Maybe just my imagination, but I’ve always thought that one of the reasons for phillips bits’ original attraction was that they could be more easily and quickly sharpened like with maybe a special profile grinding stone, and that they be much faster than slotted in a high volume factory/assembly environment. Now, along with square bits and torx bits, they’ve nearly made slotted screws obsolete.
But I was just looking at my Swiss Army knife phillips bit…which is not dull yet, but which certainly cannot be replaced when dull simply by changing out a new power bit.
So the question is…ARE there actually specially profiled grinding stones made for sharpening phillips bits?
This would also be useful for that particularily favorite, nicely handled phillips screwdriver that is getting burred and dulled up, but you would like to keep using.
Replies
You can extend the life of a phillips bit by grinding flat across the top ,until a screw fits tight in the slot. The sides are not worth trying to reshape.
mike
Just grinding down the tip will extend the life a few times. Eventually though, the tip will get too fat to seat completely. You can fix this by filing down the "valleys" of the flutes, and taking off some of the edge on each of the "shoulders" until you get a good point again. Just a set of basic files can do all this.
Worth doing for a favorite driver or pocket knife.
I use to use a Swiss Army pocket knife, then I used the Leatherman. I find the Leatherman held its sharpness and edge better, both on the knife and screwdriver portion.
Now, I don't carry it cause Courts and Airports take them.
You have to remember to pack your knife in your checked baggage.
It's not that I use the philips on the swiss army knife enough to dull it down...just the theory that in an old factory setting, I thought they may have had a profiled grind stone to keep those bits sharp..sounds like it's just my imagination.
They have a grinding wheel for making the bits but the thickness of the wings is important for fitting to the screw. File them down and the bit will just slip. With the way airlines are losing baggage and the process you have to go through to recover some of the loss, not many experienced travelers are checking bags. Since I've recently been through the lost baggage thing, you should try to avoid it happening. You need to have receipts for everything or written estimates. They pro rate the values. Thing like electronics, medication, art, aren't covered. The form you submit has to be notarized. Chances are very good that checked luggage will be opened, they will cut any locks and you will get a nice little card in the suitcase. We get treated like criminals in US airports but you can get on a plane all over the rest of the world and not get any scrutiny.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Ever tried to take a flight to/from Israel?