# Quality threading taps



## Kevinb71 (Apr 27, 2012)

Guys 
I am thinking that I need to invest in some metric taps for a project. What are the quality brand tap and die sets that are out there now. Who still makes the good ones?


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## Tony Wells (Apr 27, 2012)

Don't buy a set. I have never seen a "set" made up of high quality taps/dies. Buy the sizes you need as you need them and you will end up with no oddball sizes you will never use, and you can choose the style and brand you find best. Picking the best isn't always easy, given the tremendous variety of offerings based on specialized styles for different materials and applications. For taps, I like Emuge and Vega, and I usually can find the type recommended for the material I am working with. 

Dies I rarely use.  By all means, avoid carbon steel dies. Buy HSS only


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## Tom Griffin (Apr 27, 2012)

Good points by "42" .

Tap sets in general are useless. They include a bunch of taps that you'll never use and are generally low quality.

Buy a selection of the common sizes of taps you'll need. Look for high speed steel spiral point machine taps made by US or European companies. McMaster Carr sells name brand taps for reasonable prices.

I also wouldn't recommend dies. If you need an external thread, just cut it on the lathe. That will produce a much nicer and more accurate thread than a die. The only time I might consider using a die is for a very small thread, like #4 and smaller.

Tom


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## Kevinb71 (Apr 27, 2012)

Definitly some points I hadn't considered. That's why I like this site. Lots of knowledge!


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## Hawkeye (Apr 27, 2012)

There is one advantage to buying a set. You have all the sizes. Some you won't use, some you will. The ones you use will likely get broken, but not immediately. When you need to replace one, buy several of that size, but get good HSS taps from an industrial supplier.

The cheapo set serves as a starting point. You are more likely to build up your good set if you have some place to start. If you have no taps and dies, you are more likely to drill through holes and use nuts and bolts. If you have a set, even a poor one, you will at least try to thread some holes. If you learn how to keep delicate taps in one piece, the good ones will do a wonderful job for you.


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## swatson144 (Apr 28, 2012)

2nd on the set. I've got a small set taps and dies of craftsman in SAE and a Small set  taps and dies from Matco in metric.  Both of which I don't think go over 3/8 or 8mm. All others were bought as needed in either 3 pc sets or just starter. I couldn't give the room to one of those silly big arsed sets.

Dies are nice some things won't fit in a lathe.

Steve


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## boringbar (Apr 28, 2012)

For the taps you buy individually, use a tie-wrap and secure the proper drill bit to the tap box and only use it when you're going to use that tap. This way you always have the correct drill bit and it's always sharp and in good condition.


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## burnrider (Feb 16, 2015)

Any suggestions for brand or supplier source. McMaster offers cheap and better quality taps. Quality made import product would be fine.


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## road (Feb 16, 2015)

for your first purchase buy a "set" ,  eventually you will need to replace some of the more commonly used used as they dull or break. 
I got my first set off kijiji for $45.   a 60 pc set from Motormaster or canadian tire.  
Since I have aquired a lot from another purchase. I will never need this many but they are all ButterField taps and drills
plus a couple sets of number drills. 

And please let us know what you buy so We know too ...  lol


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## burnrider (Feb 16, 2015)

Found a set of 3 -  1/4" X 20 taps by Greenfield (plug/ taper and bottoming) for $18. Ebay might offer the best chance to pick up on some of the lot items, or nice individual older tooling. I replaced a lot of the lathe drills with older #2 taper tools in good shape.  Most of the tool houses offer better than average quality import tools. Zero on most name brands like Greenfield or Butterfield.


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## NightWing (Feb 16, 2015)

Plug taps will meet most of your needs.  The plug tap is in between a taper tap and a bottoming tap.  Straight flute taps will chew the chips up as it goes along.  Spiral flute taps pull the chips out of the hole and spiral point taps push the chips ahead.  They are also known as "gun taps" because they shoot the chips forward.  Problematic if you are tapping a blind hole.  One thing to know is that a bottom tap still has some incomplete threads on the end, therefore a full thread to the bottom of a flat hole is not possible.  I have known young engineers that don't understand this who will call out for a flat bottom hole with 100% thread.

Taper, plug and bottoming tap sets are made for hand use because you can pick up the lead by hand, where trying to use a machine or power driven tapping device will usually end up with crossed or over-sized threads.


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## mksj (Feb 16, 2015)

I started out with a quality set of inch/metric tap and die set made by Snap-On, the generic Chinese sets are worthless no mater what they say.  I have used almost every tap size in the set, they are fairly durable. It is important to understand that taps wear out not only from becoming dull, but the metal fatigues with time, especially the smaller sizes. So replace them when they start to look twisted. I buy 2-3 replacement sets for most of my smaller more common sizes (both inch and metric), and when I say set, I mean Taper, bottoming and plug. Cleveland sells them in sets for a given tap size. There are many cases where you thread into a blind hole, and need to thread the whole completely. Also when threading deep holes, I start out with the taper and end up with the bottoming. I usually buy the Cleveland sets when on sale at MSC, sharp and hold up well. Manufactures recommended, anything other than Chinese or house brands, so: Greenfield, OSC, Kennametal, butterfield, Hertel, and older (NOS) Hansen in descending order of preference are worthwhile. Irwin is barely passable.  Avoid house brands like Interstate, General .... You can pick up decent taps on eBay in some of the lots, or group sales. Picked up a large lots of 20+ large 3/8-1" taps, old  US made Hanson in sealed boxes for around $20. If I went out to buy these it would have been several hundred dollars. So worth looking, but having a quality base set in one box is definitely worthwhile. Get MSC catalog and flier, often they have quality taps at 50-60% off there usual inflated prices. There are other vendors, it just a matter of looking and if they have stock.

Taps and dies are only half the story, the other half is the holders, taping stand and type of dies. The better dies are adjustable for cut, and even with a lathe, I use the dies often. Since I use taps all the time, went out and bought some decent Starrett T handles and some old Craftsman ratcheting handles (NOS ones are made in the US, not current production from India which are junk).  These T handles make a world of difference in holding the tap and getting the correct feel, especially with small taps in tough materials. Use a good tapping fluid, not generic oil you have (motor oil).


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## EmilioG (Feb 16, 2015)

Good taps are ground.  I was thinking of buying a set, SnapOn, but why pay all that money for taps and dies I'll never use?
So I've started buying Guhring taps.  I like their TiCn PowerTaps for my Aluminum parts. Most all are HSS and Cobalt.
They also have nice thread forming taps. Emuge are great but pricey.  If I spend a lot time on a part, I'm not going to screw it
up with a cheap tap.  So I buy what I need when needed.  Widia makes a decent tap.  McMaster has good inventory on Taps and die's.
Get a Huot tap and drill organizer too. ( Starrett tap wrenches are still made in the USA.)     Make sure the Taps are ground.


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## Doubleeboy (Feb 16, 2015)

I would not rule out the Interstate taps if you get em on sale at Enco and then use the discount code.  I have some interstate taps in sizes from #6 to 1/4" that have tapped hundreds of holes each.  Not bad for 3 or 4 bucks each.  I rate them as good as the current production Cleveland taps.  

michael


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