Welding Tips and Tricks

So, I'm in the market for a tap and die set. mainly need NC/NF, but metric always comes in handy. I'd like to stay on the cheap side of $300, but I'd like to buy 'em once. they'll mostly be used for re-threading, but occasionally I need to tap a hole or thread a rod. only hex-shaped dies need apply.

if anyone has bought a set recently, I'd like to year your experience. it seems that the market has changed a lot in recently, so I don't know jack about where to start.

I like craftsman taps and dies. Stay away from harbor freight, they have really bad taps and dies. You want them with good, hard metallurgy, and accurate size / machining. Craftsman have it all, harbor freight has none. It is likely that craftsman have now producing them overseas, but I still trust their quality on taps and dies, IMO.

For rethreading or "thread chasing", there are slightly undersized taps and dies available, you'll want a special kit for that. If you use a normal tap and die for thread chasing (to clean the threads), you will usually remove some metal, which is often not really that great. I got one I received as a gift, blow molded case, NC / NF / metric all in one handy blow molded, red case. I've seen it crop up in various places, it might not the the best quality but it's OK, sort of middling to low maybe quality. Its still really useful kit.

You can get one-off, good quality taps and dies on ebay, if you're looking for an odd size. Could be a good place to go but may be hard to assemble a kit. I'd check it out. New old stock "made in USA" type stuff. I'd avoid the import taps and dies, except craftsman they are OK. I've gotten good taps from fastenal. Not cheap, but really good. It had a "triangle" flute design to it that was really nice.

And you know there are bottoming taps, long tapered taps, and standard taper taps too. Sometimes you need a specific one, sometimes you need to start with a long or standard taper tap and finish with a bottoming!

Looking forward to hearing what other people think.

when's the last time you bought craftsman? I've just been hearing bad things about the last year or so. they're definitely all coming from china now.

I actually bought a tap/die set from HF a while ago. the taps aren't that bad, for $12, but the damn tap handle broke, of all things.


I'd really like to get a decent set of everything, then replace the ones I break with good taps. MSC still has good taps, but you pay for 'em.


I've never liked those rethreaders. I'd much rather have a looser threadfit and use loc-tite than have the damn thing seize up on me again. I've also had issues with deforming the teeth on the dies. they seem to be made of softer alloy so they don't 'cut' .

I have an older Craftsman rethreading set that has metric and imperial in course and fine. I am very happy with the quality, and the fitted case definately helps alert you to a missing or misplaced tap or die. I think it cost about 160 when new, it was and is well worth the price of admission. Just my .02, HTH
Bob

Try these guys-http://vikingdrill.com/Catalog_Index.html Made in America

ogorir wrote:when's the last time you bought craftsman? I've just been hearing bad things about the last year or so. they're definitely all coming from china now.

I actually bought a tap/die set from HF a while ago. the taps aren't that bad, for $12, but the damn tap handle broke, of all things.


I'd really like to get a decent set of everything, then replace the ones I break with good taps. MSC still has good taps, but you pay for 'em.


I've never liked those rethreaders. I'd much rather have a looser threadfit and use loc-tite than have the damn thing seize up on me again. I've also had issues with deforming the teeth on the dies. they seem to be made of softer alloy so they don't 'cut' .

Not recently. But I have looked at them (craftsman taps / dies) in the sears store shelves recently, and (aside from the "imported from wherever" notice on the package) they sure "look" to me to be as good as other high quality, made in USA taps I've purchased from stores such as fastenal recently and had the pleasure of using.

It's possible that looks can be deceiving, however there are some subtle hints that can tell you how much $ was put into manufacturing them by looking at them, IMO.

You can tell a quality difference in machine work (burr free, nice finish, etc) sometimes in a tap. The cheaper taps I have encountered IME, have much more ragged machine work, I've even encountered burrs in some really really cheap taps (maybe they are even lower than HF... perhaps it was an auto parts store product!) And you can feel the quality (or lack thereof) when using the tap - A quality machined, hard material tap works with less friction, and you can kind of feel the metal "peeling" away as the tap works. They are hard and durable metallurgy.

A crisp laser etching with plenty of identification info on the side of the tap also seems to be a good sign in the newer good quality made taps, IMO. (Of course any "made in USA" stamps also indicate good quality in a tap.) But I agree the craftsman taps & dies would be nice if they still had the "made in USA" on them and I certainly noticed they were no longer made in USA, but that would be my only possible reservation about them. I know it may be hard to believe, but theoretically it *should* be possible for an import tap to have good quality. What counts (at least, to me) is how well they work.

The rethreaders I've used have been pretty hardened and durable, no problems with them yielding and I have abused them too. It is important to clean the grooves out when they get loaded up with grease/dirt cake though. A good, quick shot of aerosol can pressured brake parts cleaner through the plastic stinger tube aimed right at the groove seems best way I know of to try to blast junk out of the groove. Sometimes followed by compressed air, and repeated as many times as is necessary to get all the dirt out of each groove. The definitely need cleaning.

I just looked at my thread chaser set and found that they are indeed made in the USA... (maybe that's why they have given me good service?) here is what is on the box:
KASTAR HAND TOOLS
40-PC. RETHREADING SET
NO. 972
MADE IN USA

Hey guess what, I just took a look at that fastenal tap I recently purchased and found to be good quality and a pleasure to use. Guess what it says on it? "China"!

I guess I completely forgot about that. But anyway, this "made in China" tap is a real decent quality one, as good as the best made in USA taps I've come across, IMHO.

Just don't expect to be able to pick up the good quality imported taps at "bottom of the barrel" pricing. (I wouldn't describe either fastenal or craftsman taps/dies as "inexpensive".)

oh, I know they're not going to be cheap, and almost everyone is getting non-warrantied items done overseas. snap-ons files are made in pakistan.

I just wanted to hear some experiences with what's out there. I'll check out fastenall's prices. I'd like to be under $300, but it is what it is.

thanks for the input.

More info on the fastenal tap - it's a 2-flute design, quite different looking from a "traditional" 4-flute tap. (I remember fastenal did have both styles and I did decide to "try" the 2-flute this time, to see if I liked it.) It has "HSS" (high speed steel) laser etched on the side so I'd definitely look for that to get that for the hardened, durable metallurgy. I sure wouldn't mind having a complete set like it! I imagine it would cost an arm and a leg to buy individuals in this manner to make up a complete set, though. And don't forget the matching size drill bits to go with it! (it does have the recommended drill bit size laser etched into the shank of the tap, as well.)

I wonder if mcmaster-carr's taps are any good... I would think they might have some good quality ones at a better value than fastenal's. I took a quick gander on their website, and found they do have some tap/die sets that *might* be in your price range. I couldn't find country of origin disclosed.

I typically find mcmaster-carr to be a better value than fastenal, for items that I don't need in a hurry, are OK placing the order online, and large enough orders to justify the shipping cost. Fastenal, on the other hand I find best for when I need something quickly (IE: "instant gratification") by just wandering into their local branch and buying whatever it is needed (provided they have in in stock.)

My local fastenal has a super cool manager and staff, so I like going there quite a bit especially for the oddball item I need they sometimes have in stock, however I usually can't afford tomake any large purchases from them (because I prefer to hold on to both of my arms and legs.