workinforwood
Member
Recently I needed a metric tap and die. I have discovered that I like pens in the 8-11 range and thread sizes at .75. We all know that you can just go to Harbor Freight and score a cheap tap/die set for $40, and they even have more expensive ones up to $200. Either way, you open up the set and have a pile of great looking taps and die's but at the same time you have every tap and die that you will never need! Yes, I know there's a couple useful ones in there, but for the most part they are all sizes that are too small for a pen or too large with monster teeth that are too ugly for a pen. Then on top of all the odd sizes, most of them taps don't match the die sizes! Heck, my set has something like a M5x1, M6x1, M7x1, M8x1.25, M9x1.5, M10x1.5 ...ok those are the die's...now ok, so lets say I pick a M7x1 and thread a rod. There's no matching die for that size in the set..the closest one is M6x.75! I have a M7x1 tap, but that is obviously too big. If I go over to the standard size of the set, I'm in the same boat with different numbers. It's a joke these sets. Maybe you can match a brass fitting out of the junk drawer if you are lucky, but you can't do much else.
Looking at just purchasing an M11x.75 tap with M10x.75 adjustable die I was going to spend $60..mostly due to the die of course. To grab a set of 4 sizes I was almost up to $300
It took me quite a while to track down this tap and die set..I was getting to think such a set must not exist, but I was wrong. I found a complete set, which has a matching die for each tap size and each size comes in a fine, medium and coarse grain too! This set will cover all the good looking sizes for custom pens as well as several kit pen threads. I see the cigar threads are in the list, and I wouldn't be surprised if the gent and baron size threads are in there..not the cap threads, but the threads that get the nib sections into the body of the pen. I called them and bought the set. It's the third one down on the page. It says it is $299 but she said it rings up as $249, so it either changed in price or is on sale right now.
http://www.metricscrew-toolco.com/newcont.html
I see that if you click that you don't quite get there. You have to click the letter T, then tap and die sets and then it is there at the bottom.
Looking at just purchasing an M11x.75 tap with M10x.75 adjustable die I was going to spend $60..mostly due to the die of course. To grab a set of 4 sizes I was almost up to $300
It took me quite a while to track down this tap and die set..I was getting to think such a set must not exist, but I was wrong. I found a complete set, which has a matching die for each tap size and each size comes in a fine, medium and coarse grain too! This set will cover all the good looking sizes for custom pens as well as several kit pen threads. I see the cigar threads are in the list, and I wouldn't be surprised if the gent and baron size threads are in there..not the cap threads, but the threads that get the nib sections into the body of the pen. I called them and bought the set. It's the third one down on the page. It says it is $299 but she said it rings up as $249, so it either changed in price or is on sale right now.
http://www.metricscrew-toolco.com/newcont.html
I see that if you click that you don't quite get there. You have to click the letter T, then tap and die sets and then it is there at the bottom.
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