Turn of the Screw

[David Barnett]

The recent thread on hollow ground screwdrivers caused me to reflect on my fondness for making turnscrews and screws. Nearly all my screwmaking in the last several years has been tiny screws for jewelry and various things I've made—eyeglass hinges for temples in wood and otherwise, pince nez and other earlier spectacles styles, pens, cases and faces for watches and clocks, various small engraved items and so on.

Turnscrews, especially flat blade turnscrews, I made years before I took up the above proclivities. When perusing the repair department and performance center at Smith & Wesson—I lived near and had friends there—I occasionally saw and was drawn to the vintage styles some of the gunsmiths kept at their benches at work and home. Later, when I saw a boxed set of very old English shotgun turnscrews with sterling silver ferrules and flattened oval ivory handles they became the sine qua non of what I desired to make.

Having just bought a Taig lathe from Lee Valley, handles and other elements were easily doable. I'd make a turnscrew for just about anything; fly reels, cabinet hardware, guns, tools and so on. They were fun, reasonably quick and easy to make, cheap, useful and surprisingly appreciated as gifts.

You don't need a lathe, though—just a few handtools. Brownell's offers two YouTube videos from Trinidad State Junior College's gunsmithing program to show how.

Jack Rowe, Master Gunsmith, Turn Screw, Part 1
Jack Rowe, Master Gunsmith, Turn Screw, Part 2

I did use the lathe for handles, ferrules and to accurately mill the hollows/parallels but you can taper the blades with files or abrasive burrs on a drill or flexshaft.

Anyway, it occurred to me that others might want to try it or just watch it being done. Check out Derek's Modifying Screwdrivers and Turnscrews, as well.

[george wilson]

Now,I must saw that old Jack runs a hacksaw too rapidly,if he didn't already ruin the teeth on that shrieking piece of spring steel ,clamped too far out of the vise,he'd have it finished off by sawing spring steel too rapidly. It does help if you put a few drops of cutting oil on the hacksaw,though. I've been told by other "Master Craftsmen" that I was the only one they ever saw do that(Though they said it DID make perfectly good sense.I wonder if they put it into practice. You won't find that tip in books.). The human body can only sustain 1/10 H.P.. How would you like a power tool that weak? Use every dodge you can think of,I say.

I've had tool steel suddenly harden if filed or sawn too fast. He filed too fast for high carbon steel also. when the surface suddenly hardens a few thou deep,it will really put a quick groove in your file!!

I should make myself a few NE plus ultra turnscrews for myself. Intend to for the very nice English flintlock sporting rifle I just got. An oak case with all the accessories,too. Lined with green baise(The English were cheap: The French used velvet.) But,I rather like it.

But,no one would believe me: I don't have an English accent!!(No kidding,that,and a good B.S. line always goes far in the museum's stable of the elite). Takes them 3 years to find out someone's full of it!!

David-Sorry indeed to hear of your stroke. I do hope you will recover fully. You are one of the most entertaining and intelligent members here.

[David Barnett]

Now,I must saw that old Jack runs a hacksaw too rapidly,if he didn't already ruin the teeth on that shrieking piece of spring steel ,clamped too far out of the vise,he'd have it finished off by sawing spring steel too rapidly. It does help if you put a few drops of cutting oil on the hacksaw,though.

I've had tool steel suddenly harden if filed or sawn too fast. He filed too fast for high carbon steel also. when the surface suddenly hardens a few thou deep,it will really put a quick groove in your file!!

I'd always thought you were supposed to lubricate when sawing steel, but I've always lubricated jeweler's blades when sawing nonferrous and precious metals. Anyway, it seems less noisy and feels smoother when you hacksaw with oil. As for filing, I file the way he showed that others did it; unrushed and lifting the file after every pass. I never drag files and rasps backward on metals or other hard materials. As for work hardening while sawing and filing, I've never had it happen so far as I know but I've heard about it.

I should make myself a few NE plus ultra turnscrews for myself. Intend to for the very nice English flintlock sporting rifle I just got. An oak case with all the accessories,too. Lined with green baise(The English were cheap: The French used velvet.) But,I rather like it.

I enjoy both English and French fitted case work and have used baise, velvets, suede and vellum. The better grades of decorator velvets are usually sold only to the trade but one can find some truly fine, reasonably-priced remnants on eBay. I made some pillowed jewelry display cases for an art exhibit with high-end silk velvet that really set off the 22k loop-in-loop and granulated pieces.

But,no one would believe me: I don't have an English accent!!(No kidding,that,and a good B.S. line always goes far in the museum's stable of the elite). Takes them 3 years to find out someone's full of it!!

There are too many curators out there who are far better at self-promotion than knowledgeable about their subject or period domains.

David-Sorry indeed to hear of your stroke. I do hope you will recover fully. You are one of the most entertaining and intelligent members here.

Thank you, George. My progress is encouraging. I'm walking (with a walker, of course) and typing. My left hand can do much of what I ask, so I'll soon be back at my more sedentary crafts and activities. I'm one of the luckier ones, I'm told, not to have cognitive or other mental loss.

[george wilson]

Maybe I bear down hard enough to cause the steel to harden from surface frictional heat. Marcus Hansen wondered how I could cut cross grain maple with a 1" chisel. I do know how to bear down.

Any time a file or hacksaw screeches,it's(as you know),time to immediately get the piece closer to the vise chops.