Robertson Screwdrivers

Originally Posted by Onetor
I wish the USA would go metric...


And yet, we navigate by nautical miles. 360 degrees in a circle, 60 minutes per degree and 60 seconds per minute. One second being 1 Nautical Mile.

Therefore, one degree of Lattitude is 60 Nautical Miles.

Conversely, one Nautical Mile is 1852 meters......

Which one makes more sense again????
 
I was in Toronto over the weekend and used some Robertsons. I think they're great.
 
The main problem with Phillips is the existence of Pozidriv. When you're trying to figure out why your Philips screwdrivers keep chewing up the screw heads on the Ikea furniture you're trying to assemble, it's because it's Pozidriv :)

And then there's JIS B 1012...
 
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My cargo trailer uses double Robertson on the exterior skin. Initial glance it looks like a Torx but it's actually a double Robertson but a single Robertson bit will fit in them.
 
The US "adopted" the metric system before the British did ! Now, as you say, "adopted" and "used" as the standard are two different things...

Now, if it's any consolation to those in favor of the metric system (me, included !), a "foot" isn't 12 inches anymore, it's 0.3048 meters. Same with pounds. The official weight of 1 pound is 0.453... kilograms.
The thing about metric is you measure in metric and you stay in metric. You don't covert back and forth to/from English units.

1000 meters in a kilometer, 1000 grams in a kilogram, 10 millimeters in a centimeter, etc. All you have to be able to do is move the decimal point.

100 cents in a dollar is a metric-like system. 12 pence in a shilling, and 20 shillings in a pound is a (no longer used) English system. Which system seems easier to you?

I'm equally comfortable in either system. I grew up with the English system but metric is easier to use.
 
Metric is just so confusing for me. Like I need to measure in inches not millimeters. For tools either is fine because I usually just look at the bolt and pick a size if it isn’t right get the next one up or down or get either SAE or Metric depending on which one you were trying first.
 
Originally Posted by Trav
Originally Posted by Onetor
.I wish the USA would go metric...

Add me to that list, measuring precise fits is super easy in metric, any monkey that can count to 10 can do a stellar job. Inch is horrible.


This not known to many americans, but the US have been officially metric for over 100yrs, but it was never implemented.
I came across a document, that mentioned when this law was passed (to my surprise), several years ago. Don't ask me where I found it, I still remember this as it was shock to me.
I was flipping through an old (1979ish) National Geographic a couple of years ago, and saw an article about how the US would totally convert to SI in the next 10 years. Hmmm ...
 
Metric is just so confusing for me. Like I need to measure in inches not millimeters. For tools either is fine because I usually just look at the bolt and pick a size if it isn’t right get the next one up or down or get either SAE or Metric depending on which one you were trying first.
Over time you will become familiar with it. Most cars built in the past 20 years are metric. I don't use my SAE tools very often any more.
 
Over time you will become familiar with it. Most cars built in the past 20 years are metric. I don't use my SAE tools very often any more.
Agreed, the SAE stuff comes out for the wheelbarrow, and galvanized hardware for the fence.

My last definitely non-metric car was a '69 Chrysler I owned '84 - '87. Not sure about the '80 Plymouth Volare ('92 - '97).

It's been all metric since - cars and bikes.
 
Over time you will become familiar with it. Most cars built in the past 20 years are metric. I don't use my SAE tools very often any more.
Yeah lol. I know my 1994 Ford has a lot more SAE than it does metric I’m guessing because it’s domestic and not an import. Like there is no 10mm bolts it’s all 3/8 the only metric tool I remember using on that thing is a 16mm for the drain plug and you could use a 5/8 for that.
 
The thing about metric is you measure in metric and you stay in metric. You don't covert back and forth to/from English units.

1000 meters in a kilometer, 1000 grams in a kilogram, 10 millimeters in a centimeter, etc. All you have to be able to do is move the decimal point.

100 cents in a dollar is a metric-like system. 12 pence in a shilling, and 20 shillings in a pound is a (no longer used) English system. Which system seems easier to you?

I'm equally comfortable in either system. I grew up with the English system but metric is easier to use.
My engineering - I prefer metric. My carpentry I prefer Imperial. And my measuring tapes - I strongly prefer those that are NOT a combination - i.e. are just Imperial...but ALSO do NOT have 32nds in the first foot.
 
I hate coming across torx on vehicles, but I have been switching to torx for every home project!

Specifically GRK structural screws. Those things are awesome. Expensive, but such a time save compared to nails.
Yep … been only using T25 or square drive for years … and have driven many. Hardly use nails anymore
 
My engineering - I prefer metric. My carpentry I prefer Imperial. And my measuring tapes - I strongly prefer those that are NOT a combination - i.e. are just Imperial...but ALSO do NOT have 32nds in the first foot.
Interesting. I use (and stick to) one system or the other in any given project.

I believe I was in the transitional engineering class at the U of S. The year before was taught primarily English units, the year after primarily metric. We were taught to use both systems. So I work pretty easily in either system.

I do tend to use English units for carpentry work though. Our homes (16" centers) and construction materials (2"X 4" X 8' dimensional lumber and 4'X 8' sheets of plywood) support that.
 
FYI, this Robertson Drive thread morphed into metric/Imperial chat. No biggie, just sayin'.

In 1980 I was working with an uncle who said, "This'll be {confusing} for 20 years".
I said, "It'll be a lot longer than that".
Wish I'd put money on it.

What I don't like when the subject comes up is when some dang fool goes into a USA-USA speech.
 
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Interesting. I use (and stick to) one system or the other in any given project.

I believe I was in the transitional engineering class at the U of S. The year before was taught primarily English units, the year after primarily metric. We were taught to use both systems. So I work pretty easily in either system.

I do tend to use English units for carpentry work though. Our homes (16" centers) and construction materials (2"X 4" X 8' dimensional lumber and 4'X 8' sheets of plywood) support that.
Noticed that watching home improvement or real estate shows when I worked in Canada … but we did metric at work. Only time we’d cross over was in procurement … especially if equipment came from the USA …
 
Interesting. I use (and stick to) one system or the other in any given project.

I believe I was in the transitional engineering class at the U of S. The year before was taught primarily English units, the year after primarily metric. We were taught to use both systems. So I work pretty easily in either system.

I do tend to use English units for carpentry work though. Our homes (16" centers) and construction materials (2"X 4" X 8' dimensional lumber and 4'X 8' sheets of plywood) support that.
When it comes to mass versus force... kg, N - versus slugs, lbs-f - it seems to me that metric is easier for engineering. I'm a UBC '81 Mech.
 
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