Tap and Die set

paul_cpu Yeah, it can be a bit overwhelming facing something totally new and I have to admit I am guilty of not remembering just how daunting what today is commonplace once was. Keeping in mind that this is all new to you I would suggest finding a copy of Machinist Handbook to download. This will be your bible.
With hand-tapping the most crucial thing is to have the correct size hole for the thread you wish to cut. Too small and you will break taps. Another thing is starting the tap straight. If you are just starting out might I suggest making a tap guide? This is just a piece of material with a straight hole through it that you place upon whatever you are tapping that guides the tap vertically into the hole. A big help until you develop a feel for the job.
You will need to consult a Tap - Drill Chart that will give you the correct drill size to use for a particular size and thread fastener. Here is one such below that also has some information about how to work out the size. I know Australia is 100% metric but you will come across a lot of Imperial fasteners especially if you work on older machines or most American stuff.
Whatever you spend your money on buy quality. Taps are consumables, they wear out but treated with care last a very long time in,(most),hobby use. The biggest difference between an El cheapo and anything of quality is the ease of use, a clean cut and less likelihood of breakage with a quality item.
 

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The best deals I have seen in a tap &die set have been the commonly available/least expensive high carbon steel sets, you get all sizes in both metric and imperial for fraction of the cost of buying induvial "top quality " taps or dies.

I think to a new hobbyist it makes more sense to start with a half decent high Carbon steel set that has all the common sizes , I can come up with 2 or three scenarios when you need most the sizes in the set, like repairing an old unknown machine( USA made or Chinese) , upgrading a tool when you have no idea what size screws were used, it is always better to have a complete set handy, and then in the future when buy specific size set/grub screw, small bolt , big bolts etc ,. then decide whether to invest in more expensive HSS individual taps and dies.
 
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Ken from ontario said:
The best deals I have seen in a tap &die set have been the commonly available/least expensive high carbon steel sets, you get all sizes in both metric and imperial for fraction of the cost of buying induvial "top quality " taps or dies.

I think to a new hobbyist it makes more sense to start with a half decent high Carbon steel set that has all the common sizes , I can come up with 2 or three scenarios when you need most the sizes in the set, like repairing an old unknown machine( USA made or Chinese) , upgrading a tool when you have no idea what size screws were used, it is always better to have a complete set handy, and then in the future when buy specific size set/grub screw, small bolt , big bolts etc ,. then decide whether to invest in more expensive HSS individual taps and dies.
Click to expand...

I think this is part of the reason I wanted to start with "a set" I don't know what I don't know and being in Aus delivery can be slow and good quality tools we can't just goto a hardware store they typically sell only rubbish.
 
Yep. You can find a lot cheaper than $200 though. Internet Archive has the 29th edition for download: https://archive.org/details/machinerys-handbook-29th-edition/page/952/mode/2up if you want to have a look at what it contains.

As to tool supply. Melbourne has a huge industrial base so chances are wherever you live there is an engineering shop nearby. Drop in and ask a few questions, you will find most Tradesmen are only to happy to help. They can tell you who their local suppliers are. There is always Hare & Forbes, Machinery House, not a favourite but their prices are reasonable on most things and they are across Australia.
Just Tools: https://www.justtools.com.au/engineering/ but they only sell taps and dies in sets, sort of a hardware store type outfit.
Engineering Tool Supplies: http://www.engtooling.com/
For comparison here's two from this side of the ditch: https://www.carbidenz.co.nz/ https://toolsnz.com/ E-bay has some good buys and no doubt I will upset a few people but all of the Chinese stuff I have bought has been good quality and very cheap compared to some industrial outlets for essentially the same item. Check what regulations apply to imports so you don't get hit with unexpected costs in importing anything from overseas.

It pays to shop around as not only can there be a big variation in price but what is a listed retail price is sometimes so over the top you know they will never sell anything at that price so query everything and don't be afraid to point out that if someone wants your money they will have to sharpen their pencil because odds are you will get a better price with a little effort.

Has anybody warned you about the rabbit hole yet?
 
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