I need an M6 tap to tap out a hole in the bottom of my engine block, proberbly a bottoming or atleast intermediate tap as its a blind hole and i dont
want to drill further than i have to.
Obviously i could just buy what i need, infact for a drive over to my parents i could borrow it, but as will proberbly need another in another size at
some point and proberbly again after that, im tempted to get a set. Say an m3, m4, m6, m8, m10 an m12 and an m14 which i could do with to make a boss
for a temp sender.
Given i'll not be tapping 100's, just a handfull now and then, all be in in a mix of materials and for the next 50 years, how much is
sensable to spend on a set and are there any recomened brands?
Daniel
Hi,
I bought a set from Aldi for I think £10 and they have lasted very well and are still going strong, a full set of metric taps and dies.
Regards
Bob
Go to Tracy Tools. They do excellent quality and value, and you'll get a set that you'll have for life.
Cheers,
nev.
I have an old Talco " cheapy" set set that must be 35 years old, and is still in use today
in fact it was today, !
there not the best sets, but ideal for cleaning up threads,
Fot making new threads it is worth buying a better quality tap
Steve
The tap sets that Halfords do aren't to bad at all, and I think they're about £20...
My Aldi set is rough, the tap handle exploded... I go to Cromwell tools and buy what ever I need when I need it now. Tap handle quality is superb compared to the soft cast ali aldi one.
I go to tracytools.com - good quality, reasonable price and usually arrive the day after ordering.
Get the 'small size' metric set (m3-m12?) and the m14 separate. Dont forget the tapping and clearance drills at the same time. A can of
drillinga nd tapping lube is well worth having too.
Regards
Hugh
I would have to say that you should buy the best you can afford, taps are the sort of things that will cause you far more hassle when they fail, than
your saving by buying cheap
I only have Titex in my tool chest, they have been virtually indestructible over the years
was in a hurry one day and doing a roadside repair of something, 1" steel plate, due to the access to it, I used cordless drill to put the drill
bit through, and them M12 tap in the drill and done.
that was a one off that I wouldnt repeat, but certainly showed the ability of them
I beleive that with tools you should buy once.
In my opinion, I would buy a good set of stocks (the turney bar spanner thing for the uninitiated), then just buy the taps you need ...M4,5,6, 8, 10,
12 perhaps being the most common. I have a Kennedy stocks set from Cromwell that seem to be sound.
Cheap taps can be heart-breakers when they snap or wreck the one chance you have at getting right...get good HSS ones (Dormer or Presto or similar)
from an engineers' supplies or similar....
that's my take anyhoo
[Edited on 7/7/11 by Litemoth]
try tapdie.com (or .co.uk?) i find for our use they're great, and very cheap too.
I'll second everyone else and say buy only the best quality taps. Just imagine the consequencies of a tap snapping when doing a cylinder head job for instance. By the time you've taken the head off, taken it to be spark eroded and helicoiled and refitted it, the quality taps will seen cheap by comparison.
I'd just add that if you can afford them, buy HSS rather than carbon steel . If you ever need to tap a thread into stainless you will be pleased
you bought high speed steel.
John
quote:
Originally posted by Phil.J
I'll second everyone else and say buy only the best quality taps. Just imagine the consequencies of a tap snapping when doing a cylinder head job for instance. By the time you've taken the head off, taken it to be spark eroded and helicoiled and refitted it, the quality taps will seen cheap by comparison.
quote:
Originally posted by John Bonnett
I'd just add that if you can afford them, buy HSS rather than carbon steel . If you ever need to tap a thread into stainless you will be pleased you bought high speed steel.
I think the trick is to only buy the tap you need, then you can buy a good quality unit, and don't have ten others rattling about the draw unused.
quote:
Originally posted by designer
I think the trick is to only buy the tap you need, then you can buy a good quality unit, and don't have ten others rattling about the draw unused.
I have the draper set and i cant fault it... saves searching for the correct drill bit too
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