Wizard of Id by Parker and Hart for July 05, 2016

Get a cross-point head instead. Phillips-head screwdrivers slip on metric screws, but cross-points work on both metric and Phillips-head screws without slipping.

Hey. You already have a decent one! Give others a chance!

What a tool!

ahh the pleasures of con shopping. I love to find the something I cant live without!

That story has been pretty much debunked by recent research by historians. And it wasn’t an outpost that was wiped out, but a battalion of British regulars fighting out in the open at a place in what is now South Africa called Isandhlwana.

Paul Harvey had a Rest of the Story about a well-supplied British outpost in Africa that had been wiped out by the Zulus. The crates of ammunition were secured by copper bands held by the then-new Phillips head screws. That would be a trick, since Phillips screws were not patented until the 1930s, but it is a cool story that all us wrench turners appreciate.

Lord amighty! I had no idea there were so many heads – check out http://www.instructables.com/id/When-a-Phillips-is-not-a-Phillips/Oddly, it does not even mention the cross-point among the two dozen or so heads (unless I just missed it).

Phillips, torx, slotted…the best I ever used was a Robertson (square head). Never slipped or stripped.

nobody gonna jump on wand control?Does any wizard really need a zap-o-matic 5000?

Now that is something Harry Potter could use.

A robertson square drive – a must for the DIY wizard.

“OR, how about this Swiss Army Wand?”

I’d rather have a sonic screwdriver

Next, we’ll have “Wizards TV Channel” 24/7.

So, is this a Swiss army wand?

The wand chooses the wizard. (But if it were a SONIC screwdriver, I’d want one.)

In case you screw things up

Phillips screws are great! If the screwdriver is harder than the screw, the screw head strips out. If the screw is harder than the screwdriver the screwdriver strips out. Give me a Robertson any day!

Most people are forgetting (or never new) why the Phillips screw head was developed - assembly use. The Phillips was developed for use with power screwdrivers, The bit didn’t have to be in exact alignment with the screw in order to work and would cam out of the head rather than strip out the screw due to excess torque.

Ok, smarty-pants. Now explain to me how it is only the phillips screwdrivers that seem to disappear!I can never find one when I want one, lol!