I’ve got an item of electronics that I’d like to dismantle - it’s a mains PSU for an old Sharp laptop (and I’m aware of the risks of tinkering with such things).
The screw holding it together has a head that looks a bit like a Torx - it’s a little six-pointed star, but it has a raised circular section right in the middle of the star - so the driver to turn it would have to look a bit like a crimped or fluted tube about 3mm in diameter.
It’s a tamper-proof Torx screw.
Thanks for that.
It’s can also be called a Manstayout drive. Keeps people from getting shocked by PSU’s.
Heh. I almost believed you.
Thing is, the PSU brick is huge - about 7 by 4 by 2 inches! - but it’s really light - I reckon the casing is probably half empty (or perhaps half full) - I’m planning to strip the computer and PSU down to fit inside a small rugged case for robotics control and the like.
That’s it: stay positive!
You can still buy drivers for these tamper-proof screws (that is, they’re not trade-only items) - I saw some in Halfords, that high-class tool emporium, last time I was shopping for Torx keys. (BMW F800s don’t come with a lot of tools.)
Lord, I hate it when they use screws with unusual heads on anything.
I love to tinker, or just take things apart to see how they work, but it’s a pain in the butt needing several different sets of screwdrivers all the time. Honestly, it’s my choice if I want to void the warrenty. If people decide to ignore the warning stickers about the dangers of tampering it’s their own fault if they get hurt.
Is that really a good idea when fiddling around with electricity?
I usually just snap off that little center pin with a pair of needle nose pliers and then use a standard Torx driver. One of these days I’ll remember to pick up a set of Tamperproof Torx drivers.
This is the set you want:
This one looks far too robust for that - I could probably drill it out on the pillar drill - but I think that might be a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Three quick questions:
(1) Is a “pillar drill” the UK/European name for what Americans call a “drill press”?
(2) I appreciate the Man-Stay-Out joke, and the funny double meaning… but it is mawnzh-TOO, right?
(3) Are you confident that the PSU will not overheat when you condense it into a smaller space? A lot of the older ones desperately need the airflow, which is why they’re typically so hollow.
1 Yes, exactly that.
2 Yes - Mange Tout = Eat All
3 Possibly, but until I get inside, there’s no way to tell - I might not be able to do anything, or I might be able to refit it into a metal case that can be used as a heat sink and can be thermally connected to the outer casing I later build (or even fan cooled). In truth, it’s mostly the fact that I’m locked out that makes me want to break in.
I’m developing a fairly clear image in my mind of how to build a trap to ensure your demise, Mangetout. It involves a pit full of deadly spikes, surrounded by a complicated labyrinth of obstacles with a bunch of signs that say things like “Do not pull this lever,” “This is probably not edible,” and “Most people would have to be crazy to open this door”. The last sign would say “No user-serviceable parts or obscure delicacies inside, honest.”
Good luck!
Hey, I have that exact set that my father-in-law gave me for Christmas a few years ago! I’ve always wondered what all those odd heads were for. This set is always my backup when I find an odd screw; never failed me yet.
Also available from Harbor Freight on sale for 7.99 right now. I see their outlet stores all over the place when I’m traveling.
(4) Don’t you ever get tired of answering that?
Hm. So why do you need both tamper-proof Torx and regular Torx? Once you have the tamper-proof ones, won’t they work just fine for regular Torx? And the same goes for tamper proof Hex.
Yes, tamperproof bits will drive regular screws just fine, but I bought my tamperproof Torx bits before Harbor Fright was around. They were difficult and expensive to get 20 years ago, so I’ve never outgrown the mindset that they’re special and should be reserved only for use when actually needed, and the cheapie standard bits are used on normal screws.
Now that I can pick up a set of 100 bits for roughly what one bit in my original set cost, it might be time to re-think this.