Most of us know of the humble Flat-Head, Philips-Head, Pozidrive, Socket (Allen) and the now more widely used Torx Head as the most common type of screw head but what are the other types called and can you buy drivers to unfasten them ?
Here is a sample list of all those that you might come across
- Flat-Head (the most common)
- U-Shaped Head ( Flat-head with the middle missing)
- One-Way slotted (goes in with normal flat-head but can't be removed using a flat-head can come in Oval, Truss and Round)
- Philips (aka cross-head also very common)
- Frearson (similar to Philips with a narrower cross-head)
- Pozidrive (PZ similar to Philips but designed for more torque)
- Robertson (Square)
- Hex Socket (aka ALLEN Key)
- TORX ( 6-pointed star)
- TORX PLUS
- TTAP ( similar to standard TORX there drivers can be used to insert TORX screws but not the other way round)
- Torq-Set (similar to Philips but the four arms of the cross are offset with respect to each other so a Philips wont fit)
- Tri-Wing (aka Tri-Blade)
- Opsit (reverse threaded Tri-Wing)
- Spanner (Snake Eyes)
- XZN (Triple Square)
- Polydrive (Castled)
- Splinedrive (similar to TORX 12-pointed star)
- DoubleHex (similar to TORX 12-pointed star)
- Bristol (Castled similar to Polydrive used in Avionics)
- TP3 (Triangle Recess Pan Head)
There are also Security versions of numbers 2 (Secure-Philips) 5 (Secure-Torx) that have a Pin-head in the centre I am sure there are other Pin-Head versions as well
I had a AC transformer that had a triangular recessed screw head and I had already tried to use a Tri-Wing screw driver but I began to shred the wings and I just couldn't find the name of it eventually found it to be a TP3 Tamperproof Screw
http://www.tamperproof.com/categories/All you need do click on the screw-heads and they will turn and open up the name and type of screw it is.
Finding a screw driver that will open a TP3 is difficult to say the least I have a minor look on ebay as this is a specialist screw type and expensive
Another difficult type to get hold of the the Tri-Wing or Tri-Blade now common on all game stations from the Nintendo GameBoy to the X-Box
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