Gunsmith's Screwdrivers ?

[Blackrider]

I'm thinking about getting a set of these

https://www.workshopheaven.com/narex...-set-of-9.html

Just Googled these and yes, they are nice !

[tinbum]

I got this set. Bloody expensive, but they are used every day and work every time. You can't put a price on that.

[chris u'5]

I wanted the Pachmayr set but they were OOS everywhere when I finally got around to buying them!

[Geezer]

Mine is a Brownells Magna-Tip set, with extra bits from an old B-Square set, a few random other bits (eg torx bits, which I hate with a vengeance), and a Grace 9-piece set of turnscrews.

Just looked these up on e b a y. Astonished at what they cost, especially given that these days they must be made in China.

I have a feeling that you can find the same things for much less if they are marketed as general tools, rather than special gunsmith tools. Anyone know?

[rancidtom]

I've made my own similar to those you can buy and I've also modified Stanley and Wera screwdrivers to fit correctly with diamond files or slow wet grinding so there's no need to anneal then re-harden and temper. I've found the old pre WW2 to 1960's Stanleys to be probably the best (toughest) steel around, some of the modern stuff even from quality manufacturers doesn't hold a candle to the old steels. Some people say it's because of various bombs going off that contaminated post war steels however I just think the post 1960 steels are usually inferior possibly because of other contaminants in recycled steels. I'm not a metallurgist I just know enough to get by to heat treat carbon and alloy steels without destroying them. Wera seem to be around the best of the modern steels for screwdriver and hex bit manufacture.

[bighit]

hollow ground tips is what you need, it fills the screw in the full length of the tip that's in the screw.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51o7zKYQpVL.jpg


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r0wBdYah_V...river_tips.jpg

[Airsporter1st]

Just be aware that if you buy the expensive turnscrews, its not the end of the story; you still have to grind them to fit any given screw. The advantage being you can get an exact fit.

The set of screwdrivers Richard linked to are better - no grinding, but expensive.

The Pachmayr set is a better bet for diy use, though. It has a good number of hollow ground bits (plus others) so you can use the one with the best fit.

[rhyslightnin]

I've made my own similar to those you can buy and I've also modified Stanley and Wera screwdrivers to fit correctly with diamond files or slow wet grinding so there's no need to anneal then re-harden and temper. I've found the old pre WW2 to 1960's Stanleys to be probably the best (toughest) steel around, some of the modern stuff even from quality manufacturers doesn't hold a candle to the old steels. Some people say it's because of various bombs going off that contaminated post war steels however I just think the post 1960 steels are usually inferior possibly because of other contaminants in recycled steels. I'm not a metallurgist I just know enough to get by to heat treat carbon and alloy steels without destroying them. Wera seem to be around the best of the modern steels for screwdriver and hex bit manufacture.

It's actually true Tom... Pre nuclear steel commands a high price because of its non contaminated structure. I remember when they sold an old dry dock gate from Portsmouth naval base for loads of money because it was made from 40's steel. Look here;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-background_steel

I'd hold on to those screwdrivers if I were you

[Solvo]

I've made my own similar to those you can buy and I've also modified Stanley and Wera screwdrivers to fit correctly with diamond files or slow wet grinding so there's no need to anneal then re-harden and temper. I've found the old pre WW2 to 1960's Stanleys to be probably the best (toughest) steel around, some of the modern stuff even from quality manufacturers doesn't hold a candle to the old steels. Some people say it's because of various bombs going off that contaminated post war steels however I just think the post 1960 steels are usually inferior possibly because of other contaminants in recycled steels. I'm not a metallurgist I just know enough to get by to heat treat carbon and alloy steels without destroying them. Wera seem to be around the best of the modern steels for screwdriver and hex bit manufacture.

The pre war steel is valuable only in the science industry.
It does not posses magical mechanical strength; it lacks radioactive contamination.

Steels which were produced and stored in a protected way (under water) prior to 1945 have a lower level of background radiation in them, this is vital if you are building instruments which are highly sensitive to radioactivity.

If you want a great read then look into the German Imperial fleet which the British captured at the end of WW1.
the fleet was interned at Scapa Flow and scuttled by the german crews - Some of it is now on a trip into the depths of universe, it has been used for high precision instruments for decades and was the source of the steel used in the construction of the Voyager spacecraft.

[rancidtom]

It's probably that I notice the differences in post 1960's steel related to pre- and immediately post WW2 that are maybe more due to manufacturing and refining differences. These days we have numerous special recipe steels claimed to be better than traditional carbon steels. Chrome, vanadium, molybdenum, nickel, tungsten, titanium and other elements added to iron to supposedly make it longer lasting, hold a better edge, be more corrosion resistant, less brittle, tougher... I do think quite a lot of it is marketing hype as I can make a screwdriver from a bar of tool steel that will perform as well as some of the expensive "best ever" screwdrivers you can buy with all their fancy alloy claims.
Correct fit and profile of the blade, finish is important too as grinding/filing marks can be a useful aid to help prevent cam-out but the hollow ground profile is the biggest contributor to anticam-out. It also extends the life of the screw head.

[RichardH]

Professional job, professional tools

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-to...prod78280.aspx

[Squirrelking]

Any set of well fitting screwdrivers will do. The important thing is to get a decent set in the common head sizes (Philips rather than pozi most usually). I got an admittedly cheap set of screwdrivers from Screwfix and they have held up well, if I had cash to splash I would of course get something better.

Take a look on ukworkshop forums, lots of cabinet makers and tool enthusiasts, a quick search will put you in the right direction.

[Hsing-ee]

Professional job, professional tools

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-to...prod78280.aspx

Those are The Ones To Get ..

' And, the ideal parallel section is ground at the tip to fit the screw slot properly through the full width and depth of the slot. This is what keeps you from buggering screws - a blade tip that evenly distributes the turning torque applied at the handle to the full width and depth of the screw slot.'

[Blackrider]

Great advice, thanks Chaps !

Not sure what Ill get yet but there's some quality kit here !

[hareng]

With Rancid turnscrews pretty easy to make better than anything available having tried many of the so called ultimate from around the world inc US.

Pachmayer are soft as with most of above listed, fine for diy, pro forget it. Will spend more time filing them up than using.