A quick pick of your clever brains please

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bitza
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Re: A quick pick of your clever brains please

Post by bitza »

Yep taps and dies , high speed steel everytime, same with buying drill bits, you gets what you pays for and quality tools will always give good service , ideally taps should'nt be thrown together in any old tin, there's always a chance of chipping a bit off the cutting edge, also always use a cutting agent in use.
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Expat
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Re: A quick pick of your clever brains please

Post by Expat »

Yep, second that.
Keep shiny side up.

These are my principles, if you don’t like them, I have others. (Groucho Marx)
Mick D
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Re: A quick pick of your clever brains please

Post by Mick D »

Hi

It's 'horses for courses' - if you are only cleaning / reforming threads you don't need HSS, a carbon tap will last you a lifetime, and a thread reforming file will cater for eight different thread pitches.

If you are cutting threads in soft material, brass, aluminium etc., and the odd thread in steel, carbon taps and dies are fine.

If your cutting multiple threads in steel or very fine threads, <4mm, go for HSS.

I'd be surprised if someone restoring an AMC bike used 30% of the tools in the boxed set.

Regards Mick
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GOLDSTAR
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Re: A quick pick of your clever brains please

Post by GOLDSTAR »

I buy them as and when I need 'em, surprising how soon a good collection of the most used builds up, I also let friends and relatives know I use these things and quite often they will donate such from their elderly relatives sheds rather than just ditching them. kind regards
bitza
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Re: A quick pick of your clever brains please

Post by bitza »

It surpriseing what you can can find at car boots regards retired engineers tools at silly prices if you haggle.
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Rob Harknett
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Re: A quick pick of your clever brains please

Post by Rob Harknett »

bitza wrote:It surpriseing what you can can find at car boots regards retired engineers tools at silly prices if you haggle.
I'm a car boot fan when it comes to finding this type of tool. However 26 TPI taps, dies & thread chasers, do not turn up that often. Even then, 1/4" and 5/16" are most common you may find.
alanengineer
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Re: A quick pick of your clever brains please

Post by alanengineer »

!/4 bsf, 5/16" and 3/8" cycle and you can get most things sorted . Then buy what you need when you want it. I tend only to use the bottoming tap for most restoration stuff unless im making something. So that can save you money.
Taps and dies from Tracy tools in Dartmouth. Good service
bitza
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Re: A quick pick of your clever brains please

Post by bitza »

Like Alan posted, I picked up 1/4 5/16 taps and dies at various boot sales, and had a stroke of luck at one picked up a tobacco tin with a selection of B A taps. Some times the seller does'nt have engineering trade experience so you can grab a bargain.
56G80S
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Re: A quick pick of your clever brains please

Post by 56G80S »

I've found Tracy Tools helpful.

Only bought in to fill gaps in what Mum left me (she was a machine setter).

Johnny B
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