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those triangular screwheads
Posted by: space-time
Date: January 06, 2008 02:41PM
some appliances come with some screws that require a triangular bit to unscrew them. How are they called? I need to get some.

Also, some screws look like a regular hex head, but there is a pin in the middle that prevents a regular hex wrench from going in. Those are called "safety" screws, right?

Thanks
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: OWC Jamie
Date: January 06, 2008 02:53PM
Tri-Wing. Commonly used on Nintendo systems.

The others are typically called tamper proof, spline, clutch, or just security screws.

[www.amazon.com]


Good Luck!
Jamie Dresser
Other World Computing
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: MacMagus
Date: January 06, 2008 02:55PM
Triwing bits. Torx plus tamper-resistant bits.

'Got a Microcenter near you?

They sell a specialty bit-set for under $10 dollars.

[www.microcenter.com]

It's a nice kit. I've got it and use it pretty often.
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: space-time
Date: January 06, 2008 03:02PM
Thanks both if you. nice kit there MacMagus.
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: Grateful11
Date: January 06, 2008 04:21PM
This is what Nintendo SNES and above use plus some Sega. NES systems have phillips.
They're like mini splines but a Torx bit will not work.



This is probably what you have:




Grateful11
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: space-time
Date: January 06, 2008 05:04PM
The screws on one of my battery packs look like this:

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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: ztirffritz
Date: January 06, 2008 05:06PM
That looks like a Roomba battery.


**************************************
MacResource User Map: [www.zeemaps.com]#
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: space-time
Date: January 06, 2008 06:30PM
it is, it happens that I noticed these screws on Roomba, but also on many other toys, etc.
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: BigGuynRusty
Date: January 06, 2008 07:38PM
[www.allelectronics.com]
[www.allelectronics.com]

BGnR


"Good heavens, Miss Sakamoto! You're beautiful!"
"If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster."
"Near the day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky."
"A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky, which could burn the land and boil the oceans."
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: JoeBob
Date: January 06, 2008 07:54PM
Harbor Freight has these security bits for cheap, if you have one your area.
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: space-time
Date: January 06, 2008 07:55PM
one more thing I noticed from those pictures. those tri-wing bits seem more like philips bits with 3 wings are 120degree instead of 4 wings at 90 degree. I am not sure they would fit in those triangles.
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: Mike Johnson
Date: January 06, 2008 08:28PM
The tri-wing bit is not the same as the triangle recess (sometimes called tp3). Looking at your picture, I'm not sure that's a tp3, either, though.

Me, I made my own triangle bit. It's not hard to do with a grinder.
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: space-time
Date: January 06, 2008 09:38PM
Hi Mike,

Indeed, tri-wing brings up this picture, which is NOT what I want



but TP3 also won't do it. TP3 looks like triangles with curved edges, these scres are perfect triangles.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2008 09:43PM by space-time.
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: MacMagus
Date: January 06, 2008 09:56PM
If you can't match the bit from the links here, go to Microcenter or Fry's or your local electronics engineering store and LOOK at their security bits sets.

Then, please report back here when you've found the right bit. I'm curious whether it's one that I don't have. smiling smiley
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: space-time
Date: January 06, 2008 10:20PM
here is a close-up of that screw.

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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: MacMagus
Date: January 06, 2008 10:41PM
No. That's not in my kit.

That bit is commonly called a triangle bit.... not to be confused with a TP3 bit (which is subtly curved).

Its pretty rare. It's not even on the usual sites.
[www.tamperproof.com]

You can find it in security bit sets on eBay, but I don't know that they sell it in the size you need...

In a pinch, you might be able to use a tri-wing or TP3 in that slot or grind down a Phillips screwdriver head to match the shape.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2008 10:43PM by MacMagus.
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: space-time
Date: January 06, 2008 10:46PM
I think the best option is to grind down a TP3 or a tri-wing, or even a torx
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: Lux Interior
Date: January 06, 2008 11:27PM
It really pisses me off when things I OWN have these bastardized fasteners. I bought a Seagate external FW drive once with the intention of removing the drive and replacing it with a different one.

Had some weird screws that I ended up drilling out.
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Re: those triangular screwheads
Posted by: bazookaman
Date: January 07, 2008 09:17AM
My brother regularly repairs mechanisms (like door closers) that use the tamper proof torx bits with the stud in the middle. He goes through several bits each time he has to do it since a bit in the middle is pretty fragile. I guess thats just another aspect of the tamper proofness.


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