4 ms·
For electronics, a ton of screws are of the poorest quality since they are only intended to be used once for assembly. For your question about screwdriver fit,
by zrobotics 4y ago
For electronics, a ton of screws are of the poorest quality since they are only intended to be used once for assembly.
For your question about screwdriver fit, unfortunately that ends up being a judgement call. Be forewarned that for 'phillips' there are identical looking JIS screws [0], it takes a bit of experience to identify what driver to use. Some basic guidelines are, to use the biggest driver that will still bottom out at the tip in the screw, and if the product is of Japanese origin to use JIS drivers. It's very hard to measure, but with experience it isn't hard to tell what but a screw uses. Fit a good quality driver into the screw, and visually check if the flutes of the driver engage all the way to the end of the screen's flutes. Note that you need to use a good screwdriver here, I've seen the cheap screwdrivers ground at 15 degrees off of the correct angle.
And if you want all the specs on a particular screw, picking up an older copy of Machinery's Handbook will give you more detail than you were aware existed.
Although from your question, it seems like you are working with poor quality screwdrivers. Cheap screwdrivers make any screw feel like garbage and strip out stuff, it's worth it to invest in good ones. Surprisingly, harbor freight [1] has a set that I own and I would recommend over my Wera drivers, they are not bad at all. If you want to buy once and be done, Snap-On makes by far the best set [2],although keep on mind that $200 price tag will also need to be supplemented with another $50 Phillips #3 driver.
Or, if you don't need to access screws down deep wells of plastic and can use them, the Bosch replacement bits for impact drivers commonly available at hardware stores are fairly decent, although they aren't as good as the Harbor Freight Icon set linked as the cheaper option. This is one thing where quality costs, and you need to determine if you want/need that quality. But if every screw is feeling soft and stripping, it is almost certainly your drivers.
[0] https://www.amazon.com/Hozan-JIS-4-JIS-Screwdriver-3rd/dp/B00A7WAHTU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=jis+screwdriver+set&qid=1676782568&sr=8-3 https://www.amazon.com/Hozan-JIS-4-JIS-Screwdriver-3rd/dp/B0...
(I don't have experience with this particular set, I have a Vessel set that is OK but not good}
[1] https://www.harborfreight.com/professional-mechanics-screwdriver-set-8-piece-56508.html https://www.harborfreight.com/professional-mechanics-screwdr...
[2] https://shop.snapon.com/product/Instinct-Soft-Handle/8-pc-Instinct-Soft-Grip-Combination-Screwdriver-Set-(Red)/SGDX80BR https://shop.snapon.com/product/Instinct-Soft-Handle/8-pc-In...