Tap And Die Set – Best Price!

Buyer’s Guide: Finding a Tap and Die Set

A tap and die set are tools that are used when creating screw threads. A tap is used to cut the female portion of the matching pair, kind of like a nut. A die is used to cut the male portion of the mating pair, like a bolt. The process of cutting the threads in a hole is “tapping” the hole. The process of cutting with a die is called “threading”. A tap and die set has been used for hundreds of years and originally was made out of wood, long before steel or metal was invented.

There are certain ways to use a tap and die set as well as certain precautions to take. While tapping, make sure that the tap is made of a material that is suitable for machine tapping. The high-carbon steel used in hand tools is most likely too brittle. High speed steel is preferable when using a tap and die set. Also, use a proper cutting compound or a coolant while tapping with a tap and die set.  Make sure that the spindle or tap is turning in the correct direction. Most importantly, make sure that the tap is lined up with the hole. While threading with a tap and die set, you need to take into consideration 1) major diameter of the thread in inches. 2) Threads per inch. 3) Course or fine thread. 4) Class of fit. 5) External or internal threads.

There are several brands of a tap and die set. There are also three basic types of taps. The first is called a “bottoming tap” or a “plug tap”. This type of tap for the tap and die set has a continuously cutting edge with almost no taper. It also has 1-1.5 threads of taper, which is typical. This feature enables a bottoming tap to cut threads to the bottom of a blind hole. A bottoming tap is usually used to cut threads in a hole that already have been partially threaded. The second type of tap in a tap and die set is called an “intermediate tap or plug” or a “second tap”. This has tapered cutting edges which assist in aligning and starting the tap into the untapped hole. This tap has 3-5 tapered edges and is the most commonly used. The third tap in a set is called a “taper tap”. It is similar to the plug tap except it has more pronounced threads. It gives a gradual cutting action that is less aggressive and has 8-10 tapered edges.

These sets can be found in many stores, for many different prices, all over the world. Some of these stores are: www.TapcoUSA.com, www.bosstoolsupply.com, www.ebay.com, www.pstindustrysupply.com, and www.tapdie.com. Look around for a great bargain and enjoy your new tap and die set!