Ivor biggun

[Lurker]

This is 29”
Anyone know it’s original purpose?

 

[AndyT]

This Marples advert from 1938 shows one answer - you do have screws holding up your ceiling, don't you?

More seriously, I think they were used in trades such as railway carriage building - lots of screws in the floor and no need to bend down.

 

[novocaine]

Might come as a surprise but it was used for driving screws. Can't remember the name for it though. bscene-drinkingbuddies:

 

[Cabinetman]

All plausible, the thing is that with large gauge screws e.g. 14s a short screwdriver just doesn’t do it, (And no it wasn’t a woman that told me that) it’s the length that gives you the torque. Sorry I don’t know why but it does. And the flat bar section before it disappears into the handle is to put a spanner on to give you more umph. You can keep all your plastic fluted handles, in my opinion you can’t beat a wooden handled cabinet makers screwdriver. Ian

 

[Trevanion]

All plausible, the thing is that with large gauge screws e.g. 14s a short screwdriver just doesn’t do it, it’s the length that gives you the torque. Sorry I don’t know why but it does. Ian

I think it's more that the screwdriver is more likely to stay well-placed in the slot on a long-handled screwdriver as big movements at the end of a long lever don't result in much movement at the tip, while large movements on a shorter lever tend to make the screwdriver slip out of the slot.

 

[Cabinetman]

Absolutely right of course but it still feels you can get a bit more grunt behind a longer one, it may be that it’s the confidence of knowing that it won’t slip out so easily. No double entendres intended I assure you ha ha.

 

[droogs]

But you are all missing the most important thing, in this instance we are not engineers but woodies so it is not a screwdriver - it is a Turnscrew.

 

[novocaine]

But you are all missing the most important thing, in this instance we are not engineers but woodies so it is not a screwdriver - it is a Turnscrew.

when was the last time you met an engineer that called it a turnscrew (and wasn't taking the pish)?