Actualy ON TOPIC - Shattered Screwdriver bit!

What sort of bits are these?

I've never broken a fixed shaft screwdriver that way, but those 1/4" hex bits break all the time. They seem to be some sort of sintered metal, and prone to breaking vs. just rounding off.

Im in the UK. I earn my living with my tools and hands. so i will only buy the best pro tools. I drive a lot of screws, wether into wood or metal, and use pozidrive screws.Philips isnt popular here in the UK. The powertool for small screws is the Bosch GSR10.8LI nos 1 to 2 pozi. because it has the best variable speed control and torque limiting.. I recently bought the Bosch GDR 10.8LI impact driver which gives almost

2times the torqe. similar size same batteries. Now this broke off the tips of the standard no2 posi after half a dozen screws. We searched the net andfound a professional range of pozi and philips bits made in Germany called Wera. Bought in the UK tho. Google for this. You may find them in the US if not get from the UK. These will drive several hundred screws before breaking with the impact driver.

Last year I built a kitchen for my daughter, all from solid wood. no chipboard. i needed to drive no 3 pozi up to 3.75in long by 1/4in thick. Used my 3/8th drive auto impact 90 psi air driver pre drilled first tho.. Nothing faster!!! Hope this helps Ted.

Interesting -- the ones I get seem much more prone to rounding. As for sources, I'm also wondering what they are, since the 1/4" bits seem to be available in all sizes by the gross in all hardware stores around here.

One trick I have seen for Yankees is to round off the shaft of a magnetic hex bit holder (can be as simple as chucking it the "wrong way" in an electric drill and spinning it against a grinder) then grind the end step and detent notch. Then you can use all the disposable phillips, deckmate (which has now gone from the square core phillips to torx, ick) and funky security bits. The magnetic holder does add some bulk, though, compared to the original Stanley Yankee style bits, so I can appreciate your willingness to find the correct item.

There's a used tool place about 45 minutes from me that seems to regularly have them on hand (near Worcester, MA), but he doesn't do mail-order.

--Glenn Lyford

On Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:35:14 -0500, cavelamb had a flock of green cheek conures squawk out:

Lee Valley Tools has an adapter that lets you use hex bits in the Yankee.

: But I wanted to ask if anybody here has a source of bits. : Or a link maybe (other than ebay)...

Lee valley has them for $2.40.

bought some and found 1 that didn't fit. A bit of fileing on the notched end cured that. Otherwise they work just fine. Art

There ARE adapters from Yankee to hex, apparently the Amish use a lot of them. I found a supplier a number of years back of all sorts of Stanley bits and pieces, got some Yankee bits there. If you can find the right size shank, or grind down for same, a little Dremel and chainsaw file work should get you a replacement from a round-shank Philips driver. The Yankee shank is pretty primitive by today's standards. Or you can retire it and get a replacement, there's at least one Yankee clone out there that takes hex-drive bits directly, runs about $20. The real deal is going for $80-100 on up, depending on vintage, from the tool collectors and parts aren't getting any easier to find.

Stan

Bless you!

I went to that site, but didn't scroll down far enough.

There be bits!

Thanks Artemus.

Or you can retire it and get a replacement,

NO WAY!

I whittled out a hex bit tonight. ("Dremel lets you do it better")

Just turn it so that the lock detent is on a corner.

Works as advertised so far!

I'm actually embarrassed that I didn't think of it myself.

Next will be a magnetic bit holder!

You must be using a bigger Yankee than the one I saw this trick used on...

"cavelamb" wrote ... : : Bless you! : : I went to that site, but didn't scroll down far enough. : : There be bits! : : Thanks Artemus.

You're welcome. Art