Looking for a screwdriver

[caper]

Part of the job I do involves me having to remove a lot of plastic bolts and screws.One of the ones that becomes problematic are some 3/8"-16 screws with a wide slotted head.Most flat head screwdrivers are nowhere near wide enough to fit these screws properly and,with plastic being soft,end up tearing up the heads.The slot on the head of the screw is over 5/8" wide,almost 3/4".The widest tip I've been able to find from Snappy is less than 1/2" wide and comes nowhere close to working properly.So the question becomes,Does anybody know where I can find a slotted screwdriver with a WIDE blade tip?Now comes the kicker,I'd REALLY like it to have a short shank length.Why do all the wide blade screwdrivers have to come with 12",or longer, shanks?

 

[JSBriggs]

Craftsman has a 5/16 screwdriver that is 6" long.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...drivers&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a

-Jeff

 

[wreckercologist]

Dzus fastener tool maybe work?

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...1&group_ID=688&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

[caper]

Dzus fastener tool maybe work?

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...1&group_ID=688&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

I've thought of getting one in the past and grinding the radius flat on the tip but I've never seen one in person and I'm unsure if it's wide enough across the tip.The catalog says 13/32" which is less than 1/2".Anybody have one they can measure?

 

[caper]

Craftsman has a 5/16 screwdriver that is 6" long.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...drivers&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a

-Jeff

I've looked at it in the past,the length is great but the tip needs to be about 5/8".

 

[JSBriggs]

Or maybe use a drag link? http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...1&group_ID=255&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

-Jeff

 

[wreckercologist]

Or maybe use a drag link? http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...1&group_ID=255&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

-Jeff

Might be too thick but worth a look. Specs say 7/64" thick = .109".

 

[JSBriggs]

With one of these to keep it short. http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...id=231&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all

-Jeff

 

[caper]

Yeah the drag link is too thick,I've tried it before.The slot itself is only 2mm wide.

 

[MattT]

Mac V4SD or SO SW32E or SW40E might work.

 

[Stick Figure]

I hate to even suggest it, but why not grind a screw driver down. Most of them have a taper to the tip anyway. You should be able to take a bit off of the tip and make it wider.

 

[caper]

If I ground my largest snappy down to it's widest point it would be barely wide enough.You would think some manufacturer would make a wide flat blade.

 

[caper]

Mac V4SD or SO SW32E or SW40E might work.

They are all 1/2" dr.Not really efficient to turn plastic screws with a 1/2"dr ratchet.Plastic fasteners don't have enough torque to warrant 1/2" dr tools.On a typical service on a boom I may have to remove 10 or more of these screws so using a ratchet or other 1/2"dr would be a pain.I've yet to see a 1/2" dr screwdriver handle.

 

[Flash]

A weird idea, but maybe you could get a spade bit, grind off the tip and force it into an old screwdriver handle? Would be lighter than a chisel and the shaft might fit into a handle.

 

[wellstig1]

I've thought of getting one in the past and grinding the radius flat on the tip but I've never seen one in person and I'm unsure if it's wide enough across the tip.The catalog says 13/32" which is less than 1/2".Anybody have one they can measure?

The 13/32 is part of the length, it says its 6 13/32 in length

 

[MattT]

They are all 1/2" dr.Not really efficient to turn plastic screws with a 1/2"dr ratchet.Plastic fasteners don't have enough torque to warrant 1/2" dr tools.On a typical service on a boom I may have to remove 10 or more of these screws so using a ratchet or other 1/2"dr would be a pain.I've yet to see a 1/2" dr screwdriver handle.

You could use a 3/8" to 1/2" adaptor. Or order the bit from SO and JB weld, or rollpin, it in a 3/8" drive socket. All the SO bits I've ever seen have been std SAE size stock except for metric hex.

 

[woody 73]

This might sound strange but could you use a small mac scrapper blade the one that comes with a plastic handle(for removing stickers or gaskets)? The blades are very wide all you need to do is dull the tip.

 

[MarcSeattle]

How about a good stiff putty knife? Cut it short and to the right width.

 

[Pukeballs]

This might sound strange but could you use a small mac scrapper blade the one that comes with a plastic handle(for removing stickers or gaskets)? The blades are very wide all you need to do is dull the tip.

Thats exactly what I was thinking. I dont have a mac but have a Proto gasket scraper with a thin blade about 1 1/2" wide. I bet this would work for him.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/it... Tools-_-Drywall and Plastering Tools-_-5C939

 

[X1 Mike]

This might work for what you are looking for. It has a 1/4" drive, I can find mine and measure it if you want.

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?productId=p282449

 

[Stick Figure]

okay what about an Apex bit? I have a 1/2" wide one, but they show a little larger than a 9/16" on the site.

 

[superautobacs]

Caper, just fly over to Japan and find youself a pair of these:

It's made by TOP, in Japan.
I have the short stubby one myself.

 

[caper]

Caper, just fly over to Japan and find youself a pair of these:

It's made by TOP, in Japan.
I have the short stubby one myself.

That's exactly what I'm looking for.If that top one had a regular size handle it would be perfect but I could live with the stubby handle.Nowhere to buy them in North America?

 

[Underdog]

Why not take a craftsman and weld wings on either side then grind and polish it to fit??

 

[caper]

Modified tools are prohibited in our contract for safety reasons.

 

[Flathead Red]

That link to Top has an email address. You could email them and ask if they ship to the US or have a place in NA to purchase

[email protected]

Red

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

Are subtle mods OK if you can't tell what happened??
What you need IMHO is an antique Snap on/Stromberg driver socket for the big jet cover screws on Ford Stromberg 97 family of carbs. These are wide and require a thick blade as well for a proper fit. As sold they are made with radiused blade to fit the radiused slot on the carb, which allows the bit to be used at an angle in the radiused slot. With said radius filed flat they would be damned close to what you need.
One could be made by slotting a maybe 3/8 size 1/4" socket and inserting a blade cut from steel of appropriate thickness. Originals are fairly common...and no one knows what they are for.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I need a similar thing. The closest i've found for my needs is the Hazet 4650-3 Battery Plug Screwdriver:

The tip is 14.5mm wide and 1.7mm thick.

Found here, under Battery Tools:

http://www.samstagsales.com/hazet.htm

 

[caper]

That's pretty good Moose.I can get away with some subtle modding like pushing a different shank into a handle or filing a rounded tip like a dzus driver but anything obvious is going to get nailed by the safety nazis.I've never seen a dzus driver in person before but my Snappy guy ordered one for me today.He said if it's not suitable for what I want he'll return it so at least I won't be stuck with a $35 tool I'll never use.I'm not real big on the t style handle on that hazet but maybe a orange handle transplant could be arranged,lol.

 

[Randy_che]

I found a gunsmithing windage screwdriver bit that looks like it might work. You could epoxy it into a bit driver handle so it wouldn't come out.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=999429

 

[Moose-LandTran]

That's pretty good Moose.I can get away with some subtle modding like pushing a different shank into a handle or filing a rounded tip like a dzus driver but anything obvious is going to get nailed by the safety nazis.I've never seen a dzus driver in person before but my Snappy guy ordered one for me today.He said if it's not suitable for what I want he'll return it so at least I won't be stuck with a $35 tool I'll never use.I'm not real big on the t style handle on that hazet but maybe a orange handle transplant could be arranged,lol.

I'm not big on the t-handle either, but it's the best i've found.

 

[superautobacs]

Caper,

I sent them an email; I'll let you know if they reply back.

Here's another view of the Hazet one:

Is this the Dzus driver that you ordered?

Here's a Beta that's available through Amazon, which is a lot cheaper than the Snap-On: Beta 1201DZ. Blade specs: 13mm wide; 1.4mm thick

 

[caper]

I'm assuming the blade specs are probably the same on the Beta and the Snapon.My dealer ordered it just to try it,says he'll return it if I don't want it.It's worth the extra $15 to me to buy from him just for customer relations if it will do the job.I'm also looking into the availability of replacement shanks for the older Snap on 18-24" flat heads.If I can get one of them I'll cut it down and use one of my spare handles.They had a nice wide tip but they're not listed anymore.

 

[Elroy]

Elroy is sure you have the situation well in hand but simply wanted to offer one additional potential solution

http://www.moroso.com/catalog/categorydisplay.asp?CatCode=23064

 

[jerryW]

Maybe modify this one

http://www.drillspot.com/products/65466/Proto_5244_Drag_Link_Socket

I've got one I picked up at a swap meet. 3/8 drive too.


jerry

 

[MarcSeattle]

Happened to run across this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Snap-On-Carbon-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item53e0c566eb

 

[superautobacs]

Mr. Yokoyama replied back saying there aren't any dealers in North America. However, depending on interested quantity, they can arrange an order. ....which I don't believe there's enough interest on GJ....or is there?

If anyone is interested, here's his contact:

ATSUSHI YOKOYAMA
TOP KOGYO CO., LTD.
INTERNATIONAL DEPT. CHIEF
[email protected]

 

[polo2k]

I know you arnt allowed modified tools but I thought it would be worth mentioning a couple of ideas i had while reading your post.
you could get a cheap shrewdriver with a nice thick shank, get it hot and then pound it into the screw driver blade you need
A bit like in this image

the other option would be to cut a slot in a 1/4 socket or in the end of a screw driver shank, cut a coin in half (or any disc really) and then drop it in the slot so that the cut edge of the coin would be the blade and the uncut side faces your hand.

just a couple of thought for you.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

He can't use a modified tool:

Modified tools are prohibited in our contract for safety reasons.

 

[caper]

This is the best I've been able to come up with so far.

Here it is next to my 8" shank Snappy: