6-48 Tap set
- Thread starter aakoksal
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Follow guntech's mention of "quality" - I bought a set of Chinesium-made for 5mm-0.8 metric - with three "new" taps, did not complete three holes into a receiver sidewall. Yes, they were cheap to buy - now looking for more, to finish the job!!!
Any outfit that supplies the machine shops will be able to get you actual quality tools.
I used to buy from Thomas Skinner and Sons, in Edmonton. There are a couple (dozen) other outfits there too. There are a pretty good selection of machine shop suppliers in Calgary as well. Between internet and phone calls, the world is a pretty small place these days!
A set of three (Taper, Plug, Bottoming) in a box to protect them, usually ran around $40. I would expect to have to order and wait (as opposed to having it handed over the counter from stock) for an extra fine thread like the various 'gun' threads.
- Location
- pallisers triangle
bob at macdougal allays has the gun thread taps on hand. plus metric, plus the correct english taps for the enfield rifles. an amazing shop
Local tool supply shop quoted me 63 bucks each
Webley No.5
CGN Regular
- Location
- Rural Alberta/Calgary
Pretty much any machine tools supplier can order you taps. I’ve bought taps from both act equipment and DMH machine tools in Calgary. Based on which had a deal on. My recommendation if it’s a through hole you can get away with a taper tap only, if it’s a bottoming get a taper and a bottoming tap. Also I’ve bought a few Morse cutting tools taps and now refuse to buy much else.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
If you break off a small one like that in a hole, you will find out the difference between a carbon steel tap and a HSS tap. I think Brownells only sells small ones in carbon steel - for a reason - you might want to research that.
Webley No.5
CGN Regular
- Location
- Rural Alberta/Calgary
He is correct that a carbon steel tap can be softened with heat or shattered much easier then hss. On the other hand I find carbon steel taps are easier to break then high quality hss. Cheap hss taps are quite easy to break usually because they save money on sharpening. I find good hss taps have a bit of flex and more feel before they break. Up to you which way you want to go each has its merits.
A #6 tap is going to be pretty hard to break, if I'm honest. Make sure it's drilled to the right dia, chamfer it 0.01 above the OD and use a spring center if you are able to. You only need a plug tap if you can only get one, but taper will be slightly easier.
I work with Stainless 316 and Gr3/5 Ti at work, so the mild steel in receivers is like butter to me.
I work with Stainless 316 and Gr3/5 Ti at work, so the mild steel in receivers is like butter to me.
If they are properly sharpened, and cease to be used when they wear, Carbon Steel will take a finer cutting edge than HSS. Hard part is finding a reliable supplier that is local at all, that isn't awash in cheap low grade junk.
Of all the tap sizes in common use, a 6-32 tap is about the easiest to break, as it has the highest ratio of tooth size to solid core of all the sizes. The leading cause of death of the smaller taps is a side load being applied, rather than from locking up in the hole and twisting off.
