Many years ago my brother went on a mission trip into Mexico to help build a orphanage in Juarez. Well down there is a excellent example of what life could be like after total destruction of the economy. People will find ways to break into even heavily fortified compounds, even if it means taking apart a security fence with hand held screwdrivers.
Well the Canadian orphanage had these clever crooks baffled because their fence had screws that they couldn't take apart with their screwdrivers. They had used all Robertson screws in the assembly of the whole compound, there was no easy way for them to break in. While Robertson's are in every Canadian's toolbox, in Mexico they are practically unheard of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver#Robertson
There is probably other specialty screws to use in security fencing that needs a special head, but I thought that this was a interesting tale to tell
I've met some yanks who call them 'crowbar screws' cause that's how they have to remove them.
To this day, I have no idea why robertson isn't the default screw worldwide, and it absolutely baffles me why anyone still uses slotted screws.
Basically Robertson tried to sell his screw to the Ford Motor Company and Ol' Henry wanted a say in how and where the screw was made in order for him to accept it into his manufacturing. In fact at one point the Robertson Screw was used in Ford cars made in Windsor and saved $2.60 per car in the early 1920's. Robertson refused to relinquish control and turned his back on the US market as well as losing Ford's Windsor Plant business. Robertson screws were made in Britain as well and were used in the famous Mosquito aircraft of WW2.
JAB
I have an electrician friend that occasionally works in the States. He and his friends always take a few Robertson's with them and use it somewhere on the job just so they can walk away laughing knowing that someone someday will be frustrated trying to take it apart.
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There was some story of Canucks who went down for some Katrina rebuilding and had Robertson screws. The locals were amazed.
There are also: Frearson, Mortorq, Pozidriv, Supadriv, Torx, TTAP, Quadrex that most people don't have the matching screwdrivers for.
Got a ton of them in the workshop, in various sizes. We call them square drive screws. I use them by preference. The next one that strips the head will be the first!
There are also: Frearson, Mortorq, Pozidriv, Supadriv, Torx, TTAP, Quadrex
I thought I knew my stuff, never heard of half of them.
DH has done some joinery for prisons and they had to use 'safety screws' in them, I don't know what type they were, only that they are not easily undone and that they were very expensive.
Got a ton of them in the workshop, in various sizes. We call them square drive screws. I use them by preference. The next one that strips the head will be the first!
you know the trick if they start to strip?......use the next size up screwdriver before the square turns into a round
There are also: Frearson, Mortorq, Pozidriv, Supadriv, Torx, TTAP, Quadrex
I thought I knew my stuff, never heard of half of them.
The ones that get me are the ones with the offset central pin. Always end up having to make a tool for removal.
The ones that get me are the ones with the offset central pin. Always end up having to make a tool for removal.
why not just drill them out
The pin forces the drill to one side thus destroying the head of the screw. You can just grind it off but again you usually don't want to damage the surrounding enclosure and then you still have to remove the threaded section of the screw. This is only in the situation where you need to remove the screw to gain access then replace it with a more user friendly screw afterwards. If you just want to bypass the screw a grinder or a hammer and chisel are quick effective solutions. 🙂
The screws with pins are referred to as Security bits. Just prefix the bit name with "Security". I'm particularly fond of the Security Tri-wing. There are also screws that are reverse threaded, and screws that have teeth that grab when the screw is reversed. Or, you could just use the one way flat head. LOL
H
Prepare for the worst
Hope for the best
