Who makes good taps?

[LVLAaron]

I need some taps... and want good ones. Who makes "good" taps, and where can I buy them?

 

[mmcmdl]

Define good and what and how are you tapping ?

 

[LVLAaron]

Mild steel, cast iron, aluminum.

Hand tapping.

 

[mmcmdl]

Good = High speed steel in machinist terms . For hand tapping , high carbon is more than adequate . You'll never heat it to the temp the edge will break down .

 

[LVLAaron]

Is there an easily accessible brand I should be looking for?

 

[benmychree]

One approach would be buying only HSS ground thread USA manufacture, no hardware store stuff. Buy from an industrial distributor, such as MSC.

 

[mmcmdl]

Really depends on your budget . You can find some older high quality taps on Ebay and at yard sales etc . New sets ? Everyone sells them , although I don't depend on the quality .

 

[mmcmdl]

Off the record , although Aukai thinks he cleared my stash , I'm not tapped out yet . No pun intended .

 

[jpackard56]

I bought some metric ones from Viking this summer and am happy with them. Most everything else I have is "older" even "vintage" GTD, Wells, Morse, Cleveland etc. built up over years of purchases.
Good luck in your search,
Jim

 

[maspann]

For general purpose taping in steel I always get Hertel taps from MSCDirect.com. I have had a lot of luck with them, but it does depend on your application.