Small Handle Slotted Screwdriver

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Where on earth do I buy one of these.
3 mm slotted blade.
Total length 150 mm.
One of My most useful tools.
The small handle that's diameter, means it's easy to twiddle screws.
Too large handle means that it takes you forever to and do something.

[freiston]

There seems to be quite a few that fit the bill here (Ebay link).

[Brucey]

RS



https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/screwdrivers/4384324/

cheers

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Yes RS that's the one
Look loads of times couldn't find the bloody thing
I have hundreds of screwdrivers but this is a really useful one and I've only got one.
Buy10 other things

[Brucey]

FWIW if you are doing a lot of twirling a jeweller's screwdriver is quite a handy thing.

BTW the screwdriver as per the pattern of the RS/OP one was always referred to as an 'electrician's screwdriver', presumably because it was the right size to tighten small screws in various electrical fittings. For many years such screwdrivers came with a (fairly absurd, 20,000V perhaps?) voltage rating on the handle, then latterly just a manufacturer's mark; were they commonly marked 'steadfast' or am I misremembering?

Folk who actually used them for electrical work commonly used to add insulation to the steel shank. The rubber sleeves that were commonly used on military grade wiring harnesses were often used for this purpose, and allowed better grip for twirling.

cheers

[Jdsk]

... were they commonly marked 'steadfast' or am I misremembering?

Whatever became of Steadfast Tools (screwdrivers?
https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/topic/400677-whatever-became-of-steadfast-tools-screwdrivers/

Jonathan

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Steadfast, I do remember that name for sure.
You know you have hundreds of tools and you get used to using one in a particular way.
I have many screwdrivers with a 3 mm tip.
But this one just feels right for what are use it for.
I don't just use it for screws in actual fact I don't think I use it for screws very often at all.
Are use it for things like applying a bit of grease scraping something such a et cetera.
Unlike spanners and sockets which can only be used on a nut or even use them as a drift sometimes, slotted screwdriver is have many many uses.
I have many of those electrical screwdrivers and I try to use them when I should when I'm doing mains work on the house.
In my youth I even had the habit of putting my hand around a three pin socket touching both live and neutral with finger and thumb Whilst I plugged it in, and received an electrical shock ha ha.
My father used to make klystron valves for radio transmitters that's transmitter stations.
He could always tell you what was wrong with the TV that's an old Valve TV just by looking at it at that what was on the screen, He was also in the Second World War and was an Inspector vehicle mechanic for vehicles coming out of the field.
When he had the back off the TV One hand was always behind his back.
As you know even with the power off then things still had capacitors.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

... were they commonly marked 'steadfast' or am I misremembering?

Whatever became of Steadfast Tools (screwdrivers?
https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/topic/400677-whatever-became-of-steadfast-tools-screwdrivers/

Jonathan

I I R C The name has rubbed off but I would say that was probably the name on the screwdriver handle that I have.

[londonbikerider]

Am I the only one that recycles, by the use of a bench grinder, blunt Phillips screwdrivers into small flat ones?

[Mike Sales]

Am I the only one that recycles, by the use of a bench grinder, blunt Phillips screwdrivers into small flat ones?

Now you have given this tip, there is at least one more.

[londonbikerider]

Am I the only one that recycles, by the use of a bench grinder, blunt Phillips screwdrivers into small flat ones?

Now you have given this tip, there is at least one more.

Your can get a nice 5x0.8mm out of a Phillips n.1.
The only caveat being to make parallel sides, to achieve a regular thickness of the flat tip. But the shank is usually long enough to cope with several attempts!

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
That's a simple regular maintenance isnt it.
And "Off Hand Grinders" are only meant to be for sharpening tools. Nothing softer than a screwdriver.

Edited for bad grammar

[Grandad]

When he had the back off the TV One hand was always behind his back

I spent most of my National Service testing those old glass valves. After 4 months training to be a radar mechanic I was posted to a unit that had a totally different system. The promised conversion course never happened so I became the valve tester and tea maker.

Some of the equipment used 30,000 volts - the safety device was known as a debollocking stick

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I I RC, as I said earlier my dad used to work on klystron valves, no glass just solid metal, but they still had to be evacuated, pumps that's what specifically my father used to do.
They also used to test them in a cage, when you went into the cage you had to use a shorting stick, I can only imagine that they were literally testing them and they were using high voltage, the short in stick meant that if it was still or was turned on whilst you're in the cage you would be safe.