hi all,i live over in the uk,im try ing to find a tap and die set to clean the interior trim holes on a 32 tudor sedan,they arent any thing british,can anyone tell me what they are and point me in the direction to getting a set,thanks in advance.
Kool Kat has put you on the right track.........if you are playing with old American steel you will need them in inch sizes, not metric. We have a Kolbalt set that we bought at Lowes here and it has been surprisingly good. The taps are good quality, and they give you the appropriate sized drill bit with every one. NC will be National Course threads, and NF is National Fine threads. We also have Gear Wrench racheting handle set that is a pleasure to use and allows pretty straight tapping. Don Here is just one place that has them. I'm sure there are very high quality industrial ones available, but these seem to get the job done without breaking the bank. http://www.protoolreviews.com/tools/kobalt-46-piece-sae-tap-die/1057 There is a chance your English handle will not fit the SAE ones from the States, so here is the handle set we have and we have used this one to death with no problems. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SSNGDW...e=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B000SSNGDW
I bought the "professional quality" harbor freight tap and die set a few years ago...have used them many times, haven't broken any, and they seem to work well... Chris
And be sure the set has size #12. You will find 12-24 in the car too. It is an unusual size anywhere.
I have a lot of Vermont American taps as that is what the local hardware store sells but they do work good and seem to last well. I'd see what your local tool suppliers have available in a good basic National Fine/National course aka SAE/USS tap and dies set that went up to 1/2 inch. Most of the time you don't need larger than that. You might check the used tool outlets too. Money wise you can spend as little as 20.00 US up to several hundred dollars US depending on brand and the number of pieces but a basic set with maybe the addition of a few special sizes should get one by on most old US cars.
A little advice to anyone looking at tap and die sets: always make sure you are buying only tools made of high speed steel. They should either say they are made of high speed steel, or you should find they say "HSS" somewhere on the tool. Cheaper sets are made of carbon steel and are not even worth buying no matter how cheap.
I have a Ace Hanson Super set that my Dad gave me for my 21st birthday that was 47 years ago still works and in the original box. It is fractional of course and I have lots of supplemental taps and dies acquired over the years. Good tools will outlast you. Mine has round dies suggest you get hex ones so they will not twist in the holder.
There's nothing that sucks more than breaking a cheap tap 10 threads into a hole. Get a good quality set..... and learn how to use it!
I have read that when cleaning up existing threaded holes to use a thread chaser and not a tap or die. Tap and dies are for cutting new threads and they can cut more metal and make for a loose fit when the bolt is screwed in. Oh yea I am guilty of using tapered starter taps and bottom taps to clean up an existing thread. I have looked at thread chaser sets made by Craftsman and plan on purchasing one. Maybe some of the machinest out there can chime in on this.
Tap and dies are one of those things that you can't scrimp on. I'm not a machinist by trade but do have a home machine shop and do jobs for customers and my own stuff. I was told years ago by my grandfather, a quartermaster machinist all his life in the Navy to only buy American made taps and dies. It is all worth it in the end. I use starrett. Bought them about 30 years ago. Will last forever. Stay away from the Taiwan junk.. Ken
thanks guys for all your advise and tips,will see if i can get anything in the uk first,second stop usa as usual,you seem to have it all,thanks again phil.
+ 1 on the 12-24 thread, that thread is not too popular today but used a lot in old Fords. Actually it is superior to 1/4-20. Also as others have said, quality taps make a difference. Ago
Just about anything will work fine for cleaning up existing threads but if you can find industrial quality tools they will be much better. Look for brands such as Butterfield, Chicago Latrobe or OSG. They are available from MSC or your local machine shop supply house.
Here is a link to charts. As a retired machinist I have sets(3 per set, starter, second and bottom) most kits only come with a starter or a chasing tap. I have some very old taps, some as small as 5-40 and up. https://www.google.ca/search?q=tap+...gHJ64GADw&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=430