Making a handle and a shaft

chrome vanadium steel for the shaft because it can be rapidly heat forged to shape and heat treated to a high strength.

injection moulded plastic for the handle because it can be formed into intricate ergonomic shapes and can be produced in a wide range of eye catching colours.

have you ever bought and used a screwdriver? why is this difficult? Stealth pilot

(a)The handle should not be metal, it should be hardwood. Choose the one that has the best appearance or is the most endangered. Somebody will buy it for a premium because it's cool.

(b)The shaft should be a soft metal like mercury because it will easily conform to any screw configuration.

(c)Do your own homework.

(d)We're all screwed. The particular tool doesn't matter.

(e)What's your target market?

(f)What materials would you choose that are most cheaply available in China and will look like a screwdriver to the average consumer?

(g)I'm drunk, otherwise I wouldn't have replied.

(h)***

Finally -- Getting a good handle on your shaft is important. Many experts recommend having your shaft well and frequently handled. It can facilitate the subsequent screwing.

We made screwdrivers in 9th grade shop in 1965 that looked just like commercial screwdrivers. We pounded on the tool steel on the forge, then filed to shape, and then heated it red hot and dunked in oil, and while still hot and cooling, scratched off the scale with emery cloth to see the blue color and then dunked in water. We sawed off a piece of translucent yellow plastic handle material, cut to shape and drilled the shaft hole on the lathe. We heated up the metal and pushed it in the handle. We dunked the finished product in acetone, which dissolved all the imperfections of the plastic finish.

"xray" wrote: (clip) A screwdriver is too simple but you can get good advice on other more complicated drinks. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Q. What do you call the drink made with vodka and milk of magnesia?

A. A Phillips screwdriver.

You did all that in school shop ???? My God Man, and no one died, got maimed, got their feelings hurt, grew a second head from the fumes, or needed a lawyer ??????

Maybe if we had classes like this still, we would not have questions like the OP asked.

Jeff

Don't forget to oil it up good first.

A mere 22 years ago in gunsmith school (college) one of the first projects was a set of quality screwdrivers. I made mine out of allen wrenches and rosewood. Tom

Or by it's other name, "Pile Driver"

Bob Swinney

In shop class in 1985 or 86, we made a ballpeen hammer and center punch set. Formed on the lathe, and then case hardened. Learned to use the 3 and 4 jaw chucks, knurl, drill, thread, polish, etc. I don't think they teach kids stuff like that anymore. Just last night I dug out a Modern Metalworking text book from 1965, alot of interesting info in there for sure.

I did the same thing Sophomore year in high school, that was 2000-2001 School year. As far as I know my high school was one of only 2 or 3 in the state (Illinois) that still had a metalworking program. That is until the teacher retired last year. I have heard from current students that the program has gone straight to hell since then. That shop teacher worked there for 35 years and he was the program.

-- Jim I owe my career in Tool & Die to that teacher...

Did those too, also sophomore year. Except ours were a center punch set and welding hammer.

-- Jim

If you don't mind me asking, where did you go to school? I went to a little school in an Illinois town called Leland.

High school was in McHenry. I just recently moved away from there, bought my first house. Though not too far away in Bristol WI.

-- Jim

"Just Jim" wrote

Though not too far away in Bristol WI.

Nice little town, Bristol. I'll be there on July 8 shooting the fireworks for Progress Days. Tom

Now theres a job I wouldn't mind having. At least in WI your average joe can buy some neat bottle rockets and misc. crap like that. All they gave us in Illinois were sparklers...

-- Jim

I've heard that the fireworks folks around here (Bartolatta's) will train you so you can be on the crew. I've been doing the firefighter/EMT thing for a long time, I wonder if that'd improve my chances. Would be fun, if only once. Tom, who do you go through?