head
types and sizes (1/4" slotted, #2 Phillips, etc.) All of the screws
that need turning on all of the aircraft, cars, buildings, power
equipment, etc that one owns can be classified into N sets of head
types and sizes.

It is an immutable law of the Universe that M = N - 1.

The only known way around this is to have a very small set of
screwdrivers and a large budget for replacement screws:

With a Dremel tool and a cut-off wheel, _everything_ takes a flat-blade
screwdriver.

Matt Roberds

In article ,
"Viperdoc" wrote:

I have concerns about using an electric screwdriver on my plane- don't they
chew up the heads?

Part of the trick is to use new screwdrivers.

Part of the trick is to be patient

Part of the trick is to realize that the heads of the screws will wear
out, and have a ready supply of the correct screws to replace the
cruddy ones.

Have you ever skated across the paint with an electric?

Not me.

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

On Mar 3, 2:16 pm, (Paul Tomblin) wrote:
In a previous article, "Private" said:

Being a Canadian, I am also a big fan of the Roberson square screw and think
they are superior to the Phillips in every way. IIRC there is some real
historical chauvinism that resulted in the use of the Phillips design in the
USA and the rejection of the superior Robertson.

Look at the Wikipedia articlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver
According to it, Henry Ford wanted to use Robertson screws on Fords, but
Robertson had been screwed (sorry) by a previous licensee and refused to
license any other screw manufacturer to make them. Ford decided that he
wouldn't trust a single sourced screw, so went to something else. And
thus, Robertson missed his chance to have Robertson screws become very
common in the US.

I heard it a bit differently. Ford was used to getting his way and
when he ran into Robertson's stubbornness he actively blocked the sale
of those screws in the U.S. I can't see furniture manufacturers, for
one, not wanting to use them. Even antique Canadian furniture is full
of them. I've driven thousands of them into wooden boats I've built,
and we get Robertson "decking" screws here that are good for a
thousand uses and are sold by the pound. I imagine they're available
in the US by now.
Softer screws still get the Roberson socket torn out of them.
They're not perfect. Torx screws have the best driving system but they
don't sit on the driver so well, not having any sort of taper to wedge
them on so you can poke them into some inaccessible spot. Robertsons
do that very well.

Dan

I will second the vote for the Swiss Army Knife as a favorite tool.
Mine is the Victorinox "Electrician" model. It's simpler than most
S.A. knives and has aluminum handles - but goes with me everywhere and
gets used multiple times every day.

David Johnson

I have concerns about using an electric screwdriver on my plane- don't
they
chew up the heads?

Part of the trick is to use new screwdrivers.

Part of the trick is to be patient

Part of the trick is to realize that the heads of the screws will wear
out, and have a ready supply of the correct screws to replace the
cruddy ones.

All very true. I can only add that a surprisingly small amount of wear can
cause a lot of problems.

Peter

Hospital cost is less, patient charge is around 3X.


I'm being extra carefull not to break anything!

Peter ;-)