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Alan Sugar built his business in the early days by this principle - he never checked anything, said that it was far far cheaper to just send stuff out and replace duds without question than pay for the extra labour to 100% check items before despatch. Martin.

Apparently Dremel quality has gone down the pan of late according to the gossip so if you do buy a new one, get a Proxxon one instead, they're very good. Martin.

Yes, we've certainly seen a whole spectrum of choices here Jon. I wonder if there's more? - hope not! Martin.

And I'm inclined to think that you've hit the screw on the head, Tony - Here's a currently available screw starter: https://www.sears.com/kings-county-tools-universal-screw-starter-set-of/p-A082580263#Imagezoom I think that settles it. Thanks all, I can sleep easy tonight now, knowing that I'm...

Well Schnapps, I think we're getting there - I'm certainly of the opinion that this item is designed for a specific purpose and looking at Acetylene burners via google I can quite see the resemblance. As a youngster I well recall making very pleasing explosions with water and a nut of carbide...

Haha - If only! - that strikes closer to home than you expected - I suffer from excessive earwax and have to have them suctioned regularly.

Yes, could be - someone on a FB woodworking group suggested that it was for pulling out old Rawlplugs. Will we ever know?

I'd never heard of a carver's screw so I've just Googled it Lons and yes indeed it really does look as if it could be a modified one of those, especially with the thick shaft. The thot plickens.

At this morning's first bootsale of the season I bought two carrier bags full of small hand tools for £30 - result! Amongst them was this oddity - appears to be a gimlet but look how large the screw tip is - it's a full 7mm across at its widest. Anyone got any idea if it's something...

I'll second the recommendation for Sikkens Cetol HLS basecoat and Sikkens Filter 7 Plus topcoat . I used to use Sadolin but changed over to Sikkens a good few years ago and have found it to be far longer lasting on hardwood window frames and doors in our cold wet Welsh weather. Martin.

Indeed so. But since I'm only ever likely to use this tool for one session of doorknob fixing, I'll settle for cheap and cheerful! Martin.

Well yes indeedy it would! - or at least it looks worth a try. I had thought of trying a screwdriver tip in a standard ratchet but that's too long to get in the space but this tool look just the job. Reviews are generally positive too. I never thought of looking for something like this. I've...

Again, thanks folks - lots of good help. I've tried slacking off the screws a bit and that seems to help a little so I'm hoping that wear will gradually loosen things up now. I dread the thought of having to use a cranked screwdriver - I've got neuropathy and using a normal one is hard enough...

Thanks Richard - this idea I will most certainly try. Why, I wonder, do they make knobs which are so obviously tricky to employ anyway? Surely the way to do it would be to have the rose and knob as separable items - fit the rose, then attach the knob to the rose. Yet another example of...

Thanks all. In a way it's some consolation to discover that it's not only me who has this problem! I'll try slackening off the screws as suggested and see if that helps. Otherwise ....who knows? Martin.

I've got a couple of sets of ceramic doorknobs to fit to mortice latches on internal doors. The knobs are similar to this: My problem is that the screwholes are on a circle whos diameter is significantly smaller than the diameter of the knob so I cannot screw the screws in properly, at right...

I've got both Mike and I use my bandsaw far, far, more often than the scroll saw. But it all depends on what kind of woodwork you do obviously. For me though, I could manage without my scroll saw, but my bandsaw? Never!

We have a Victorian pollstone house with red bricks around the window openings. These bricks have a very smooth, quite shiny, finish (even after more than a century exposed to Welsh weather!). The Boss wants to paint these grey to match the stonework. Does anyone know the best paint for this...

OOps - pressed return too soon! ..it's called the "Sleeping Giant". Martin

At the head of the Swansea Valley in South Wales we have a mountainside which looks just like someone laying on their back, just like this.