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The Machine Shop => Tools/Tips and Tricks => Topic started by: Wyattboche on March 29, 2010, 11:25:01 AM

Title: Taps and dies
Post by: Wyattboche on March 29, 2010, 11:25:01 AM
Where is a good source to get nice taps and dies? Not talking about the cheap Harbor freight pieces os sh$t. Want good quality.
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Doug Heim on March 29, 2010, 11:29:58 AM
go visit your local machine shop. They may be able to get you started with some extra stuff they have around.
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: fabr on March 29, 2010, 11:36:09 AM
MSC,Grainger,Travers,etc etc.. Want some phone numbers?
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Wyattboche on March 29, 2010, 11:58:32 AM
MSC,Grainger,Travers,etc etc.. Want some phone numbers?
more of like links. Just looking for the usual taps to have on hand.
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: fabr on March 29, 2010, 12:19:32 PM
www.mscdirect.com (http://www.mscdirect.com)   www.grainger.com     www.travers.com
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Wyattboche on March 29, 2010, 12:31:27 PM
Dumb question- How do you know what thread a 3/8" course thread bolt is? I need a tap. Is there a tap chart you can buy or a tap drill chart also?
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: fabr on March 29, 2010, 01:11:25 PM
Ask for 3/8" NC
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Icky on March 29, 2010, 02:34:49 PM
this is the link i have saved on my phone for those times my charts not handy. I'm sure there are some other ones as well. http://newmantools.com/tapdrill.htm (http://newmantools.com/tapdrill.htm) they also have some other stuff on there that was interesting to me. right now was the first time i ever looked at their page on a computer. Just to add a few more companies to your arsenal Rutland tool has that kind of stuff https://www.shoprutlandtool.com/catalog/ (https://www.shoprutlandtool.com/catalog/) as well as McMasterCarrhttp://www.mcmaster.com/ (http://www.mcmaster.com/) they even have charts ;)http://www.mcmaster.com/#tap-charts/=6fkhtn (http://www.mcmaster.com/#tap-charts/=6fkhtn) might have to scroll down a bit to see them.
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Icky on March 29, 2010, 02:38:42 PM
oh yeah to know if it's course. a 3/8 NC bolt has 16 threads per inch, typically written 3/8-16 so if you have a 3/8" x1 inch bolt it should have 16 threads on it. A fine thread will have 24
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Nutz4sand on March 29, 2010, 02:39:26 PM
Dumb question- How do you know what thread a 3/8" course thread bolt is? I need a tap. Is there a tap chart you can buy or a tap drill chart also?

Till you get a feel for it (at least the common ones) go to your local store where they sell tools of decent quality and ask for a thread pitch guage set.

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=thread+pitch+guage+set&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=qg-xS8zAD8O78gbDmOXSDw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=image&resnum=5&ved=0CCwQzAMwBA (http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=thread+pitch+guage+set&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=qg-xS8zAD8O78gbDmOXSDw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=image&resnum=5&ved=0CCwQzAMwBA)
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: trans man on March 29, 2010, 04:41:54 PM
Where is a good source to get nice taps and dies? Not talking about the cheap Harbor freight pieces os sh$t. Want good quality.
If you have the money, I would go find a local Mac tool dealer and buy  their tap and die sets. They have a lifetime warranty, no matter want you do to them. 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Wyattboche on March 30, 2010, 07:55:26 AM
Around my area its all snapon tools. I'll have to do some looking around. Thanks guys ;D
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: fabr on March 30, 2010, 08:02:30 AM
Snap-on's warranty can suck also depending on the local rep.
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Doug Heim on March 30, 2010, 08:12:52 AM
What do you want dude? Im sure I can spare a few for you to play with. Id do MSC if I were you. Thats who I use.
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Wyattboche on March 30, 2010, 09:26:13 AM
I need a 3/8-nc. But I'm also looking for a complete tap set. I have a metric set that I got when I worked at Bosch.
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: fabr on March 30, 2010, 10:55:55 AM
FWIW,I'd invest my money in the most common taps and dies and forget the sets.
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: fastcorvairs on March 30, 2010, 01:09:46 PM
FWIW,I'd invest my money in the most common taps and dies and forget the sets.

People People I have had a full set of drill and taps from Sears and Saw buck for ever.  They are still working to this day.  Just take your time and don't push them and use a good tapping fluid.  One for alli and one for still.  This set was compleat MM and US. They are not for production but for a naives they are fine. 
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: fabr on March 31, 2010, 06:28:03 AM
I've had my full set also for that long but 75% of them are STILL new since they never get used.   ;D It IS nice to have everything on hand if needed but.....................................I did get my set due to  a nice 5 finger thieving employee discount tho.   ;D ;D
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: SPEC on March 31, 2010, 08:44:10 AM
 ;D
Now if you'd just gimme that smart talking job ;D
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: trans man on March 31, 2010, 08:04:38 PM
I've had my full set also for that long but 75% of them are STILL new since they never get used.   ;D It IS nice to have everything on hand if needed but.....................................I did get my set due to  a nice 5 finger thieving employee discount tho.   ;D ;D
:police: :police: :police: :police:  LOL!!!
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Snoopy on April 04, 2010, 09:56:04 PM
I'm with a few others in here.    go with MSC or Sears and get the individual sizes.  the big sets are pretty but your paying for that shelf in your garage to look good               
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: Grimm Reaper Racing on April 05, 2010, 05:40:53 AM
FWIW,I'd invest my money in the most common taps and dies and forget the sets.

I'm with Fabr on this one.  Unless you have a repair shop like we do, and you need every tap and die known to man (usually more than 2 of them) than you are just wasting money.  Unless you run across a killer deal on a set of high quality taps and dies I'd get what you need when you need it, just my $0.02.

I know that we purchase most of our taps and dies from the local hardware store that orders all of that in for us.  We get a great deal with them as we do about $50,000.00 worth of business with them a year.  MSC is fine if you like paying retail prices though.
 

 
Title: Re: Taps and dies
Post by: fabr on April 05, 2010, 06:57:59 AM
I'm with Fabr on this one.  Unless you have a repair shop like we do, and you need every tap and die known to man (usually more than 2 of them) than you are just wasting money.  Unless you run across a killer deal on a set of high quality taps and dies I'd get what you need when you need it, just my $0.02.

I know that we purchase most of our taps and dies from the local hardware store that orders all of that in for us.  We get a great deal with them as we do about $50,000.00 worth of business with them a year.  MSC is fine if you like paying retail prices though.
 

 
Right there ,IMO, is the key to a happy life.  ;D ;D DO NOT waste your time or projects on a POS tap or die. AS a side note make sure you buy a CORRECT size drill bit to go along with each tap you buy. VERY important.
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