Looking for an accessory

[JSUPreston]

I've watched with envy for years how Nahm was always able to get his screws to stay on his drill/driver. I know the trick was the magnetic ring from the Jack Rabbit kit that he used.

I just looked at their site, and it's $10 for just the ring, plus shipping. They show out of stock on it. I was wondering if anyone had found an alternative to this. Other than the ring, their is really nothing special about the kit that I can see.

[Cochese]

How about a magnetic bit holder? $3-$4 at any hardware store.

[JSUPreston]

I've got a couple of those, but they don't seem to be quite strong enough.

[Cochese]

Everywhere that has something similar shows out of stock. I wonder if it fell prey to the same reasoning that got Buckyballs banned.

[BigguyZ]

Buckyballs are banned?

[Cochese]

Buckyballs are banned?

The CPSC put enough pressure on the company for them to be retired. So illegal? Not so much. But you'll be hard-pressed to find a legitimate company selling them now.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/1...-discontinued/

The companies who decided to continue making them were getting sued, the last best info I have.

[cabinetman]

I use magnetic bit holders (DeWalt) that also have a retaining ring. They're not just a slip fit for the bit.

.

[atgcpaul]

It could also be a supply issue. China has a huge monopoly on rare earth metals and has restricted their distribution greatly.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/c...d-bonanza.html

[LinuxRandal]

Never tried to pick up a bunch of screws, like I saw on the Jack Rabbit site last night. (by the way, a link would have been good, since that term brings up a lot of non family friendly stuff, LOL)
But I was thinking, I have had stronger magnets, in some of my bit holders, that weren't branded (hardware store counter), then the shelved ones. Also thought about the old magnets that Radio Shack used to sell with a hole in the center (ceramic though). I think it might be easier to either get a deeper bit holder, and glue in your own magnet, or to use some old (like the hard drive from another post) magnet, on the outside of your chuck.
Then bit quality also makes a difference, and I have had much better luck with just using square (what they are normally sold as) drive screws. Robertson's (trademark, requires licensing and spec matching) are supposed to keep their fit on the driver.

[frumper64]

I volunteer with an organization that builds wheelchair ramps for folks on the weekends, mainly using 3" deck screws. There is simply no comparison between square drives and phillips head drives. The square drive bits don't round out the heads like phillips do and are much easier to use. We go through hundreds of screws on each ramp and I don't remember the last time I stripped a screw head.