Dangerous Tools

I got a call the other day from Garrett, who had done quite a bit of work on a post about dangerous tools. I read through it, and my first thought was "I'm reading this whole thing?" It's long, but has lots of good information, even if the methods weren't the most "Scientific".

One of the main things that came out was that every tool can be dangerous, because the tool is only as safe as the person using it. That's brilliant, and very true. Of course, when it got down to the Wylie Coyote naming conventions of some of the tools, that led me off to another page which I had to read in its entirety.

If you use tools on a regular basis, or are just looking for some entertainment, I think his article is worth a read. You can find it here.

Forged vs Milled Phillips Bits - Irwin Torsion Bits

Phillips bits are just a + shaped piece of metal, right? What's the big deal how they get that plus shape? After all, they all just wear out eventually.

Irwin didn't think that was the case. They thought the manufacturing process mattered, and they came out with new bits, named torsion bits, late last year that were designed to be different. They're forged instead of milled.

But what's the big deal?

When phillips bits are milled, they generally get produced with almost a "Scooping" motion. This leads to slightly rounded sides on the four pieces of metal, and the screws only touch at the tip of the bit. By forging the bits, they not only get a precise fit into the screws, but the bit lasts longer due to the decreased slipping and higher strength.

Irwin didn't shop there, though. They also tumble all of the bits to make them shiny, then paint a blue band around them to really make them stand out as being unique. In fact, more users liked the blue band than anything in field tests.

What makes them a real value though isn't just that they last longer, but they only have a marginal premium on the price. I'm using them right now at home and really like them, so I'll keep on buying them. Not that a bit wears out all that often for home use, but I can actually feel the difference in the fit inside the screw, and feel makes a difference to me. I'd recommend the Irwin Torsion Bits to anyone that's using phillips bits on a regular basis.