cyamamot@girtab.usc.edu (Cliff Yamamoto) (11/13/89)
Greetings, I hope someone out there is familiar with this tool I'm looking for. I couldn't think of any other newsgroup who might know this. Does anyone know what "screw driver" is used to remove screws that have a six pointed star in the head? I'm running across these funny screws in equipment lately (like a Compaq I was working on). Some just have the "star" while others have a "star" with a small protrusion in the middle. What do you call these screws and what is the name for the tool to remove them? Would a local tool store carry them? These screws look like you can torx them up pretty well considering the way the "star" pattern is made. Thanks for any help! Cliff Yamamoto
vaso@mips.COM (Vaso Bovan) (11/13/89)
In article <6434@merlin.usc.edu> cyamamot@girtab.usc.edu (Cliff Yamamoto) writes: > >I hope someone out there is familiar with this tool I'm looking for. I >couldn't think of any other newsgroup who might know this. Does anyone >know what "screw driver" is used to remove screws that have a six pointed >star in the head? I'm running across these funny screws in equipment >lately (like a Compaq I was working on). Some just have the "star" while >others have a "star" with a small protrusion in the middle. > >What do you call these screws and what is the name for the tool to >remove them? Would a local tool store carry them? > >These screws look like you can torx them up pretty well considering the >way the "star" pattern is made. Thanks for any help! > >Cliff Yamamoto The screw head is in fact called "TORX," and is patented/licensed by Camcar- Textron. There is the normal "indented" version, and a reversed version which looks something like a hex head. TORX screws are increasingly popular, and can be found for instance, in General Motors automobiles. The main advantage of TORX over phillips is the wall design, which allows high torque without cam-out and screw/bit galling. TORX screwdrivers can be found in most electronics supply stores. The "protrusion" sounds like it is one of the tamper resistant versions of TORX. Phillips drive heads have many disadvantages, and should probably be phased out. An alternative to TORX is POSIDRIV, which looks much like phillips, and in an emergency, can be driven by phillips screwdrivers. Hewlett-Packard uses POSIDRIV. In Europe, POSIDRIV is more popular than phillips.
dnewton@carroll1.UUCP (Dave 'Post No Nicknames' Newton) (11/13/89)
In article <6434@merlin.usc.edu> cyamamot@girtab.usc.edu (Cliff Yamamoto) writes: >These screws look like you can torx them up pretty well considering the >way the "star" pattern is made. Thanks for any help! Umm, I could be wrong, but from what you described, they _are_ torx-head screws, and a torx driver should do the trick. If they are torx, you answered your own question. -- David L. Newton | uunet!marque!carroll1!dnewton | The Raging Apostle-- (414) 524-7343 (work) | dnewton@carroll1.cc.edu | for the future-- (414) 524-6809 (home) | 100 NE Ave, Waukesha WI 53186 | for the world. "Isn't it fun to take two unrelated sentences and mix the batter lightly?" -me
commgrp@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (11/13/89)
>Does anyone know what "screw driver" is used to remove screws that >have a six pointed star in the head? I'm running across these funny >screws in equipment lately (like a Compaq I was working on). Some >just have the "star" while others have a "star" with a small >protrusion in the middle. >Cliff Yamamoto TORX tools with the hole in the end are called "Security Torx." They are needed for the "tamperproof" screws found, for example, in Compaqs and IBM PC power supplies. I have a set bought at a non-chain hardware store, made by Vermont American Tool Co./P.O. Box 340/Lincolnton NC 28093-0340 ph: (704) 735-7464. They are also available from J.C. Whitney Auto Parts of Chicago, and I've found good selections of them at flea markets for 50 cents each. They are specified by a number which increases with the size of the wrench: T- 20 is larger than T-10. Most of the ones found in computers are T-15; the tiny T-7's needed for some hard-disk drives are hard to find. BTW, the center tits in small tamperproof Torx screws are brittle and easily broken off with a small punch. -- Frank Reid W9MKV reid@gold.bacs.indiana.edu
cyamamot@girtab.usc.edu (Cliff Yamamoto) (11/14/89)
In article <7200041@silver> commgrp@silver.bacs.indiana.edu writes: >I have a set bought at a non-chain >hardware store, made by Vermont American Tool Co./P.O. Box >340/Lincolnton NC 28093-0340 ph: (704) 735-7464. ...[stuff deleted]... >Most of the ones found in computers are T-15; >the tiny T-7's needed for some hard-disk drives are hard to find. > >Frank Reid W9MKV reid@gold.bacs.indiana.edu I'd like to send thanks to Frank and everyone else who responded. I found a local dealer who carries Vermont American Tools. They make both regular and "security" torx tools. However, they don't make a T-15 driver with a 10" shank. This is needed to open Mac Pluses, SE's and SE/30's. Does anyone know who makes something this long. I'm thinking about just buying a short T-15 driver and a cheap flat blader driver with a long 8" shank. Then I could take the long 8" shank and "splice" it in the middle of the T-15 driver with two "collars" at the joints. Any better ideas would be appreciated! Thanks in advance Cliff Yamamoto
seningen@oakhill.UUCP (Michael Seningen) (11/14/89)
Couldn;t tell you the name but I do know that I picked up an assorted set of screw drivers from Sears and several of the screw drivers were of the star flavor. Mike Seningen oakhill\!serval\!seningen Normal Disclaimer: although I do like craftmans tools
roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) (11/14/89)
In <6434@merlin.usc.edu> cyamamot@girtab.usc.edu (Cliff Yamamoto) writes: > Does anyone know what "screw driver" is used to remove screws that have > a six pointed star in the head? [...] These screws look like you can > torx them up pretty well considering the way the "star" pattern is made. Either this guy is pulling our collective leg or he inadvertantly stumbled onto a pun. The odds are that what you have is indeed a "TORX" (trademark of TEXTRON) head screw. These are used, for example, to hold the Mac Plus and SE cases together. They are fairly common in the automotive industry; they were designed to be machine driven, whch means that not only can they take quite a bit of torque before deforming, but also that an automated driver will tend to center and seat itself without skipping all over the place. The first place I saw them was holding the bezel onto a Tektronix o'scope. Any serious hardware store should have TORX drivers, although your average place on the corner may not. I got a set of four (sizes T15, T20, T25, and T30) which should fit most screws you're likely to find, Stanley part number 64-557. Unfortunately, the shafts are not long enough to reach the top 2 screws on a Mac case! In the unlikely event that it turns out not to be TORX, you could have either plain Allen-head screws (not likely since you said you see a star patten; Allens are just hexagonal insets) or rather rare Bristol head screws. I'd be stunned, however, if Compaq was using Bristols. I think I've seen one Bristol screw in a piece of equipment in my life. Bristols look sort of like TORX, but I think the points on the star stick out more. In an emergency (i.e. you don't care what you do to either the screw or the tool, and are willing to risk angering the Tool Gods) you can usually manage to get either a TORX or a Bristol off with one or another size of Allen wrench. -- Roy Smith, Public Health Research Institute 455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 {att,philabs,cmcl2,rutgers,hombre}!phri!roy -or- roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu "The connector is the network"
commgrp@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (11/14/89)
>...a T-15 driver with a 10" shank...is needed to open Mac Pluses, >SE's and SE/30's. Does anyone know who makes something this long. >I'm thinking about just buying a short T-15 driver and a cheap flat >blader driver with a long 8" shank. Then I could take the long 8" >shank and "splice" it in the middle of the T-15 driver with two >"collars" at the joints. >Any better ideas would be appreciated! > >Cliff Yamamoto The special extra-long skinny T-15 Torx screwdriver for taking Mac's apart is available from: Mac Warehouse Mac Connection 1690 Oak St. P.O. Box 1579 14 Mill St. Lakewood NJ 08701 Marlow NH 03456 (800) 255-6227 (800) 334-4444 Call for catalogs. I'm told that both are very reputable dealers. They also have special spreader-tools for separating Mac cases. -- Frank W9MKV reid@gold.bacs.indiana.edu
bergman@m2c.m2c.org (Michael Bergman) (11/21/89)
A number of the mail order companies specializing in Macintoshes have for some time offered "mac tool kits," the primary item of which is the 10 inch Torx wrench. Any Mac dealer/service center ought to be able to sell you one. I'm sure many of the more general mail-order computer places would carry them now, as well. -- --mike bergman Massachusetts Microelectronics Center 75 North Drive, Westborough, MA 01581, USA +1 (508) 870-0312 UUCP: harvard!m2c!bergman INTERNET: bergman@m2c.org