I seem to be munging up some of my saw nuts
using a conventional screwdriver.  The only
screwdrivers I have, which have a thin enough
blade to fit in the brass nuts, are only about
1/4" wide and don't nearly fill the entire
slot.  This results in dented areas in the
slot from the edges of the screwdriver blade.

These are NOT split nuts, but the newer style.
I find lots of information about split nuts
and filing a groove in a screwdriver to fit
them, but nothing about a screwdriver to 
properly fit these nuts.

I have looked in hardware stores and on the
web for a screwdriver with a blade wide and
thin enough to just fit these nuts, but they
don't seem to be out there.

To those of you who are able to loosen/tighten
these nuts without damage...
Do you just grind down a thicker screwdriver blade?
Do you make your own screwdrivers?
If so, what do you use for the steel blade?

Waiting for enlightenment,

Thanks,
Ted

Ted-

I had the same problem and solved it by grinding an old flea market 
screwdriver to fit. If you are intent on buying one, you might find a 
gunsmiths screwdriver to fit.

Mike Gillespie
Stephenville, TX

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> To those of you who are able to loosen/tighten these nuts without
> damage... Do you just grind down a thicker screwdriver blade? Do
> you make your own screwdrivers? If so, what do you use for the
> steel blade?

Use a one inch by six inch piece of saw blade. File split nut profile in
one end, regular profile in other end. Make a nice wooden handle
sandwiching the blade between the two handle halves and riveting the
same to the blade, leaving about 3/4 to one inch of each end exposed and
you now have a saw nut screwdriver.

Ted Shuck wrote:
> I seem to be munging up some of my saw nuts
> using a conventional screwdriver. 

Snipperoony

> Do you just grind down a thicker screwdriver blade?

Yep.

     BugBear

Thanks for all responses on my screwdriver question.

About half recommended getting a large older screwdriver
and filing/grinding it to fit.  The other half recommended
making my own screwdriver from a piece of an old saw
blade.

Making my own seems most expedient since I don't have
access to many large old screwdrivers...

Thanks,
Ted