by As a homeowner or professional tradesman, you’ve probably owned and used many different types of screwdrivers. Over time they can lose their grip and function and it might be time to replace them with new ones.
This week iFixit’s John Carpentier takes a look at flat head screws and discusses the advantages of using a high-quality driver set over cheap generic ones. Choosing the right drive style – or as John calls it, the “drive recess” – is crucial for your success when installing and removing fasteners. The right tool will ensure that you don’t damage the head of the screw and will allow you to apply torque without slippage.
John also talks about different head designs available and their applications. Besides the standard flat head, other options include the oval head which can be used with different drives and sits proud of a workpiece for a finished and aesthetic look or can fit a drilled out countersink. The truss head also known as the mushroom head provides a larger bearing surface but with a lower profile than pan or round heads and the wafer head which is used in self-drilling screws for wood and soft materials.
The flat underside of these head designs creates a countersink when installed which is great for holding screws in place and can be used with screw covers that hide the head. They are commonly used for finish work in kitchen cabinetry, bookshelves and lighting tracts and can be used in conjunction with drywall. They can be supplied with different chamfer angles – 60deg, 82 deg, 90deg and 100deg depending on the application. Flat Head Screws
