RobS
Member
2022 March TRIPLE START TAP AND DIE GROUP BUY
Welcome to the 2022 Spring tap and die group buy! My name is Rob Sanchez ( RobS ), I will be organizing the buy this spring. Hannah ( hannah ) did an excellent job with last year's buy and I will be borrowing heavily from her work. This post has been approved by @Monty the IAP group buy coordinator.
This buy is focused on obtaining the maximum quantity discount for our members for the M13, M14, M15 triple start tap and dies required to build kitless pens.
**Additionally, we will also offer the Bock and JOWO dies to make custom section mandrels. No one has offered these in a very long time.
***We will not be offering nib taps given they are commercially available at 3 or more different sources.
The more orders we collectively place for each size tap and die, the greater the discount.
Attached is the pricing information from Tapco. The offerings listed are based on what garnered interest from messages and posts that have come through.
Terminology
The US and EU use different terms to identify a TAP.For this group buy please refer to the diagram below.
The following is my opinion based on my experience:
- Tapper Tap (8-10 tapered threads) is usually only needed when using metal materials
- Plug Tap (3-5 Tapered Threads) may be used when starting in plastics
- Bottoming Tap (1-1.5 Tapered Threads) is recommended after using a Plug Tap for transparent blanks, or in designs where the tapping depth is limited.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
If you would like to participate, comment on this post, fill out the attached order form, and send it to me via direct messages. Or, DM me and I'll give you my email address where you can send your order form. Only the highlighted cells need to be filled out. If you don't have Excel, let me know and I can send it to you in a different format.
THE CUTOFF FOR PLACING ORDERS IS SATURDAY, March 26 AT 6:00 PM PST.
Since the discount we receive depends on the number of orders for each tap/die size, the exact cost of your items can't be 100% determined until all orders have been placed. The order sheet lists the highest possible price (if you are the only one purchasing the item) and the most probable lowest price (if the group buys 24 taps/12 dies). The price you will pay for an item is likely between these two numbers (and hopefully the cheapest price!)
TO SEE THE CURRENT DISCOUNT LEVELS, OPEN THIS GOOGLE DOC. THIS SPREADSHEET UPDATES AUTOMATICALLY WHEN A NEW ORDER IS ENTERED, SO CHECK BACK OFTEN TO SEE THE CURRENT DISCOUNT LEVEL.
This google doc also shows the items each person has ordered. If you prefer for your order to remain anonymous, let me know and I will put "Anonymous" instead of your IAP username.
PAYMENT
You will receive two invoices. The first will be sent to you the day after the group buy closes (March 27) and will be for the cost of your taps and dies, fees, shipping, and insurance. Payments can be made via PayPal or Zelle (offered at Chase, Wells Fargo, etc). I will give you instructions for how to pay when I send you your invoice.
THE PAYMENT DEADLINE IS MONDAY, MARCH 28 AT 6:00 PST.
The second invoice will be sent later and will be for the shipping cost from Tapco. This cost will be split evenly among participants. Please pay this within two weeks of receiving it.
PayPal (2022 Tax rule changes)
When using PayPal, please use the "Friends and Family" option. This allows for money transfers without triggering a taxable event per the 2022 tax rules. Due to the new 2022 tax rules the "Goods and Services" option is NOT viable and will NOT be accepted as it will trigger a 1099 and will be seen as taxable income. There is $0 mark up on group buys and therefore "Goods and Services" is not appropriate.
All the items in the spreadsheet should be available for purchase. If for any reason an item is backordered or unavailable, your money for that item will be refunded to you.
SHIPPING AND INSURANCE
I will be shipping your orders to you via USPS Priority Small Flat Rate Box. There is $50 insurance included with small flat rate boxes. I will be adding additional insurance for the full retail value of your purchase as a default. The amount to be insured is the value of replacing the parts (the item's value without a discount). While this will cost extra, I STRONGLY suggest that you accept this insurance. I cannot be responsible for what happens to your package after I ship it to you. If you don't want this recommended insurance, you may opt out on your order form. The order form also shows you the cost of insuring your shipment.
Tapco estimates that it will take 8 weeks from the time of our order (March 29) to ship. Once I receive the shipment from Tapco, I will ship to participating IAP members within 5 days. All told, you can expect to have your brand new taps and dies in hand by mid June (to account for shipping from Tapco and to you).
I am willing to accept international orders. Please note that shipping will take longer and be more expensive (starting at $41+insurance) if you are ordering from outside the US, and depending on the country USPS may not offer shipping insurance.
IF YOU MISS THE DEADLINE FOR ORDER SUBMISSION OR PAYMENT, YOU WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE GROUP BUY.
Thanks for reading, let's get those discounts!
DM me if you have any questions.
