Making screw jacks - Lesson in taps and dies

[Christianstark]

Hi all,

So like the title said, I made some screw jacks to assist with milling a piece a good bit longer than my vise is wide. Decided to go with M12, and had an Irwin Tap and Die kit from Lowes.

The major lesson I learned is: What everyone is saying about tap and die kits is true. The big box store kits are awful. The first screw I cut stopped threading into the jack at about 3/4ths, and the second one stopped at about 1/2. I retapped and re cut threads several times, but no joy.

Yesterday, I ordered a round die and a set of 3 taps taper, plug, bottom in the HSS flavor, and had to adjust the die very slightly to cut threads that would thread 100% in. The round dies, that allow you to adjust the space on one side of the die really lets you dial in the threading fit you want with the application you are making. I will likely never buy a "kit" again, and will also likely never buy Hex dies again either. McMaster had my order to my home in less than 24 hours.

 

[MikeInOr]

Even after reading all the horrors of tap and die sets I purchased this metric tap set yesterday:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SG6C6RK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I made sure it was HSS! $60 for 9 taps I hope they are somewhat decent quality.

After 30 years of fixing up old woodworking machines I shot myself in the foot! I bought a European (Italian) sliding table saw and my 40 year old set of quality SAE taps and dies left me high and dry. 1 week delay in the project waiting for the taps. I am sure (Uhh???) that my SAE tap handles will work on the metric taps. Now I just need to get a hex die holder. My current hex tap holder leaves a bit to be desired (a deep well impact socket with shallow groves). My quality set is all round dies but a few hex dies have snuck in over the years.

 

[WobblyHand]

Even after reading all the horrors of tap and die sets I purchased this metric tap set yesterday:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SG6C6RK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I made sure it was HSS! $60 for 9 taps I hope they are somewhat decent quality.

After 30 years of fixing up old woodworking machines I shot myself in the foot! I bought a European (Italian) sliding table saw and my 40 year old set of quality SAE taps and dies left me high and dry. 1 week delay in the project waiting for the taps. I am sure (Uhh???) that my SAE tap handles will work on the metric taps. Now I just need to get a hex die holder. My current hex tap holder leaves a bit to be desired (a deep well impact socket with shallow groves). My quality set is all round dies but a few hex dies have snuck in over the years.

I have the same version of that tap and drill set. Bought mine from Little Machine Shop. It is missing the Accusize logo, but looks identical. The set has worked well for general tapping.

 

[benmychree]

You cannot count on dies, especially cheap ones to cut threads that will screw into long engagement tapped holes due to poor lead control, die heads are better, but not perfect in lead control, the best thing to do is chase the threads on your lathe. The tap is much better at achieving accurate lead control due to it's length.

 

[BROCKWOOD]

Sometimes, with a kit, (just sometimes) you get a pretty good organizing box to store all the good taps you end up buying. Often, I'll cut the lid off & use the base as a tool organizer in a tool box drawer. Then the lid becomes a good parts tray for whatever I'm overhauling.

 

[woodchucker]

You cannot count on dies, especially cheap ones to cut threads that will screw into long engagement tapped holes due to poor lead control, die heads are better, but not perfect in lead control, the best thing to do is chase the threads on your lathe. The tap is much better at achieving accurate lead control due to it's length.

that's the opposite of what I do sometimes. I cut the threads on the lathe (single point), and chase with a die if necessary... I never use hex dies, only round dies.

John, what do you mean by lead control?

 

[Christianstark]

that's the opposite of what I do sometimes. I cut the threads on the lathe (single point), and chase with a die if necessary... I never use hex dies, only round dies.

John, what do you mean by lead control?

I have not threaded on the lathe yet. I did not have an Imperial tap suitable for the jack body, and didn’t want to figure out change gears. Need to dip my toe into that water…

 

[ahazi]

Even after reading all the horrors of tap and die sets I purchased this metric tap set yesterday:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SG6C6RK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I made sure it was HSS! $60 for 9 taps I hope they are somewhat decent quality.

After 30 years of fixing up old woodworking machines I shot myself in the foot! I bought a European (Italian) sliding table saw and my 40 year old set of quality SAE taps and dies left me high and dry. 1 week delay in the project waiting for the taps. I am sure (Uhh???) that my SAE tap handles will work on the metric taps. Now I just need to get a hex die holder. My current hex tap holder leaves a bit to be desired (a deep well impact socket with shallow groves). My quality set is all round dies but a few hex dies have snuck in over the years.

This is a good general purpose set. I have it in SAE and Metric for many years and it pretty much saved the day when needed. I have a bunch of individual taps but the nice feature of these sets is the matching drill bit next to each tap. It used to be about half the $$$ than the current price...

Ariel

 

[vocatexas]

Many times when I need a tap, die, or drill bit in a hurry, I drop into my local NAPA store. They nearly always try to sell me the fancy gold bits, 'titanium' taps, etc. I have learned that plain old HSS works really well for most of what I do, and that's what I insist on. They usually look at me like I"m crazy.

 

[stupoty]

Sometimes, with a kit, (just sometimes) you get a pretty good organizing box to store all the good taps you end up buying. Often, I'll cut the lid off & use the base as a tool organizer in a tool box drawer. Then the lid becomes a good parts tray for whatever I'm overhauling.

I'm using the tin that came with my first quite bad tap and die set to hold some of my ever growing tap and die collection.

I had two non standard metric taps in the box , one day I discovered a china made product I couldn't get any M4 bolts to thread into was using this non standard thread

Stu