Wheeler Screwdriver set...junk or counterfeit ?
- Thread starter FatCatsDad
- Start date
Screwdrivers are TOOLS, tools break when they are stressed beyond their limits.
Screwdrivers are not created equal and some will withstand a lot more stress than others.
The biggest mistake nimrods make with screwdrivers is using bits that don't fit snugly and fill at least 90% of the slot from end to end.
Using a general purpose screwdriver that isn't hollow ground, so it has flat sides, instead of a ground off "V" is just asking for trouble and it reeks of shoddy workmanship.
Most people don't know how to properly use and maintain a screwdriver for the best results and it shows up pretty quickly.
From the Lee Valley description:
I only bought the flat-head varieties. Maybe next time I find myself 4 hours from home and in a Lee Valley I may buy the Phillips as well for butt pads and similar. But the need isn't great enough to justify having to have them shipped to me
The bits for these have held up VERY well, the big plus is that they are non magnetic 
They also make a bit for 1911 grip screws - this set is about the best well rounded for gun work, but they sell and you should pick up a few of the sizes that are not included in this set. I also bought a couple of 3" spare shanks and made some palm sized drivers. Would not hurt to pick up a few sacrificial bits that can be ground to size.
Overall very happy with the price and service from Chapman.
I also have a set of the Grace gun smith drivers, they are excellent but not holding up as well as these.
Other than the standard "driver needs to fit the slot" - short drivers give more control and less chance of slippage....
They also make a bit for 1911 grip screws - this set is about the best well rounded for gun work, but they sell and you should pick up a few of the sizes that are not included in this set. I also bought a couple of 3" spare shanks and made some palm sized drivers. Would not hurt to pick up a few sacrificial bits that can be ground to size. Overall very happy with the price and service from Chapman.
I also have a set of the Grace gun smith drivers, they are excellent but not holding up as well as these.
Other than the standard "driver needs to fit the slot" - short drivers give more control and less chance of slippage....
Attachments
The bits for these have held up VERY well, the big plus is that they are non magnetic
Overall very happy with the price and service from Chapman.
I also have a set of the Grace gun smith drivers, they are excellent but not holding up as well as these.
Other than the standard "driver needs to fit the slot" - short drivers give more control and less chance of slippage....
Good Call !
I still have my original Brownells set from the 70's. Only managed to break one of those. The Wheeler set is ok, have one of those two. I am just careful about where and how I use it. - dan
FatCatsDad
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
My Brownells order arrived today and in amongst the 10-22 parts was the bit I bought for Leupold windage screws.
What a fantastic tool.
It fits like a glove.
The right tool for the job has never been so clearly demonstrated than tools on gun screws.
What a fantastic tool.
It fits like a glove.
The right tool for the job has never been so clearly demonstrated than tools on gun screws.
How do you think I learned my lesson????
When I started out, working with firearms, my mentor got very upset if I used a tool improperly or a tool that didn't fit or was damaged.
He docked my pay for buggering up some screw slots on a half dozen 98k rifles we had taken apart for cleaning for the showroom.
That hurt my feelings more than anything else but the lesson stuck and has served me very well for most of my life.
USE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB. That means tools that FIT and aren't SLOPPY.
Most people have to learn the hard way, such as when a screwdriver slips out of the slot, damaging the slot and gouging the stock and maybe cutting the hand of the operator.
I have old set of Grace drivers that have treated me well but the set is small so finding the right size has limitations.
I have a set of regular handle Brownells, good drivers but unaltered tend to often be to thick .
I have a set of Brownells magna tip. They are pretty much my go to tools.They have bits for almost anything you want ,including a set that fit the big screws on some scope mounts.Anyone thinking of going with the magna tip set will for sure want to get the extra thin bit set as well.
I have a set of regular handle Brownells, good drivers but unaltered tend to often be to thick .
I have a set of Brownells magna tip. They are pretty much my go to tools.They have bits for almost anything you want ,including a set that fit the big screws on some scope mounts.Anyone thinking of going with the magna tip set will for sure want to get the extra thin bit set as well.
Jonnyofalltrades
Regular
- Location
- North-central Saskatchewan
Wedge shaped tips were/are the standard for the British gun trade, and nobody can accuse them of ruining screw slots more so than their North America counterparts. Watch Jack Rowe on YouTube and be amazed by the work they do with "turnscrews" I would have mistaken for blunt wood chisels.
Having said that, Brownell's Magna-tip set is my go-to, and I have the thin bit set. They are prone to twisting, and I find that they are much improved by taking about 1/16" off the tip. Maybe someday I will be using dull wood chisels like Jack Rowe.
Having said that, Brownell's Magna-tip set is my go-to, and I have the thin bit set. They are prone to twisting, and I find that they are much improved by taking about 1/16" off the tip. Maybe someday I will be using dull wood chisels like Jack Rowe.
I just spent two hours this morning helping a nimrod repair a big scratch in his "grandfathers" rifle, made with a Canadian Tire Mastercraft Screwdriver that was not only way to long but didn't fit.
There's a very good reason that people started using hollow ground screwdrivers that fit properly.
