Thread: Original idea - or has it been done before?

Isn't that what the sharp edge on the lever cap is for?

Originally Posted by silentC

Isn't that what the sharp edge on the lever cap is for?

I thought so.
It's a great looking tool but I'm not seeing anything but a one use only screw driver.
Am I missing something?

I always used the lever cap.

That looks like a beautifully made piece of kit, but what a complete waste of money! It's a typical Septic gadget for the bib-and-braces-wearing woodworker who prefers to gaze at his tools rather than get on with some work.

At first glance it looked like a door knob, but they have been invented

Originally Posted by FXST01

At first glance it looked like a door knob, but they have been invented

yeah but have they been patented

Originally Posted by Woodwould

I always used the lever cap.

That looks like a beautifully made piece of kit, but what a complete waste of money! It's a typical Septic gadget for the bib-and-braces-wearing woodworker who prefers to gaze at his tools rather than get on with some work.

or maybe the singular ie "tool", is more appropriate?

Seems like everyone thinks that this Plane Screwdriver is a terrific idea.
Regardless of whether anyone will buy it or not, or whether it is value for money or not, or whether some other tool will do the job or not, no one has yet commented on the design.
It is a simple and safe way of tightening the cap iron. It won't slip off the screw, and its short length compared to a standard screwdriver makes it more efficient.
My question was:
Is it original, or has it been invented in some form before?
I actually like the design and think it is an elegantly simple tool.
I think maybe I could copy it and make one, and I wish I had thought of the idea.
I wonder if one of the forumites had taken a doorknob and developed an embedded short screwdriver surrounded by a collar to prevent it from falling off the cap iron screw, whether he or she would get a pat on the back, or subjected to derision.
I'm guessing we would be saying - onya mate .... good idea.

So, can anyone answer the question:
Is it original, or has it been invented in some form before?

Regards from Tele Point
SG

No, can't say that I have seen one before. Like the others say a single use tool, great for someone with Parkinsons Disease or weak wrists. I use a stubby screwdriver or the cap iron.

Hi tom.
I'm thinking its a new idea as far as its application to tightening plane irons goes.
If I were to have a stab in the dark I would guess the inspiration for the tool came from looking at key.. reminds me a bit of coach key.

The more I look at it I'm starting to think a fixed version on ones bench might be handy. perhaps on the hub of the vice screw (turn the blade and not the screw). that way it would always be there when the need arises and you wouldn't be adding to the detritus around the bench.

Cheers Luban.

It is an extension of an already existing idea/tool.
Flat blade screwdriver bits with anti slip shrouds have been around for years.

Except for the collar and the wide blade, the advantage of this innovation escapes my comprehension. Stubby screwdrivers are fine for tight quarters, but longer flat-blade screwdrivers generally provide easier achievement of perpendicularity, because the handle can be positioned more precisely. Am I missing something here

Joe

The boffins at Lee Valley are probably hoping that as father's day is coming and everyone will be wondering what to buy for that special someone who has everything (except perhaps, a laser guided handsaw) that this twist on an old idea (pun intentional) might just help separate someone from their money.

It may be good idea but where will it be when you undo the plane irons, the cap iron is always handy
les

I must admit that I have never had a problem unscrewing the double irons using either the cap iron or a stubby screwdriver.

Indeed, my mentor (Dad) told me not to tighten it up too much - it needs to be firm enough to hold the backing iron solidly but not to impose distorting pressures - if there is a gap between the front of the backing iron and the cutter, that needs to be eliminated by flattening the fron edge of the backing iron and the back of the cutting iron, not tightening the screw to try to force it down.