Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2020 January 22

= January 22 =

Does this type of wall panel fastening and the tool for it exists or was it made up for this movie?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRfoIyx8KfU&t=2m54s — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.82.36.100 (talk) 14:58, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
 * There's a lot going on here!
 * The wall panels were actually held on with magnets (you can just see one in the middle). Also with grips standing behind, holding some of the ducts in place  (there was so much springy duct in there that some of it was popping the panels off)
 * The tool he's using is a ratchet screwdriver, usually called a Stanley 'Yankee', although Spiralux made better ones. These long ones aren't just a ratchet, they have a long push action too. The idea is that you can hang drywall and similar jobs by pushing down on the handle, which rotates the ratchet, and only a couple of pushes will drive a long screw right in to soft timber. Overkill for this job, but they look cool on camera. Almost vanished these days, in favour of cordless electric screwdrivers.
 * The fastener (which isn't actually there) is most like a Dzus fastener, but they only need a quarter turn to open them (Unlike some fasteners, turning a Dzus too far just leaves it open though, it doesn't re-lock it).
 * I was at the UK premiere. Still one of my favourite films, and it was great to hear Gilliam talking about it. This was part of a short-lived film festival in Hull. The same week, Cleese filmed some of Clockwise in the same town, because Hull's station had the right sort of long platforms for filming a frantic chase scene on.
 * It's just a shame this film was never released in the US. Andy Dingley (talk) 18:16, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia has an article at Yankee screwdriver, noting that the term is somewhat genercized, it appears it is used by many manufacturers to refer to ratcheting mechanical screwdrivers of a variety of specific designs. -- Jayron 32 18:23, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
 * I vaguely recall seeing Elwood use a similar tool to open an electrical panel in an elevator in The Blues Brothers. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 18:23, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
 * https://youtube.com/5AZQox85JLI?t=147
 * Yes, another Yankee. You can tell it's a Yankee because they're cooler. There's a lock ring on the body which allows you to retain the spring plunger, then release it and let it spring out (both films do this). OTOH these days, "you'll have your eye out" etc. A feature which wasn't widely copied.
 * Elwood then does the other thing you shouldn't do with a Yankee, which is to use it as a prybar or lever. As the spiral shaft is thin enough already, and has notches all along it to act as stress risers, any sort of bending on it will knacker it immediately. (This is one reason why nearly all the Yankee copies are better than the Yankee.) Andy Dingley (talk) 20:20, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Elwood had no qualms about doing dangerous things, such as driving the car over an opening drawbridge; and, in the same scene as the screwdriver, using an aerosol can of glue with a cigarette lighter to make a blowtorch. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 21:19, 22 January 2020 (UTC)


 * Thank you guys, interesting stuff. 91.82.36.100 (talk) 21:03, 22 January 2020 (UTC)