Dan Anderson: The Devil is in the Details

Sometimes the difference between a “good” tool and a “bad” tool is hard to discern. Phillips screwdrivers are a good example.

I used to think that good Phillips screwdrivers, especially smaller sizes, had pointed tips. The sharper the tip, the better. Until I bought an economy-priced set of Phillips screwdrivers that consistently mangled screwheads. An older mechanic, noting my frustrations, grabbed my screwdriver and slightly blunted its sharp point on a bench grinder. The modified screwdriver worked like a champ and never marred a screwhead.

The point of the “sharp” tip was bottoming in the cross of the screwhead before the blades of the screwdriver were fully engaged. Since that time, I have been known to slightly blunt the tips of Phillips screwdrivers to improve their engagement. At the other extreme, large Phillips screwdrivers usually come with a blunt tip. Carefully tapering the sides of their blades can in-crease their depth of engagement and improve their effectiveness.

Sometimes the difference between an effective tool and a waste of money is only thousandths of an inch.