# How do you store your taps and dies?



## Firstgear (Feb 10, 2019)

I have come into a boatload of taps and dies.  They aren’t in an organized box or anything.  If you have a good method, please share some photos.....thanks!


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## murraym (Feb 10, 2019)

All the tap and die sets I have bought are in their respective OE packaging. All the FIL taps from his work toolbox.......Cheap harbor freight storage bins. I think there is enough for a couple more generations lol


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Feb 10, 2019)

Using some 3/4 to 1" thick foam insulation panel pieces works well from keeping the tools from coming into contact with each other.  Its relatively cheap and very easily adaptable and super easy to custom set each tools dedicated spot.  How i did it in the past was to line the drawer with the foam then i gently  heated the tap or die just enough to heat the metal enough to melt itself into a perfectly fitting secured holder spot.in the foam.  ****Note on the longer taps and drill bits I inserted the bits into the foam at about a 45° angle to accommodate using a shallow depth drawer.  I then pinned a printed/laminated list of each tool size next to each position along each row of cutters (in this actual case they were drill bits along with some tap and dies).  Sorry i have no pictures as this was from long ago in another lifetime when i had more of a wood shop setup.


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## BGHansen (Feb 10, 2019)

My sets are in the stock cases (have 5 or 6 of them), bulk extras are in their packing plastic tubes in bins by size (some loose ones in there too), and loose ones in a tool box drawer.  Yeah, I admit to not separating them so they can't touch each other in drawers.  I'm not driving down bumpy roads with them banging into each other.  I'm probably wrong, but honestly if you set a tap next to another tap, will it actually dull?  There will be responses saying "No, don't them them touch each other".  But I'm more of a "prove it to me" type of guy.  

My cynicism started after hearing a seminar by Amar Bose of Bose speakers around 30 years ago.  He was a professor at MIT and required all of his grad students to check out the book "The Emperor's New Clothes" from the library.  They were instructed to transpose the story, everywhere "clothes" was written, they substituted "audio equipment".  Everywhere it mentioned the people or emperor, they wrote "audiophile".  His point was an audiophile will say "Oh, this $2000 Nakamichi 500 receiver sounds far better than this $100 Panasonic 100 model".  The Nakamichi only has 0.01% total harmonic distortion while the Panasonic 100 has 0.5% total harmonic distortion.  Problem is, they are both being played through speakers with at best 15% distortion.  The only way to "hear" the difference is with an oscilloscope, the human ear can not detect the difference because the weak link is the speaker.  Of course, Bose was in the speaker business so consider the source.  Listening to him changed my perspective on a lot of things and I now routinely question "conventional wisdom".  Because someone says it doesn't make it true.

Anyway, has anyone actually taken a brand new 1/2"-13 tap and measured the torque to run a thread in a piece of 1/2" CRS.  Bang the heck out of it next to another tap, then repeat and measure the torque again?  If the tap dulls, seems like it would take more torque if it was beat up.  I've not done the study, probably should and if it makes a difference I'd put my taps in that Chinese finger trap type of plastic to keep them separated.

I know, that's not what the OP was asking . . .  Here are some photos of my "mess".

Bruce


Composite photo of a tool box drawer, loose taps/dies in the bottom one plus a small ACE set



Another drawer (top composite photo) with a couple of sets (4-40 - 1/2 and Metric equivalent) stacked on each other.  Some loose metric taps.



Drawer with the majority of my taps/dies.  Most are in their factory packaging, but lots of loose ones touching each other also.
Also have a 35-year old Harbor Freight set of 1/4" NC/NF up to 1" NC/NF and an couple of equivalent Greenfield sets in boxes.  The HF ones are actually decent!


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## Firstgear (Feb 10, 2019)

I’m considering one of these drill cabinets, has a total of 60 slots.  I have so much stuff in my garage where I work on building my cars that putting in a lathe and mill along with the associated tooling etc has me trying to get it as organized as I can.  Hence thinking about these cabinets....





						Amazon.com: Huot 13420 Five-Drawer Reamer Dispenser Cabinet for Wire Gauge Sizes #1 to #60 : Tools & Home Improvement
					

Amazon.com: Huot 13420 Five-Drawer Reamer Dispenser Cabinet for Wire Gauge Sizes #1 to #60 : Tools & Home Improvement



					www.amazon.com


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## BldrBill (Feb 10, 2019)

Well, I can tell you what it is like at the other end of the totem pole.  My Irwin sets are in nice tidy boxes, but all the rest are lumped together in some sort of loose organization (metric), small non-metric, large non-metric, and pipe), and held together inside Ziploc bags by aging rubber bands and then dumped into a cardboard box.  Grampa’s are in a neat little antique pill box.  Low humidity out here; never any rust or dulling as far as I can see, but I'm not vibrating the bunch of misfits by carrying them around in my truck either.


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## ACHiPo (Feb 10, 2019)

I use the Huots, although I still have a lot of taps in Altoids and other boxes that are duplicates.


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## Aukai (Feb 10, 2019)

Check out this page on Amazon I'm waiting for prime shipping, gonna be a long wait I'm thinking. LOL



			Amazon.com : vidmar cabinet


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## BROCKWOOD (Feb 11, 2019)

Huot & Vidmar are $$$$. Perhaps I should just invest in a sheetmetal brake & make what I really want.............


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## 7milesup (Feb 11, 2019)

Funny that this just came up.  I have one of those Vidmar cabinets, except mine is larger.  Probably 32" wide.  Filled with random stuff but I know where my stuff is!  Payed $60 for it used.

Here is what I am currently working on.  Who knows if my idea will work but basically I am building a master drill index.  1/16 -1/2, 1-60 and A-Z with room for more if I need it.   We shall see how it turns out..  They don't call me the wood butcher for nothing.


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## Firstgear (Feb 11, 2019)

7milesup said:


> Funny that this just came up.  I have one of those Vidmar cabinets, except mine is larger.  Probably 32" wide.  Filled with random stuff but I know where my stuff is!  Payed $60 for it used.
> 
> Here is what I am currently working on.  Who knows if my idea will work but basically I am building a master drill index.  1/16 -1/2, 1-60 and A-Z with room for more if I need it.   We shall see how it turns out..  They don't call me the wood butcher for nothing.
> 
> View attachment 287447


If I was skilled at all, I would try something like that.....people such as yourself have skills I always admire!


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## Cadillac STS (Feb 11, 2019)

My taps are all stored with the drill needed with them.  That way when I need to tap something the drill is already there skipping the step of finding the right drill each time.  

I put them in glass test tubes with stoppers, some hold several taps and the drill.  Ended up not the best idea since a couple broke.  I'd use plastic tubes if I replace the glass ones..


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## fkrel (Feb 11, 2019)

I store mine in two drawers in my side cab tool box from the very smallest to about 3/4 in one drawer and the larger in another drawer same with drill bits two drawers for them I have to many to try to organize and I'm retired so it does not matter that I have to dig thru them. and my tool box stays in one place now


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## mmcmdl (Feb 11, 2019)

Aukai said:


> Check out this page on Amazon I'm waiting for prime shipping, gonna be a long wait I'm thinking. LOL



LOL . You're gonna need that Mike ! 

I planning on storing all my taps and dies at someone elses place ! And they're gonna need more than 1 of those 60" vidmars !


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## markba633csi (Feb 11, 2019)

Cadillac's method would never work for me, I don't have enough drills or taps.  
M


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## mmcmdl (Feb 11, 2019)

A very minor portion of taps , all in 1 drawer for once ! Making some progress .


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## Firstgear (Feb 11, 2019)

mmcmdl said:


> A very minor portion of taps , all in 1 drawer for once ! Making some progress .


That’s my problem.....not all in one place!  When I am done that will be fixed!


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## mmcmdl (Feb 11, 2019)

Firstgear said:


> That’s my problem.....not all in one place! When I am done that will be fixed!



Yes . I know the feeling . Look how fast the tap drawer grows in 30 minutes . And I have just a few center drills , c sinks and spotting drills too . 

Good thing is , I only have 3 more Vidmars , 4 roll arounds and countless buckets to sort thru !


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## Firstgear (Feb 11, 2019)

mmcmdl said:


> Yes . I know the feeling . Look how fast the tap drawer grows in 30 minutes . And I have just a few center drills , c sinks and spotting drills too .
> 
> Good thing is , I only have 3 more Vidmars , 4 roll arounds and countless buckets to sort thru !


your drawer with the short and tall, thin and fat taps is what my garage looks like right now.  I had to move the 63 SW Corvette into the other garage to make room to be able to get the lathe and the mill into the garage (aka Surgical Suite, where I work on building my cars).  I decided that since the place is in a total mess now was the time to get it back to being totally organized.  I am pitching stuff I havent used and getting everything else organized.  When I had started building the last car, '60 Corvette, I had the garage totally organized, then one of my buddies came over to help with the car...many nights and weekends and the garage went to hell!  Now I am bent on getting it back where it was.....


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## Aukai (Feb 11, 2019)

I have the body shop guy doing my 70 Chevelle here at the house. Many deep breathing exercises are done when he keeps wrenches, and sockets by is work table, and not in the roll away. OK back on track.


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## P. Waller (Feb 11, 2019)

Drawers work well for this purpose.








						Drawer - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


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## hman (Feb 13, 2019)

Several years ago I bought this drill & tap rack (complete with the full set of pretty high quality D&Ts) at an industrial supplier in Oregon.  It had been gathering dust on their shelf for what looked like quite a while, and I recall getting a great deal on it. I have lots of other taps, generally half-organized in a variety of drawers, bin boxes, etc.  But this is my "go to" set and sits atop the workbench.  You can still get the plastic stand/organizer in either inch or metric from Mcmaster-Carr.


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## Barncat (Feb 13, 2019)

This will make the purists cringe...


I would like to say I don't store my taps this way, but I do own these, and they are stored that way. In my defense, I bought them like this about six months ago, and was just starting to sort them. I think I will organize them in a wooden block like is also in the picture.


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## mmcmdl (Feb 13, 2019)

I kinda like your system !  The smaller taps are very easy to store , but when you get into the larger things , trouble arises . I have these , but they take up too much room and are for organized persons , not me by any means .  I'll put them in the pile below .


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## Boswell (Feb 13, 2019)

Wow, you all have LOTS of taps.  I keep mine in the the little plastic case that holds a three tap set.  and all of them fit in ONE drawer of a tool box with room to spare for other  tools. I get away with this because the range of TAPs I have is from 4-40 to 1/4-20.


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## 7milesup (Feb 13, 2019)

The problem with single hole storage solutions is having multiple bits.  Then all except the "chosen one" still sit in a drawer or on a bench somewhere, only to be lost to obscurity as to their size.  Then out comes the micrometer.
That is why the Huot cabinets make sense to me.


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Feb 13, 2019)

7milesup said:


> The problem with single hole storage solutions is having multiple bits.  Then all except the "chosen one" still sit in a drawer or on a bench somewhere, only to be lost to obscurity as to their size.  Then out comes the micrometer.
> That is why the Huot cabinets make sense to me.


This is where i felt the foam hole plate idea sorta shines in that it is very easy to poke another hole in the spot marked for its size if need be especially the smaller easily lost sizes. The biggest benefit to how i was setup was knowing which bit i was missing (forgot to put away, lost, broke) with a quick glance which was my main reason for my organization setup, keeping them from banging  into each other was more a benefit then goal!


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## Firstgear (Feb 13, 2019)

hman said:


> Several years ago I bought this drill & tap rack (complete with the full set of pretty high quality D&Ts) at an industrial supplier in Oregon.  It had been gathering dust on their shelf for what looked like quite a while, and I recall getting a great deal on it. I have lots of other taps, generally half-organized in a variety of drawers, bin boxes, etc.  But this is my "go to" set and sits atop the workbench.  You can still get the plastic stand/organizer in either inch or metric from Mcmaster-Carr.
> View attachment 287615
> 
> 
> View attachment 287616


Very nice!  I find if I can keep things organized I can move along on my projects.  Thanks for sharing!


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## Firstgear (Feb 13, 2019)

Barncat said:


> This will make the purists cringe...
> View attachment 287624
> 
> I would like to say I don't store my taps this way, but I do own these, and they are stored that way. In my defense, I bought them like this about six months ago, and was just starting to sort them. I think I will organize them in a wooden block like is also in the picture.


I bought some taps and dies that were stored in wood.  The stain in the wood got up into the pieces, also the wood does hold some moisture which leads to rust. I cleaned them with carb cleaner then acetone and finally Evapo-Rust.  They came out looking fairly good.


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## Firstgear (Feb 13, 2019)

Boswell said:


> Wow, you all have LOTS of taps.  I keep mine in the the little plastic case that holds a three tap set.  and all of them fit in ONE drawer of a tool box with room to spare for other  tools. I get away with this because the range of TAPs I have is from 4-40 to 1/4-20.


In the pile of taps I got, there was one 0, 1,3 and some 4’s.  I must have 20 1/4-20 taps. Tossed a few broken ones.  Got a number of Greenfield taps.


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## Firstgear (Feb 13, 2019)

7milesup said:


> The problem with single hole storage solutions is having multiple bits.  Then all except the "chosen one" still sit in a drawer or on a bench somewhere, only to be lost to obscurity as to their size.  Then out comes the micrometer.
> That is why the Huot cabinets make sense to me.


Yup.  I just bought 3 Huots but they will have to be re-labeled.  Fairly decent price from all industrial.com


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## mmcmdl (Feb 13, 2019)

I believe I have more taps than MSC . This is my problem . Sorting thru these will take a while . Then I will bring more up to the basement from the shop and start over again !


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## bpimm (Feb 13, 2019)

Right now they're all in a small drawer bunched together, I bought this on CL for $300.00 going to make sheet metal dividers to store drills, taps and other tooling.


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## Firstgear (Feb 13, 2019)

Wow


mmcmdl said:


> I believe I have more taps than MSC . This is my problem . Sorting thru these will take a while . Then I will bring more up to the basement from the shop and start over again !


wow, you have a lot!  If I am not organized and have my pieces in a logical easily found mode, I usually say the heck with it and run out and just buy more.  So I end up spending money needlessly, wasting time to go buy what I can’t find or worse yet waiting till the next day when McMaster Carr delivery comes (If I order today it arrives tomorrow, of course with a shipping charge even though it’s reasonable) via UPS.  That’s why I have taken a couple of days to clean and organize my pieces.


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## Firstgear (Feb 13, 2019)

bpimm said:


> Right now they're all in a small drawer bunched together, I bought this on CL for $300.00 going to make sheet metal dividers to store drills, taps and other tooling.
> View attachment 287655


Now that is a great find!  If I came across one at that price I would jump on it!


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## mmcmdl (Feb 13, 2019)

I had a few moves in this process which didn't help matters . I had to unload the Vidmars when moving 2 houses up the street , and then kinda just dumped them back in after moving . So they were straightened out at one time . Unfortunately that was years and years ago . Time to get some sleep . Work comes late .


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## Firstgear (Feb 13, 2019)

mmcmdl said:


> I had a few moves in this process which didn't help matters . I had to unload the Vidmars when moving 2 houses up the street , and then kinda just dumped them back in after moving . So they were straightened out at one time . Unfortunately that was years and years ago . Time to get some sleep . Work comes late .


Moving definitely creates messes!  We moved into our current home 12 years ago and we still have boxes we put in the basement that need going through.  But life gets in the way.....I understand!


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## hman (Feb 13, 2019)

mmcmdl said:


> I believe I have more taps than MSC . This is my problem . Sorting thru these will take a while . Then I will bring more up to the basement from the shop and start over again !


... gives a whole new meaning to the term, "tap city"


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## Firstgear (Feb 13, 2019)

hman said:


> ... gives a whole new meaning to the term, "tap city"


Ha!  Good one!


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## pstemari (Feb 13, 2019)

I have a bunch of Huot tap indexes for #0-#12 taps and 1/4"-1/2" taps. Somewhere around here I've uploaded a picture, but I can't find it on my phone. Dies I keep in a little tray that I 3d printed.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## NCjeeper (Feb 13, 2019)

I use Huot cabinets for most of the stuff. And then I have a drawer full in my tool box.


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## RYAN S (Feb 13, 2019)

I have been using these “stack on” brand 60 bin organizers attached to the wall for taps and drills
	

		
			
		

		
	





	

		
			
		

		
	
. They are around $20.00 each.


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## pstemari (Feb 28, 2019)

Here's a pic of my tap & die drawer
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## CluelessNewB (Feb 28, 2019)

Personally I have a mixture of taps, some purchased new, some purchased used, some inherited near new and some rusty old ones either inherited or acquired in auction lots.   Most of my newer taps are in original packaging, like 3 tap sets in blow molded cases, odd individual taps in plastic or cardboard sleeves and sets in original cases.    Older taps and dies don't get much respect, coffee cans.   I do wipe them all down with WD40 or light oil after use.  My shop is occasionally heated during the winter, no AC in the summer.   

I did attend an auction where the deceased previous owner kept all of his taps in plastic kitchen storage containers filled with motor oil.  I do not recommend this!   What a mess!


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## tcweb (Mar 1, 2019)

I scored a 20-30lb box of taps at a flea market.   Sorted (and de-greased) them over the course of a few months.  I put them in small acro-bins. 
I probably have (20) ea of 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8.  Not so many #10, #8.    The bins were convenient, they stack nicely, and I can grab the bin with the size I need, then go to the bench and hunt for the right one (course, fine, starter, bottom, etc)


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## Cooter Brown (Mar 1, 2019)

big box of taps....


a couple ammo cans full of acme taps....



WTF are these taps for??


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## porthos (Mar 1, 2019)

my taps are stored loose; a compartment for each size. i don't intend to rub them togther of bang them against one another, so, i see no harm.


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## mmcmdl (Mar 1, 2019)

Cooter Brown said:


> WTF are these taps for??



They are used for " bent holes " . Let us know how they work out !


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## Firstgear (Mar 1, 2019)

or for tapping around corners!


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## mmcmdl (Mar 1, 2019)

Those taps most likely are machine specific for reaching down thru clearance holes for threads . Kinda like a tap extension and handle all in one . Just a WAG but makes sense .

They wouldn't work on the bent holes I see in here at work ………………………...the taps are TOO STRAIGHT !!


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