Looking for a decent Tap/Die set

better-lathe-than-never

better-lathe-than-never

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Bewildered by an array of choices on Amazon and other places - I need some recommendations to help narrow it down. Would like both SAE and Metric, price up to $100-$200. My work is purely periodic, hobby; entry level skill set.
 
I can't recommend a specific set but generally you want to avoid sets with hexagonal dies as they are usually for restoring threads rather than cutting new threads. Also, look for high speed steel (HSS) rather than carbon steel, vanadium steel, etc.

Beyond that, Grizzly has HSS sets in inch and metric but the two sets will run close to $400. Check with some of the major tool vendors like Travers and MSC as well. Be careful of some of the smaller vendors. I have seen sets that claim to be HSS but are in fact just carbon steel. There are also issues with manufacturing as in improperly made or mis-labled so buyer beware.
 
The difference between quality industrial stuff and hardware store is immense. One common suggestion is to just buy the ones you need as you need them.

You could get a reasonably priced set and just use them for cleaning up (chasing) threads, and buy good ones individually for projects which you'll be creating new threads.

John
 
@Ken - what are these sizes? Not familiar with these designations
  • 6 - 40 Tap, #33 Drill; 8 - 36 Tap, #29 Drill;
  • 10 - 24 Tap, #25 Drill; 10 - 32 Tap, #21 Drill;
 
Common small screw sizes, and corresponding number sized drill bits for that tap.
 
#10 is 3/16, others are smaller.

matthewsx said:
The difference between quality industrial stuff and hardware store is immense. One common suggestion is to just buy the ones you need as you need them.
Click to expand...

Buy quality ones you need as you need them. You won't be sorry.
 
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