What is a good screwdriver set to buy for reel maintenance?
Quote from: Scattergun2570 on October 28, 2017, 06:27:26 AM
What is a good screwdriver set to buy for reel maintenance?
Japanese or US reels?
I like this brand: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/223597/wheeler-engineering-72-piece-professional-gunsmithing-screwdriver-set
They sell larger and smaller sets. If you're in So Cal, Turners has them on sale often. The link is from Midway.
Mike
My goto makes are Wiha and Wera - good quality tools and not particularly expensive. Brownells have some fine screwdrivers as well - they are a bit pricey in the UK. For slotted screws make sure the screwdriver is hollow or parallel ground.
With all of the screwdrivers out there today -- after you eliminate about 90% of the junk -- you still have many to choose from.
It is personal choice...
For me, I like Brownell's fixed screwdrivers for firearms -- tried them on reels -- but seem like a little overkill to me. So those stay in the outer shop just for guns.
For reels, I really like Wiha.
Only had one break in 20 years -- tossed it in a drawer and forgot about it. When I was ordering a few more from Wiha directly, I asked for their service manager -- he just sent me a new one in place of the broken one at no charge.
No receipt, no nothing -- just good service and standing behind their products. (It was my fault the screwdriver broke, not theirs though).
Make sure they are hollow ground on the blade tip -- and that all are hardened.
These are not expensive -- and very good values.
These small sets in this youtube are likely all you will need to start -- not expensive.
I personally like this style -- because any pressure can be brought to bear with the heel of your hand -- while the hex portion at the shank allows easy two fingered rotation when my hands are greasy.
Well thought out -- and a solid company. German craftsmanship at decently fair prices.
Best,
Fred
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e1Hcqs_PD5I
Quote from: Scattergun2570 on October 28, 2017, 05:38:53 PM
Quote from: ReelClean on October 28, 2017, 07:37:02 AM
Quote from: Scattergun2570 on October 28, 2017, 06:27:26 AM
What is a good screwdriver set to buy for reel maintenance?
Japanese or US reels?
both
Get a set of JIS cross head (like phillips, except they're not) screwdrivers for your Jap reels and you will not mung up as many screws. I buy Vessel.
Cheers
Steve
x2 on what Realclean said - identify JIS as opposed to PH. You will save loads of screw heads. I found this out back in the sixties working on Japanese motorbikes. On larger screw heads there is some times a little punched 'dot':
https://www.peterverdone.com/jis-cross-head-screws-and-drivers/
But not so on small head screws. If it's Japanese assume it's JIS - Vessel screwdivers/bits are your best bet - some of the Wiha/Wera range also work.
If it's a cross head screw on a Japanese reel I will 'almost' guarantee it's a JIS. IMHO buy some Vessel bits/screwdivers - they are guaranteed to fit ;)
Regular Phillips will cam out!
make sure you select a good screw driver for every job, must be a good snug fit, then it wont slide off and scratch your reels, a good snug fit will work the best without damaging the screw, as well, as Fred said hollow grinde then as well, cheers Don.
If you do a lot of reel work on a variety of reels you'll find a set of screwdrivers with replaceable tips allows you to buy replacement tips and grind them to match whatever screw you are matched up against. When I confined my collection to Penn and Pflueger (and a few Ocean City) I needed only two screwdriver sizes. Now that I've expanded to older reels, some of which do not have standard screws (or threads) it becomes much more important to select (or grind) the right size bit. It's much easier to spend the time grinding a screwdriver to the perfect fit with a screw than it is to find (or make) a replacement screw after a poorly-fitting screwdriver messes it up. The screwdriver head should match the slot in the screw snugly, should reach all the way to the bottom of the slot, be parallel to the sides of the slot, and should be the same width as the screw head. Don't forget to use penetrating oil, and sometimes even a properly-fitting screwdriver won't work until the part has been heated and cooled a few times. The game is to try not to identify the screws that will break by breaking them first :)
Sid
Couldn't pass up these cheapies. The red box was 3 bucks, the others were a buck apiece.
Guys- seriously - don't go cheap on screw drivers - you will regret it. Vessel bits are a must for Japanese/Asian reels. Brownells/Wiha/Wera drivers for anything else ;)
I get most of my screwdrivers online from Chapman Manufacturing. They are high quality and reasonably priced. I always order several of my most popular bits and keep pretty much every size on hand.
Quote from: Tiddlerbasher on October 30, 2017, 11:40:18 PM
Guys- seriously - don't go cheap on screw drivers - you will regret it. Vessel bits are a must for Japanese/Asian reels. Brownells/Wiha/Wera drivers for anything else ;)
How bout a link on a set to get me started?
https://www.vesseltools.com/industrial-bits
http://www-us.wera.de/
http://www.wihatoolsus.com/
I havent used cheaper 'entry-level' screwdrivers for years as I work on allot of high end Daiwa and Shimano spinners. Found the cheaper drivers have soft tips and wear out allot quicker, also depending on brand the patterns arent very accurate.
Prefer the European precision drivers over anything they are superior for reel work including my full set of Snap-On drivers which are more suited to mechanics work (bigger, more clumsy and the grips arent very ergonomic).
My top three would be Wiha (mainly because thier grips fit my hand better than the Wera grips), then Wera which is the same quality as Wiha. I like Wera's 'laser tip' which grips into the screws pattern very well and minimizes slippage when you need to use more torque. Have been using a full range of all these brands and thats my pick.
For smaller stuff use Wiha's 'Pico Finish' drvers and Nanch. This 30pc Nanch driver set is absolute precision and very high quality, would reccommend it to anyone....
(http://)
Also have a full range of Kylin drivers which are also very good quality. Thier tips are titanium coated and just never seem to wear even after servicing hundreds of reels...
(//)
Back when I started in Gunsmithing, I purchased the deluxe set of Gunsmith's screwdrivers from Brownells. That was over 40yrs ago, it was a lot of money and then and they certainly haven't gotten any cheaper!
Good tools from them have served me well, but, on this one I have to go along with Mike on the Wheelers set for the best value going. A super assortment of hollow ground blade size's, great Rockwell and temper,
and can be found on ebay as cheap as $35.00 for the 72 pc set.
They look a lot like Chapman's stuff, maybe a bit better, and I think Chapman's just down the road from me.
The Wheeler's kit has fit all the Penn reels I have ever needed to service. Its my second set as my brother borrowed the first one and never returned it! :-\
If your lucky enough to pick up this kit on ebay for a reasonable price, I doubt you'll be disappointed.
Best, .. Lou
Quote from: Tiddlerbasher on October 28, 2017, 10:37:59 PM
x2 on what Realclean said - identify JIS as opposed to PH. You will save loads of screw heads. I found this out back in the sixties working on Japanese motorbikes. On larger screw heads there is some times a little punched 'dot':
https://www.peterverdone.com/jis-cross-head-screws-and-drivers/
But not so on small head screws. If it's Japanese assume it's JIS - Vessel screwdivers/bits are your best bet - some of the Wiha/Wera range also work.
If it's a cross head screw on a Japanese reel I will 'almost' guarantee it's a JIS. IMHO buy some Vessel bits/screwdivers - they are guaranteed to fit ;)
Regular Phillips will cam out!
Forgot to mention: Hozan is another Japanese tool company that will have JIS bits and drivers. Popular brand for bicycle tools etc.
JIS technically hasn't existed, as a standard, for something like 10yrs. However the head profile for Japanese/Chinese screws is different to Philips PH.
For PH/JIS size 1/2 or 3 the Vessel bits still offer the best fit - bar none. Over the years, when I played with motorbikes, I tried many makes of screwdriver to find that elusive perfect fit. Klein and Hozan (and many others) make some reasonable drivers BUT they don't pass my test. Clamp a suspected JIS screw (any Asian screw :-\) in a vice - the test for the screwdriver is will it stay in the screw on its own unsupported - particularly if the screw is at an angle (not vertical). Vessel drivers are the only ones I have found that give this 'perfect' fit - oh and they fit standard PH as well ;)
I think I am more uncertain than before after so many different responses.
The thing I don't like about screwdriver sets and, especially, the bit sets is that I can never find what I'm looking for. Having a rag-tag assortment from various manufacturers means you can find the driver you are looking for in the pile.
-steve
Steve, the ones I use the most go into a little cup area within the set. The nice part is you can take the screw and run it along the set until you find the correct one. Easy peasy!
...............Lou
Quote from: Scattergun2570 on November 03, 2017, 08:06:36 PM
I think I am more uncertain than before after so many different responses.
There is no need to overthink it as you are not working on something that requires as much precision as a gun. There, precise fit is essential to prevent marring of the gun's finish. Anything below the $1000+ super spinners is just a simple tool that, with normal care, any decent set of screwdrivers will handle.
You just need something a little better than utter junk, but something well below what a pro reel tech would want. A basic Wiha set or other is more than adequate plus a set of Torx bits and drivers.
Yup - what John said - you don't need precision gunsmithing screwdrivers (ie slotted). Hollow ground slotted bits (like Wiha or Wera etc.) will do a fine job. Just be careful with Asian cross head screws - make sure the driver actually fits. I use Vessels bits and drivers because they reely work better.
I'm with AKfish on this one. I love my Chapmans and they're reasonably priced as well.
Dom
I have a few sets, some expensive and some dirt cheap.
This weekend I was servicing a vintage reel, screws were verysoft, so I needed to find a screwdriver tha fit nicely.
The one that worked best was a .25 cent screwdriver :-\.
Forget about name brands and use what works best for you.
Just my opinion.
Sal
I agree Sal. Some old reels have a 'V' shaped slot. They almost look like the brass screw head was made by splitting it open with a knife blade. A modern tool will not seat very well so I ground a little junk screw diver to a chisel/knife tip. It was going to be a quick and dirty short term thing to get one stubborn screw out. But that little junk screw driver became the one I've used most for the last year or so. If I'd known I would have started with something that had better steel in it.
-steve
Exactly Mr. Tuttle, (+ others) use what you have, carefully.
My reels are not marred up unless they were purchased that way. And I'm talking about pristine reels that have I've fished too. Loaners may not be perfect but clean enough.
WERA LAZER TIP in slot and phillips are a must !!!!!
I think everyone knows by now I am sold on Brownells hand tools, I have used them for 45yrs and don't have a bad thin to say and they back there tools 100%.
Joe
I`m not happy with the soft, rubbery type handles, you get grease & chemicals on your hands or gloves, then the handles, tend to deteiriate, & stays very sticky, a good wide plastic handle, I like best, mind you the plastic sometimes shatters when you tap them with a hammer, ?. cheers Don.
Not to bring up an old thread...but any idea what screwdriver works for a Shimano 130 screw? PN TT460 maybe? Worried about getting them out and want to overhaul a couple reels, noticed one was loose, so started to remove to clean and now its not a good situation, milling machine is next for removal lol. TIA
Shimano uses a T25 for the body screws and a Phillips for the quadrant ring and other parts.
If you need a flat head make sure it's a ground flat tip like recommended. A regular screwdriver will slip.
The gunsmith screwdriver sets all have ground flat bits and a big assortment so you can get one to fit just right
These are some of what I use —-
Best, Fred
Fred
I like the valve handle hanging on the wall. It brings back memories of working.
Mike
Quote from: bluefish69 on December 17, 2022, 07:23:34 PMFred
I like the valve handle hanging on the wall. It brings back memories of working.
Mike
Thanks Mike —-
That is actually a belted hand crank line winder.
It is cast iron and clamps to a bench.
It is likely from the early part of the 20th Century.
Probably over 100 years old, or more.
Best, Fred
My ex bought me the Wiha precision set in 2019. It includes all of the screwdrivers, Alan, hex, metric and standard. Nut drivers too. It's the best!
I have Wera, Wiha, Vessel, and PB Swiss precision screwdrivers. The PB Swiss is the nicest/my favorite. But, the Vessel comes in a close second. All of these are quality screwdrivers and will work better than average, but I think the PB Swiss are a step above the rest.