My yankee screwdriver

[Refueler]

That reminds me - "Spiralux" did a copy of the original Yankee, very good quality.

Yes I can remember that brand as well ...

As regards mine - I never could use it to start undo a screw or to finish - that always required a shorter fixed driver. I found the Yankee too long and even when locked - it would not give that last bit ...

 

[Mudisox]

Father had one and inherited by self.
I was always told that "cross headed" nuts, screws, and bolts had no place on a "proper boat", only slot headed.

 

[dancrane]

Funny how some threads recall Old Salts' baseless instinctive suspicions and disapproval.

Not you personally, Mudisox, but opposition to cross-headed screws must be quite unusual in its lack of logic. What did he have against them, other than the possibility that his existence had preceded theirs?

 

[DJE]

Funny how some threads recall Old Salts' baseless instinctive suspicions and disapproval.

Not you personally, Mudisox, but opposition to cross-headed screws must be quite unusual in its lack of logic. What did he have against them, other than the possibility that his existence had preceded theirs?

I believe the usual objection is the difficulty of getting the paint and varnish out of the head of a crosshead screw when you want to remove it for future maintenance.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I had one of these and spoiled lots of woodwork due to it jumping of the workpiece and gauging it. Chucked it away.

 

[Blueboatman]

You can reach a ceiling with them extended ?
And work without electrical power of course
Or in challenging water sploshing bilges ..

The skill is in unwinding a slothead screw whilst using the ( well oiled ) lower hand grip that Dan has now discovered , but applying just enough torque AND thrust to let the screw release quickly but without spinning and partchewing the patent material into which it was screwed..

Practise on some carp softwood and Jobs a Good Un?

 

[dancrane]

I just gave the Yankee a first try. Video below. The state of my flip-flops and toes is not the issue, thank you.

I noticed that the effect of pumping at any angle other than exactly in line with the hole, considerably reduced its effectiveness, even if it was just a few degrees out. That's not surprising but I can see it needs remembering, to get it right.

Also, the very long Phillips bit, (85mm or over 3 inches) made it hard to keep a 50mm (two inch) screw exactly vertical above the hole, as I couldn't grip the knurled 'chuck' steadily over the hole. With a shorter bit, or perhaps some form of hand-rest at chuck-height beside the hole, the business-end of the Yankee could be kept very still, and I believe its use would be amply precise.

About one minute eight seconds into the video, I had reversed the ratchet to unscrew. The upward stroke jumped the bit from the screwhead (which I would have predicted, had it not been my first ever attempt) and my downward pressure sent the bit into the wood beside the screw. Once again, if the bit had been shorter, I could have gripped the chuck and that would not have happened.

And, it was my very first try. I'd be sorry to reject a tool on the basis of my own failure to use it properly! I like it.

 

[Davy_S]

These are handy to hold the screw, a tube slides over the screw head.

 

[Blueboatman]

I just gave the Yankee a first try. Video below. The state of my flip-flops and toes is not the issue, thank you.

I noticed that the effect of pumping at any angle other than exactly in line with the hole, considerably reduced its effectiveness, even if it was just a few degrees out. That's not surprising but I can see it needs remembering, to get it right.

Also, the very long Phillips bit, (85mm or over 3 inches) made it hard to keep a 50mm (two inch) screw exactly vertical above the hole, as I couldn't grip the knurled 'chuck' steadily over the hole. With a shorter bit, or perhaps some form of hand-rest at chuck-height beside the hole, the business-end of the Yankee could be kept very still, and I believe its use would be amply precise.

About one minute eight seconds into the video, I had reversed the ratchet to unscrew. The upward stroke jumped the bit from the screwhead (which I would have predicted, had it not been my first ever attempt) and my downward pressure sent the bit into the wood beside the screw. Once again, if the bit had been shorter, I could have gripped the chuck and that would not have happened.

And, it was my very first try. I'd be sorry to reject a tool on the basis of my own failure to use it properly! I like it.

Rooky mistake ( sorry ?)
Always start the screw winding into the hole with the Yankee unextended.
Once the screw is stable , allow the Yankee to extend whilst still on the screw, and give it full welly ??

 

[Daydream believer]

These are handy to hold the screw, a tube slides over the screw head.

They do not fit a Yankee

 

[dancrane]

Hmm I wondered about that...but I just found this on Ebay...

With the hex adaptor (and a 6mm square socket-driver end) I can use it on bolts/nuts too. The length of the thing may end up allowing me to take the wheels off the car without getting out of bed. Anyway, I already ordered one, so I hope it fits. ?
.

 

[penberth3]

Hmm I wondered about that...but I just found this on Ebay...

With the hex adaptor (and a 6mm square socket-driver end) I can use it on bolts/nuts too. The length of the thing may end up allowing me to take the wheels off the car without getting out of bed. Anyway, I already ordered one, so I hope it fits. ?
.

It might not fit. There are different sized shanks. I think you have the biggest Yankee which is a 131.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Funny how some threads recall Old Salts' baseless instinctive suspicions and disapproval.

Not you personally, Mudisox, but opposition to cross-headed screws must be quite unusual in its lack of logic. What did he have against them, other than the possibility that his existence had preceded theirs?

Speaking as the son of the RAF ground engineer who became flight engineer and then proper aero engineer. Slotted screws are always left with the slot horizontal so that it's easy to see if it's loosening. Probably not so obvious with cross heads. Simple?

Well no, and this puzzles me now he's not around to ask. I think a screw should be tightened to the correct torque, and turning it from 'tight' until horizontal could be enough to strip the thread in some materials. The alternative of leaving it a bit loose isn't that much better. Maybe that's why so much aero stuff is nut and bolted and you were meant to hold the screw and tighten the nut?

 

[dancrane]

It might not fit. There are different sized shanks. I think you have the biggest Yankee which is a 131.

Hmm, I haven't worked out exactly which model mine is, yet, but I agree the hex-adaptor mightn't be perfect.

But I have the bits that do fit, so if I need to grind a groove in the hex-one to make it fit, I'm happy to try.

 

[WoodyP]

I just gave the Yankee a first try. Video below. The state of my flip-flops and toes is not the issue, thank you.

I noticed that the effect of pumping at any angle other than exactly in line with the hole, considerably reduced its effectiveness, even if it was just a few degrees out. That's not surprising but I can see it needs remembering, to get it right.

Also, the very long Phillips bit, (85mm or over 3 inches) made it hard to keep a 50mm (two inch) screw exactly vertical above the hole, as I couldn't grip the knurled 'chuck' steadily over the hole. With a shorter bit, or perhaps some form of hand-rest at chuck-height beside the hole, the business-end of the Yankee could be kept very still, and I believe its use would be amply precise.

About one minute eight seconds into the video, I had reversed the ratchet to unscrew. The upward stroke jumped the bit from the screwhead (which I would have predicted, had it not been my first ever attempt) and my downward pressure sent the bit into the wood beside the screw. Once again, if the bit had been shorter, I could have gripped the chuck and that would not have happened.

And, it was my very first try. I'd be sorry to reject a tool on the basis of my own failure to use it properly! I like it.

I think that blue pistol shaped object you drilled the hole with would probably work as a screwdriver. Just a thought, ?

 

[dancrane]

Hmm, it always has. But I'm sick of switching bits.

And I enjoyed paying barely a sixth as much for the Yankee, as another Bosch would be.

 

[Blueboatman]

I think you would def enjoy a Hilti gun

 

[penberth3]

Hmm, I haven't worked out exactly which model mine is, yet, but I agree the hex-adaptor mightn't be perfect.

But I have the bits that do fit, so if I need to grind a groove in the hex-one to make it fit, I'm happy to try.

You don't need to grind anything - just buy the right sized adaptor.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I think you would def enjoy a Hilti gun

They're excellent, but a hammer's much better for putting screws in.

 

[Davy_S]

They do not fit a Yankee

They fit a brace and bit or a drill though.