The only thing where square drive screws are usefull is in finish work. The
small head easy easily countersunk, and hidden with however the piece is
finished. Sure, the head is still bigger than a finish nail, but in an
application where strength is needed, the screw is the best.

--Mike

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:35:46 -0400, Gene Kearns
wrote:


Since everybody is posting OT, I thought I would revisit a topic that
we discussed a year or so ago.

I was doing some deck work and had bought some stainless deck screws
with the Robertson square drive. I thought they sucked, since they
were hard to drive and tended to strip out and break off.... others
suggested that I should be pre-drilling holes. That seemed like a
unnecessary and labor intensive task.

The local building supply has stopped carrying the Robertson headed
screws and now supplies an exterior plated screw (Grip Rite) with star
drive. They are excellent! I've driven a whole box of 4 inch screws
and not one single stripped head or broken screw (and no predilling,
either).

They worked for me.....

Were they the coated Grip Rite screws?

Those things are 'da bomb. Built my deck with them about ten years
ago.

Robertson square drive screws suck.

Did you know that the Robertson square drive screws were used long
before Phillips head screws and, I believe, Ford used them in building
Model Ts.

The only reason I know that is one of my friends here in town restores
Model Ts as part of his business.

He hates Robertson screws. :)