Slotted screws

[David2749]

I seem to have acquired over the years 1000's of slotted screws, but of course they are difficult to use with a power drill. Is there anything that one can use as a guide to fit over the screw when using a electric driver?
I hate to throw screws away.
Cheers

 

[Justin Passing]

I've used a thing with a sprung cylinder surround like this, also one with ball bearings sprung to the shank, but they don't work very well.

The screws are soft, the threads won't be as good as modern ones and they rust.

When I get to the back of the shed where my many hundreds are, I'll throw them all away. Not enough life to waste on them!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Don't! Offer them to someone who does furniture restoration or is working on vintage vehicles, etc. They are increrasingly hard to find and hey do have their uses

 

[Stivino]

Try a wee bit of Blu Tack on the head of the screw, so that it sticks to the screwdriver.

 

[David2749]

Cheers, I think your right, life is too short to waste time.

 

[ETAF]

Are there any black screws in amongst them, i have just refurbished a few doors , using Tee Hinge and black locks , handles and needed some nice roundhead black screws , found a load in my old screw box ' 16mm black japanned round head , worked perfect on the 18mm material had for the doors, I could not find any 16mm round head black screws anywhere online or at the main warehouse. All seemed to be 20/25mm

so there maybe a few screws worth keeping , i just spent an afternoon , sorting all my old screws out , throwing a lot of them away , didn't take that long once i got started and into the swing , and sat in the garden, on a nice afternoon, although this was during the first lockdown, so not much else to do then , and sorted into a Stanley low profile organiser.

I must admit , i often now do get a few different screws from there on/off for the odd fixing.

 

[securespark]

Showing my age now, when I started sparking, we all used black jap screws.

Haven't seen any on an electrical installation for decades.

 

[JohnD]

sat in the garden, on a nice afternoon, although this was during the first lockdown, so not much else to do then , and sorted into a Stanley low profile organiser.

for best results, when you've finished, knock the box to the floor as you stand up.

 

[David2749]

All sorted, sat outside as the sun was out and picked all the slotted screws out. Box of screws now looks empty.

 

[blup]

I recall buying tubs of different sized slotted wood screws from a diy store many years ago, still have most of them, because they became redundant when I acquired a cordless screwdriver. Made in Birmingham by Nettlefolds IIRC. As said, they may come in use for restoration or where appearance is important.

Blup

 

[Mottie]

for best results, when you've finished, knock the box to the floor as you stand up.

Been there, done that!

sorted a partitioned box of assorted screws that I picked up without making sure the lid was fastened ,

 

[ETAF]

Yep, I did that with the screwfix pack ,
https://www.screwfix.com/p/goldscre...T7xAd0S5sx0PF5L4bo0aAkjyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I even had to use some tiny screws out of the my sorted screw box today, so glad i did bother in the end

 

[Justin Passing]

Have a stooge round this site:
https://www.thevintagescrewcompany.com/shop/

Gauge 8 Slotted Steel CSK

I'm rich, I'm rich!

4" 14's, anyone?

They say they sell some of the very very old screws - pre war I'd guess

Narrower slots. They were cut rather than rolled threads, and the core diameter didn't taper as much as it did with later screws.
I noticed when I dabbled in antique resto.
I wonder how many millions of the things ae rusting away in the back of sheds.

I've known replica screws to be made on a lathe and metal saw. There's dedication!

 

[big-all]

Are there any black screws in amongst them, i have just refurbished a few doors , using Tee Hinge and black locks , handles and needed some nice roundhead black screws , found a load in my old screw box ' 16mm black japanned round head , worked perfect on the 18mm material had for the doors, I could not find any 16mm round head black screws anywhere online or at the main warehouse. All seemed to be 20/25mm

so there maybe a few screws worth keeping , i just spent an afternoon , sorting all my old screws out , throwing a lot of them away , didn't take that long once i got started and into the swing , and sat in the garden, on a nice afternoon, although this was during the first lockdown, so not much else to do then , and sorted into a Stanley low profile organiser.

I must admit , i often now do get a few different screws from there on/off for the odd fixing.

where they sixes or 7s i may have some 16mm[5/8ths] will have a look

 

[ETAF]

i think they maybe were as much as 8's - i may have 1 left , can't remember now if i just had enough or 1 over , i will have to have a look and measure.

Nope, I used them all up , so not sure now , i have some longer ones and can check those.

so the slightly longer one , interesting its actually is a 16mm 3/4" is No8 4mm
Which means the ones I was using must have been a (12mm) 1/2" or something similar.
I know i have had them for ages, so probably imperial and not metric size

I was basing my sizing on the 18mm material plus the thickness of the hinge, handle , door latch , so knew 16mm would be the maximum size