Tap, and die handles

[Downwindtracker2]

I have had a German ratcheting tap handle for almost thirty years. While I didn't use it every day, I almost did. Canadian Tire sold them under their own name ,Mastercraft, but weren't marked as such. There weren't cheap, so for home I bought a knockoff from BusyBee. That lasted one use. I bought another one from Canadian Tire. Now I'm retired, I shouldn't be able to wear out two. I find good tap handles at the fleamarket, but have never found a good 1" die stocks. I have even bought a couple of new made in USA ones that I think the Chinese might be able to improve on.

 

[Aukai]

I really like seeing the name brands to look for it helps the search process a bunch, thank you.

 

[Nogoingback]

Here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vermont-Ta...-Diam-420522/132587547962?hash=item1eded56d3a

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-GT...h=item214d182aee:g:RQAAAOSw2ptb-pEM:rk:8:pf:0

 

[kd4gij]

Thank you for the responses, got a DRO project coming up, and my handles suck, even some of the NOS Craftsman had switched to cheap. I will be waiting to see what Dave has.

Machine castings are a breeze to tap.

 

[Cooter Brown]

I hate most die handles I'm putting that on the project list.......

 

[kd4gij]

This it the type I have on my short list.

 

[P. Waller]

MSC, from import to Red Box and everything in between.
Choose your price https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn...ies/Tapping-Tools/Tap-Wrenches?navid=12106018

 

[Aukai]

Thank you for the links, very useful..
Another question, why are dies hex, or round? I have both, but never figured out why that was.

 

[Nogoingback]

dies - ICS Cutting Tools

https://www.icscuttingtools.com/Dies.htm
Carbon Steel Hexagon Rethreading Dies are designed for rethreading damaged or jammed threads and can be used to work in places where round dies can not be used. They are not intended for producing new threads on unthreaded bars, bolts, or pipes and will perform all of the same tasks as (HRD) Hex Rethreading Dies.

 

[P. Waller]

Thank you for the links, very useful..
Another question, why are dies hex, or round? I have both, but never figured out why that was.

Round split dies are adjustable and are used for producing threaded parts, thread a sample then measure it and adjust the die accordingly.
Hex dies are often non adjustable and are mostly used for cleaning and deburring existing threads, they are easily rotated with a simple wrench by maintainence mechanics.

Often in a machine shop one will go to the threading die storage for a particular size and lead and find several marked DIE NOT SET, this means that it hasn't been used or that the last person to use it did not measure the finished thread likely due to loose commercial tolerances. If the customer is going to gauge a threaded part make sure that it is in the range specified.
More often then not a standard round split die will produce an acceptable thread, if however the customer uses very close ring gauges for final inspection all bets are off.