the wife gave up her cadet for a classic I got for her birthday. I have been carrying the cadet for a few days and just wish the nail file layer had the flat end so it would handle small Phillip screws like you find recessed in battery boxes on toys. thinking of flattening the tip. anyone done that?
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cadet file mod for Phillips screws...
- Thread starter winkydo
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2008
- Messages
- 4,563
Should work just fine if done on a stone. You should be able to get it even too. I've done this with other SAKs on a diamond bench stone.
I have reshaped/customized a few of the SAK blades and tools with regular files; diamond files are also good. Its not hard to reshape them; never tried the modification you are talking about though.
I struck the bottom of the file on my Cadet square with a carbide rod and burnished it. This made it an effective scraper and will save your main blade from abuse if you do much scraping (smoothing or shaping wood, removing paint & corrosion from wires, etc).
I struck the bottom of the file on my Cadet square with a carbide rod and burnished it. This made it an effective scraper and will save your main blade from abuse if you do much scraping (smoothing or shaping wood, removing paint & corrosion from wires, etc).
I've done this mod, made the file into a screwdriver. Not hard to do. However, except for the rare, DEEPLY recessed screw, there's nothing it will be able to do that the can opener can't. Knowing this, I went the opposite direction and sharpened a point on it so I could have a reamer/awl AND a file.
But, it's your SAK.
Whatever works for ya.
But, it's your SAK.
Whatever works for ya.
while getting my christmas lights down from the loft in the barn, i took the opportunity to run the nail file down across the belt sander and just took the point off so it would sit down on a phillips screw. it works great now and i've been trying it on different screws all night. the can opener works most of the time, but my daughters toys seem to always have the battery screws recessed just enough the can opener scrapes trying to get the battery door off. this file mod now works great with things like door knobs and pesky battery doors on plastic toys.
The best way that I know of to shape small screw driver bits as well as graving tools is to subject them to the zichtschleifscheibe (view grinding wheel). This contraption is also known as a slot wheel grinder. The shaft of the motor points straight up. The slot wheel spins in a horizontal plane. The bottom of the wheel is ceramic. The top of the wheel is rubber. Slots are cut into the wheel from the rim toward the center. A strong light is placed above the wheel. The work is brought up to the wheel from the underside. You can watch the material being removed from the work while you are grinding. Magnifcation helps (Optivisor).
All my nailfile tips on my sportsmans and cadets are mod to become screwdriver tip. I just cut it with a plier cutter and it snaps perfectly. I smooth it with hi grid sandpaper. And they are very2 useful after mods. I can mod it to become glasses screwdriver or to replace a small philip.. Its been used as much as i use the can opener screwdriver tip.