Brian

I share your sentiments on the forum and in the spirit of "serious and
appropriate” discussion I would like to disagree

On May 22, 2014, at 4:00 PM, Brian Rytel  wrote:

> "A long screwdriver works much better than a short one. In theory one
> should keep the screwdriver in line with the screw, but in actual
> practice it wobbles, forming a circle as the screw turns, thus
> increasing the leverage. Now, the longer the screwdriver the larger
> the circle described, and the larger the circle the greater the
> leverage."
> 
> Second whole paragraph from pg. 139:
> https://archive.or
g/details/educationalwood00park
> 
> Another way to phrase this: In most use you don't rotate the
> screwdriver about its true axis but in a slight conical pattern which
> extends the hypothetical lever to which torque is applied.


I agree that he is talking about conical movement, but I would posit that the
longer the shaft the easier it is to keep the screwdriver upright and aligned so
that the proscribed arc is no bigger.  And also I don’t think the conical
movement increases the lever - you would have to have a wimble brace to do that
where the extremities of your hands are working against each other in a larger
circle.

Ed Minch