Making a Phillip's Head Screwdriver

Making a Phillips head screwdriver. In this video, knife maker Walter Sorrells continues his "Jake's Toolbox" series of tool builds by making a Phillips head screwdriver. This is third (and mercifully the last!) video in the series about screwdrivers. Rest assured the series has lot of other tools including a hammer, hex drivers, wood chisels, etc.
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Twitter: @WalterSorrells
Facebook: / waltersorrellsblades
Patreon: / waltersorrells

[@joeltbasham]

I was watching the trump/Biden debate highlights when this video went up. Thanks for getting me out of there Walter!

[@seanmcgalliard2957]

I just wanted to say, thank you for making this video. I'm in a manufacturing class at my college, and I'm trying to make a phillips head screwdriver for my dad for Christmas. Not for credit, we're making a flathead for credit. And I've been looking ALL OVER trying to find some of this information, like the angle of the phillips head. Because of this, I am now much more confident that my plan will work. Thanks again!

[@chrishenretty6188]

Walter love the series. That $10 wood looks alot like $75 of black and white ebony nice score.

[@blwngt1598]

I've got some spalted maple that looks just like it. Keep in mind that's what I was told it is by the person that gave it to me who is more knowledgeable on fancy woods than I care to be.

[@bekanav]

$10 is insane money for a piece of wood that has started to rot. Practically every old pile of firewood has that kind of pieces of wood (assuming there is maple or birch there)

[@thepatientartisan]

Hey Walter, great video as usual! Jake is a very lucky young man. The love that went into that gift is priceless! Those tools will serve your descendants for generations to come! Oh, and by the way, the "let's call it $10 bucks" piece of wood is actually Spalted Tamirand, an African wood that is highly popular with wood turners for pen blanks, pepper mills, bowls and so on. We blade makers also REALLY like it as well. Just so you know, you saved between 10-20 bucks on a piece that size. It stabilizes quite well, and between you and me, I recommend going back and getting all that they have left at that price before they figure out that they are using a pricey exotic wood for pallette stickers! Seriously, you should do that, probobly right now would be good 😉!!! Be well.

[@GuiltyMalice]

Those are B E A utiful, I’m sure your son will love and appreciate them. My son is not yet old enough to try and drag in the shop yet but one day he will be and I’m not rushing that. I feel like he’s growing up to fast as it is. Your boy being a young man I’m sure he’s as awesome as his dad if not more. I really appreciate the videos, they are clear and concise. Thanks for sharing.

[@BogLives]

Dang, I was looking forward to seeing the non-machined method for this! Something with hand files that is more accessible would be great to see

[@lukelofgren4108]

You are an inspiration for me Walter. I don't have all the fancy tools you have but I have patience and attention to detail. Your son is going to have an awesome toolbox

[@murphymmc]

Great series Walter. I have broken the tip on a Klein phillips head screwdriver, figured that the tempering process was shortened a bit, rare occurrence. I've broken many tips with an 18 volt 1/4" shank impact driver setup. That's kind of expected as those tips are mass produced and QC is sketchy. You are correct in that they generally roundover/strip first, but on that, not as rare as you'd want, occasion they'll snap and leave part of the bit in the phillips slots. That's fun as well.

[@brandontscheschlog]

Thanks for posting! I saw the flat head vid and was hoping you would do phillips!

[@Echowhiskeyone]

I have broken a few cheap Phillips head screwdrivers, they webbing gives. I regrind them to make a punch or awl.

[@barthooghwerff1682]

Lots of videos lately... Keep it up Walter!

[@JohnJohnson-bg2oo]

True American craftsman!!

[@stevecope5549]

When I got to pick a project in metal shop 9 I decided on a set of screwdrivers. My shop teacher was oddly impressed and I got 100%. The Phillips was the most difficult one and I spent days hand filing the profile with a #2 Phillips for refrence and calipers.

[@brechfaknives8187]

awesome as always Walter! thanks for sharing your knowledge & skills

[@milanthemilan5015]

These videos are awesome.I never figured to make screwdrivers and now,when i saw how pretty they are I want 20 of them...

[@TheMoonlightCraftsman]

Awesome gift. I don’t know if I would ever use them, they are too nice!

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Beautiful job on the screwdrivers.

[@censusgary]

I like your non-knife videos (and the knife ones, too). That spalted “ten bucks” makes a good-looking handle.

[@jasonmhite]

You should make Jake some Damascus hedge clippers, that would be wild!

[@horscategorie]

Hah!

[@katana24]

i've broken several snap on phillips screwdrivers, with heavy use tips eventually break, yes the screws round more than the screwdrivers, but some times it hapens the other way

[@djfaber]

Really liked this Walter!

[@Smallathe]

Gorgeous!

[@willykanos1044]

Most of us don't have a milling machine or a DRO. We have a vise, files, and a rotary tool of some kind - like a Dremel. Something more helpful would be how to select Phillips tools that fit. Hi to your kid.

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing!

[@ajosmer]

Oh, I've broken screwdriver tips off. I work on corroded old machines near the Texas coast where the salt spray can even make stainless screws galvanically corrode to the aluminum holes, and the surface of the screws inside the drive head swells somehow to firmly wedge the tip into the head. I guess it directs all the torque up to the top of the web, because I've broken the tips off even by hand.

[@Sebastian-ed5kt]

Do you hit on the heads before to release a bit of torque and corrosion? I've learned that from the old journeyman when we had to remove a big window fassade to get a big motor out and another one in.

[@TobiasJStrand]

Love your videos! Never broken a PH driver but usually they round over like butter if you don't buy the really good ones. Personally I think Torx is a gift from whatever higher power you might choose to believe in. For me, in this case, that would be engineering.

[@autumn5592]

Can't stand Torx personally, everything seems to be way to soft, one day it'll be the screws, then it'll be the bits. I'll take slotted over Torx, and I fucking hate slotted bits.

[@thomaslavery7760]

Before you blunted the tip,after milling the four slots on the tip you had created a ”Reed and Prince” driver. Similar to Phillips but with a sharper point.

[@Friedbrain11]

Neat looking wood.

[@TylerSnyder305]

Philip's works, but I sure wish the far superior Robertson drive had been used instead. There are just so many advantages to it, and for me to consider this Canadian design superior to an American one really says something.

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Get yourself some Cactus Juice and a vacuum pump and chamber. I've been making some of the best knife and tool handles of my life with a stabilizing setup. 👍

[@slicergears657]

As a Canadian fan, I would like to see a Robertson's. Not popular in the US, but as an exercise perhaps. Thank you kindly 😊

[@mikes1345]

Robertson's are found in some applications even in Texas and hopefully become more widespread. I found them much better than phillips and wont use a slotted screw to build anything.

[@unclebuild8480]

@@mikes1345 After living in Canada for six years I find Robertson bits preferable to Phillips for most applications; especially with the longer screws.

[@bradjohnson9671]

What you made is closer to a JIS tip, Japanese Industry Standard. All I use any more... I WILL be making some of these.

[@Echowhiskeyone]

I believe you 10 buck wood is either poplar or white ash. I have seen both pale woods with that black in the grain. I bet it is poplar over ash, just from looking at it on screen.

[@MatthewHilbertsBaritone]

Also look at JIS screw drivers

[@divs1023]

Woods something like spalted birch

[@camman1056]

Not necessarily relevant to this build but I wanted to ask. How long will a blade keep its edge/sharpness while not in use? I mean if I leave a blade in storage for 12 months and pull it out (for this example lets say there's minimal corrosive atmosphere) how different will the edge sharpness be? Understand this is likely dependent on the steel type so lets presume it's high carbon or tool steel.

[@bobbyw9046]

BEAUTIFUL Walter! Wish I had a lathe! No epoxy on the ferrel ?

[@awdgt2stinger270]

What size end mill did you use? Great Job BTW!

[@craigtate5930]

@6:03 what is that wood with the orangeish core? Is it 2 different woods sandwiched together?

[@dalegosnell2511]

River Burch

[@eldstgilmorbarboydodellatb4413]

💚🤘🏿

[@DanTheAngry]

No Robertson? *Disappointed in Canadian*

[@jasonwenz8910]

Iv broken countless Philips screwdrivers.

[@andrzejzielinski8886]

"When was the last time, you broker the tip of the screwdriver. Yeah, never..." Imagine me do just that last week :/ I was planing to make a little knife out of broken screwdriver. Any tips for that? I dont hawe tools, for heat treeting. Best thing is usualy to throw this thing to trash, yet it feels as such a waste.

[@autumn5592]

Make yourself an Awl/punch. Great use for old screwdrivers if you can't re-file them. Triangle or square Awls for marking and reaming. Round Awls for marking, scribing, setting nails, digging trash out of hard to reach places, to poke stuff, etc. Parallel punches for pins, and the sort. Center punch for metals (requires a different grind than an Awl, but can be used much the same way.) Transfer punches for marking center of holes onto other materials. You could do some other obscure stuff like deburring tools, or some other obscure 1 time thing tools. Imagination is really your limit here. For blades, you won't get much, screwdrivers won't have enough material for a good knife, but you could do a small marking knife, wouldn't be very ergonomic though. And without heat treating it won't hold an edge very well. The handles on screwdrivers can also be saved for files or other handle-less tools.

[@Realwademasters]

Spalted oak by the looks

[@griftopherhitchens9926]

Canadian here, Robertson driver is far superior.

[@manminusblood]

Rad but that’s lathed and heat treated…not forged.

[@MrRShoaf]

I was curious how you were going to form the tips. I'm not convinced this technique will stand the test of time.

[@Epiphalactic]

JIS > Phillips, posi, anything else.

[@lvonh9388]

splated maple

[@eldstgilmorbarboydodellatb4413]

💚💚💚💚 bookmark/notes 09:00 💍 …..ect…..tbc…..-g-b, bot

[@NoMoreCandies]

ok, but what a waste of energy, fuel, gas , and money for a couple of tools. this is beyond ridiculous, maybe usa? keep producing co2 , i am sorry for you.