On Wed, 9 Jun 1999 08:46:25 EDT TomPrice@a... writes:
>Charlie wrote:
>
>>I keep hearing about driving screws with a brace.
>>  WTB a #2 phillips brace bit to try.

And Tom chimed in:

>Good luck! I have a lot of straight bits, too but I have never seen a
>phillips head bit for a brace in the wild.

Then Tom recommended the magnetic bit holder.

        I can confirm what Tom says.  Phillips
bits for braces are a routine target on my
trip through the flea markets.  One.  Just
one measly bit in the past 2-3 years.  So
you can insert the usual "pry from my
cold dead fingers" quote here.

        But I would like to throw out
a half-baked theory on why there are so
few.  Henry Phillips patented this design
in the mid-1930s.  Smack dab in the middle
of the depression.  I'm supposing that by
the time this design became popular folks
were starting to use powah drills to drive
screws.  Ipso facto, not a whole lot of these
brace bits were made.  My theory on why the
Yankee bits are readily available is that
they were such a perfect for the function of
a Yankee screwdriver.  The Yankees excel
at quickly removing and replacing a screw
that has already been driven. What do you think?

        Does anyone know, or know of a source,
of information about H. F. Phillips or the
Phillips Screw Company?  I see they are
listed as being from here in Wilmington.
Before I start digging for more information
I want to know what has already been written.

Regards,
Steve