Tap And Die set for Small Screws (Where to Buy)

dingus

dingus

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 98.9%
363   4   0
Location
B.C
OK i got a big Can tire Tap and die set but i want a small SAE set thats like
1/32 to 1/16 3/32 and 1/8th up to 1/4 Ect all the Small gun screws ect.

A very small set of taps and Dies is what id like to find.
Brownells is that It? nothing Local eh?
 
KBC, KMS, Princess Auto, Acklands, Thomas Skinner, maybe even Snap-on?

or if you have no luck there, www . small-parts.com has really really small taps.
 
KBC tools for sure. I've been stocking up my milling bits and gunsmith taps from them for the past month. There is a store in Delta BC. $25.00 minimum order.
 
Only buy taps and dies from tooling supply stores....the industrial kind. Stay away from P.A. or CT. Every hard use tool I've purchased from P.A. has bent, broken, or fallen apart. Acklands is a good bet.
 
Buy your taps and dies from a proper tool supply place.

PA and CTire sets are OK for light duty use, sometimes, but if you want a proper fitting hole or thread, get proper tools, and learn how to use them, as well as to accept that they have a life, and must be thrown away when chipped or worn.

For gun use, you will find that there are often odd thread pitches that must be special ordered, usually finer pitches than the 'standard' sizes. (The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from!). In some cases, Brownell's may be your best source.

There are kits available of small taps. Be sitting when you check the price!

Best bet is to accumulate the taps and dies that you need, when you need them.

Get used to dealing with Number size screws. It's been a long time since the sizes below 1/4" have been readily available in Fractions sizes.

KBC and Thomas Skinner are two outfits I've dealt with. Acklands, too. Check under Machine Tools Supplies in the Yellow Pages.

Cheers
Trev
 
I've used small taps in the #2 to 1/4 size range much of my life in connection with my other hobbies. I quickly learned that in these sizes this is not the time to go cheap or even middle of the road. I only buy the best from such companies as Butterfield or Dominion. They are sharper, cut nicer and because of this your risks of breakage are lower. And this is all particularly important when you're tapping steel.

For sizes you'll want to get a a tap drill chart and look it over and then check out some screws for sizes using a guage that checks for diameter and thread pitch. Such charts are a few seconds away if you google for "thread chart", "tap drill chart" or "machine screw tapping chart" or combos of these words.

And keep in mind that there's the metric options as well. Depending on which brands you prefer this may be an issue.

Lately I've found that KBC seems to be out of stock on at least 1/2 of any order I put into them. If you're close to the border and can slip down to use one of the shipmet recieving services try Enco. They have yet to backorder anything on me after around 3 orders over 5 years.
 
I highly recommend KBC tools. I have used their brand (mainly made Poland) of High Speed Steel taps and dies for years and they are great.
 
I've also bought some of KBC's Polish made taps. Yes they are good. I'd rate that particular brand up with the American brands but at around 1/2 the price. Mind you I have not tried the smaller number size taps from Poland yet. Still they are LEAGUES better than the typical junk found in most sets of taps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom