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Brass Precision Screw Drivers
- Thread starter akinswi
- Start date
Try Safety Tools ... I haven't found a set but they carry a wide range of slotted and phillips head screwdrivers made of brass . You could buy two or three brass screwdrivers , the tips don't appear correct for gun screws but you could re-grind the tips to fit gun screws and have a brass gun screwdriver . Check them out at
www.safetytools.us and click on screwdrivers
You should also check www.brownells.com for gunsmithing screwdrivers in brass ...
If anyone would have a set ... Brownell's would .
Gary
www.safetytools.us and click on screwdrivers
You should also check www.brownells.com for gunsmithing screwdrivers in brass ...
If anyone would have a set ... Brownell's would .
Gary
Brass will leave brass-colored marks on bluing. If I wanted to avoid all marking, I think I would find or grind some steel driver bits just enough smaller than dead fit to let me apply some powder coat to them and see if I could use them gently enough not to damage the coating. I would expect them to stand as much torque as you could apply with a brass driver, but would have to try it to be sure. Bronze might be a better choice. AMPCO safety screwdrivers are an aluminum-bronze alloy, but while they are spark-free, the alloy, discovered in 1914, is capable of cutting soft steel, so it may not prevent marring completely.
C172000 is the strongest/hardest commonly-available copper alloy and is often used for non-sparking tools. It is strengthened with a small addition of beryllium so the filings are considered toxic - don't breath it.
You can read about it here https://alloys.copper.org/alloy/C17200 and here https://vincentmetals.com/C17200_Beryllium_Copper_Alloy_25.html and you can purchase it here https://www.mcmaster.com/metals/copper-brass-and-bronze/extra-high-strength-172-beryllium-copper-rods/
Do not heat it to form or forge it unless you read about the heat treatment cycled and are willing to re-do it.
You can read about it here https://alloys.copper.org/alloy/C17200 and here https://vincentmetals.com/C17200_Beryllium_Copper_Alloy_25.html and you can purchase it here https://www.mcmaster.com/metals/copper-brass-and-bronze/extra-high-strength-172-beryllium-copper-rods/
Do not heat it to form or forge it unless you read about the heat treatment cycled and are willing to re-do it.
The AMPCO safety screwdrivers I mentioned are available from Digi-Key.
Bill DeShivs
New member
All these years people have been turning gun screws with steel screwdrivers......
Jim Watson
New member
Delrin
4V50 Gary, that is beyond my expertise.
All copper alloys are subject to stress corrosion cracking in certain environments - like ammonia and other things (like cat piss) - and the propensity for cracking increases as the strength of the metal increases, and also as the stress (applied or residual) increases.
Unfortunately this is also true for high-strength steels, but the attacking chemicals are different. Anything that corrodes steel generates hydrogen ions and over time those cause 'hydrogen assisted cracking' (AKA HIC), which is a category of stress corrosion cracking.
So nothing is immune, it is just a matter of what the environmental chemical is, the concentration, the strength/hardness of the part, and the degree of stress in/on the part. Soft stuff is virtually immune.
My own infatuation with C172 comes from the fact that a simple 600ºF aging treatment (of the solution-annealed or solution-annealed and cold-worked metal) can get you to 44 HRC, which is well above most other copper alloys and approaches the Rockwell hardness of heat-treated lower carbon steels. Higher carbon - over 0.30 carbon - go much higher, into the high 50s, but things like rifle barrels are often tempered back to the order of 30-35 HRC. Not 'file hard" but far stronger than a piece of I-beam or angle iron.
So in school one of our lab exercises was to cold roll (work harden) and then age some C172, and the mid-40s amazed me! It gets stronger after aging if it is cold-worked first.
I got to thinking that if I wanted a make-believe Roman 'bronze short sword', it should be C172 so it could actually hold an edge and be used for a sword (never thought of "on what").
I never made the sword, but I did make some pretty nice knives out of worn out old files. Never made a crossbow out of a truck leaf spring, but I still have the plans from Popular Mechanics magazine.
The OP wanted screwdrivers and the AMPCO tools Unclenick linked to are exactly what he was asking for. I was just drawn in because if I wanted any kind of non-sparking tool, I'd pick C172 because it is so easy to work with.
You might wish to peruse the Copper Development Association website I linked - copper.org - and look through the available categories. If nothing else it will let you know that there is something perfect for every use if you can narrow down all the parameters.
All copper alloys are subject to stress corrosion cracking in certain environments - like ammonia and other things (like cat piss) - and the propensity for cracking increases as the strength of the metal increases, and also as the stress (applied or residual) increases.
Unfortunately this is also true for high-strength steels, but the attacking chemicals are different. Anything that corrodes steel generates hydrogen ions and over time those cause 'hydrogen assisted cracking' (AKA HIC), which is a category of stress corrosion cracking.
So nothing is immune, it is just a matter of what the environmental chemical is, the concentration, the strength/hardness of the part, and the degree of stress in/on the part. Soft stuff is virtually immune.
My own infatuation with C172 comes from the fact that a simple 600ºF aging treatment (of the solution-annealed or solution-annealed and cold-worked metal) can get you to 44 HRC, which is well above most other copper alloys and approaches the Rockwell hardness of heat-treated lower carbon steels. Higher carbon - over 0.30 carbon - go much higher, into the high 50s, but things like rifle barrels are often tempered back to the order of 30-35 HRC. Not 'file hard" but far stronger than a piece of I-beam or angle iron.
So in school one of our lab exercises was to cold roll (work harden) and then age some C172, and the mid-40s amazed me! It gets stronger after aging if it is cold-worked first.
I got to thinking that if I wanted a make-believe Roman 'bronze short sword', it should be C172 so it could actually hold an edge and be used for a sword (never thought of "on what").
I never made the sword, but I did make some pretty nice knives out of worn out old files. Never made a crossbow out of a truck leaf spring, but I still have the plans from Popular Mechanics magazine.
The OP wanted screwdrivers and the AMPCO tools Unclenick linked to are exactly what he was asking for. I was just drawn in because if I wanted any kind of non-sparking tool, I'd pick C172 because it is so easy to work with.
You might wish to peruse the Copper Development Association website I linked - copper.org - and look through the available categories. If nothing else it will let you know that there is something perfect for every use if you can narrow down all the parameters.
Brownell's has hollow ground screwdriver sets anywhere from 15 to 100 dollars. The more expensive, the better they get but the main key is that they are fitted to the screw and don't have an angle to them which helps them from slipping.
You can also get a good set of Weaver screwdrivers with a torque handle so that you are not putting too much stress on the screws.
I carry a set of Winchester screw drivers in each of my shooting bags to make sure I always have a kit with me.
Good Luck And Good Shooting.
Steven
You can also get a good set of Weaver screwdrivers with a torque handle so that you are not putting too much stress on the screws.
I carry a set of Winchester screw drivers in each of my shooting bags to make sure I always have a kit with me.
Good Luck And Good Shooting.
Steven
40V50 Gary, I have no idea.
Apologies for late reply. Intended to go through some books and come up with a guess, but you didn't ask for a guess, you asked if I knew anything (which I don't).
If I were asked what alloy I'd suggest, I'd want to know whether it is a casting or machined from bar stock because some alloys that are chemically very similar and have almost identical properties have different numbers, cast vs wrought. What strength is required? Higher strength means more prone to brittle fracture instead of distortion when overloaded, and greater vulnerability to stress corrosion cracking, while low strength means early failure by yielding/distortion.
Also - and this is where I fail - what cost? More capable alloys often cost more than less capable, and more commonly used alloys are usually less expensive than special ones.
There was a guy here in the Houston area some years ago who had a company called Texas Longhorn Arms. He built Single Action revolvers - primarily Colt SAA replicas as I recall - using the cleanest (less trash/inclusions) aircraft-quality 4140 (or 4340 - not sure) he could get. It was expensive steel but it was 'the best' of its type, and his revolvers are sought-after. Problem is, it was better / more expensive than it needed to be - I've never heard of a SAA that failed because of 'dirty steel' - he just wanted the best and specified it, removing a possible failure mode that was not really a likely one, for a few cents a pound extra. That is something I'd do in his position, and it is arguably a poor business decision.
Long way so saying "I don't know" - but I bet Henry would give you a hint if you asked them.
Apologies for late reply. Intended to go through some books and come up with a guess, but you didn't ask for a guess, you asked if I knew anything (which I don't).
If I were asked what alloy I'd suggest, I'd want to know whether it is a casting or machined from bar stock because some alloys that are chemically very similar and have almost identical properties have different numbers, cast vs wrought. What strength is required? Higher strength means more prone to brittle fracture instead of distortion when overloaded, and greater vulnerability to stress corrosion cracking, while low strength means early failure by yielding/distortion.
Also - and this is where I fail - what cost? More capable alloys often cost more than less capable, and more commonly used alloys are usually less expensive than special ones.
There was a guy here in the Houston area some years ago who had a company called Texas Longhorn Arms. He built Single Action revolvers - primarily Colt SAA replicas as I recall - using the cleanest (less trash/inclusions) aircraft-quality 4140 (or 4340 - not sure) he could get. It was expensive steel but it was 'the best' of its type, and his revolvers are sought-after. Problem is, it was better / more expensive than it needed to be - I've never heard of a SAA that failed because of 'dirty steel' - he just wanted the best and specified it, removing a possible failure mode that was not really a likely one, for a few cents a pound extra. That is something I'd do in his position, and it is arguably a poor business decision.
Long way so saying "I don't know" - but I bet Henry would give you a hint if you asked them.
thanks BobCat45 - the Girandonis were casted brass. As you know, it must be strong enough not to distort and ductible such that it won't fail due to stress. I don't have any figures for amount of stress or strength.
There's a video of a woman who machined her own Colt SAA somewhere.
There's a video of a woman who machined her own Colt SAA somewhere.
BornFighting88
New member
I have Wheeler Engineering set that has just about every configuration of driver that goes into a 1/4” mag-hex. Like mentioned above, properly fitted bits don’t booger with the finishes. Solid brass can still mess stuff up, leaving a golden blemish. And if you are like me, and slightly ham-fisted, you can destroy your bit, leaving you at a loss.
Interesting idea, though…. Brass bits.
Interesting idea, though…. Brass bits.
lady machining video
The lady who made the single action has a series of machining videos. She calls her site Waffenschmieden X. She is a very good machinist! I am a retired toolmaker and I'd hate to have to compete against her in a machining contest, if there were such a thing. Don't much care for her musical intro, though.
L. O. G.
The lady who made the single action has a series of machining videos. She calls her site Waffenschmieden X. She is a very good machinist! I am a retired toolmaker and I'd hate to have to compete against her in a machining contest, if there were such a thing. Don't much care for her musical intro, though.
L. O. G.
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