Very good point! WAAAY better than what I had guessed you might say!
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Tool POS Tap Guide
- Thread starter thestelster
- Start date
Tool
Very good point! WAAAY better than what I had guessed you might say!
Found this chart. Not sure why it duplicates M6 to M12.
Not sure how accurate the table or the taps or the collets are. Here's an M5 spiral tap. The 3.82mm is pretty close to 4mm but it isn't 4mm. The shank diameter is 4.85mm not 5mm. Of course that's only out by 0.0059" so maybe not so much?
Not sure how accurate the table or the taps or the collets are. Here's an M5 spiral tap. The 3.82mm is pretty close to 4mm but it isn't 4mm. The shank diameter is 4.85mm not 5mm. Of course that's only out by 0.0059" so maybe not so much?
Here is a pdf of all the imperial tap dimensions.
Here is another one with metric up to an inch.
Handy tables to have.
I bought sizes M3 to M10 with the expectations that the taps would fit. Metric taps previously purchased here don't all fit. The ones purchased from AliExpress do fit.
I'm going to guess that their ISO-# adheres to some sort of standard (ISO?) where the taps I bought before don't.
I'm going to guess that their ISO-# adheres to some sort of standard (ISO?) where the taps I bought before don't.
My experience with metric taps on Ali is they mostly have common ISO shanks & squares, but not always. Kind of depends if they are manufacturing for a name or if they are kind of freelancing. And as the table shows, ISO is different that JIS & I think there are even different ISO's when it comes to taps.
Lately I have been buying <cough> 'names' like YG or more recently Guling (phonetically similar to Guhring). Are they relabeled, contraband, clones? I have no idea. They seem decent quality & cut well. Personally I like SOWA branded taps available in Canada but I have to get them through a local distributer, which means a drive... so I usually revert to the offshores for convenience.
Ali
Lately I have been buying <cough> 'names' like YG or more recently Guling (phonetically similar to Guhring). Are they relabeled, contraband, clones? I have no idea. They seem decent quality & cut well. Personally I like SOWA branded taps available in Canada but I have to get them through a local distributer, which means a drive... so I usually revert to the offshores for convenience.
Ali
For example:
I have one like that. It's actually more like 6.15mm and 4.58mm.
Then I have a 6mm spiral tap that is 6.28mm and it's a tight squeeze into the collet.
Finally, and it matches the drawing from the same supplier, the 8mm tap has a 6mm shank and 4.5mm square so it also fits into the M6 collet.
Go figure eh? I remember being so confused when I started buying these. The one of the M6 collets actually has a dimension of 6.35 - 4.5 on it.
It's enough to make one want to join the wife on the couch and grab a couple of needles and take up knitting.
I have one like that. It's actually more like 6.15mm and 4.58mm.
Then I have a 6mm spiral tap that is 6.28mm and it's a tight squeeze into the collet.
Finally, and it matches the drawing from the same supplier, the 8mm tap has a 6mm shank and 4.5mm square so it also fits into the M6 collet.
Go figure eh? I remember being so confused when I started buying these. The one of the M6 collets actually has a dimension of 6.35 - 4.5 on it.
It's enough to make one want to join the wife on the couch and grab a couple of needles and take up knitting.
This chart actually makes more sense for the taps I have. Tempted to order one more of each M6, ISO and JIS. They are $12 each for the ER20.
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I like Sowa too. I often get them on Amazon and they do the driving for me. My local jobber carries Dormer but has to order the odd one. As good as the Dormers are, I think the Sowa are better.
Wow, high praise. afaik Sowa has always just been a distributor and their house brand is re-badged made in China stuff. I don't believe they make anything. (I have a very negative view of Sowa after what I felt was an attempted rip off re Rohm parts)
JIS, ISO, SAE, IMPERIAL, and WTFCUWTC (Who The F Came Up W This Crap?) it drives me crazy too.
Unfortunately, the wife would kill me if I took up embroidery.
You may well be right. I certainly don't know otherwise. Perhaps it's like Accusize for me. Maybe they just do a good job of filtering out the garbage and keep enough stock on hand to provide good supply for me...
I can also say the Sowa Taps have all performed quite well for me.
What is your favorite tap brand and why?
I'm rarely a buyer of taps so don't really have a good answer. Over the decades I've picked so many guys tool kits, I've ended up with scads of new dormer, butterfied, pratt, Osborn and other western world makes. I only ever need to buy really odd sizes.
I would advocate for buying high quality taps but am adept at talking out of both sides of my mouth.
Meaning if you need 1/4 20 tap, buy the good stuff because its a fundamental tool you'll rely on over and over ..... and ..... there is nothing worse than breaking a crap tap in workpiece with a lot of hours in it. What makes a good tap? quality steel, properly heat treated and ground ..... as such, I'd expect anyone of the big (expensive) brands to get it right and have an good quality product. Certainly in using a wide variety of makes from my stock I can't say there is a favorite.otoh when I do buy, its usually an oddball size for a one of so talk out the other side and buy from Amazon
or kbc just for convenience and speed .... and when the application is not very demanding and easily recovered from.
I guess I'm bi-mouthual too. Sounds like good advice.
Perhaps I'll think a bit differently about Dormer vs Sowa next time I buy though.
Tom O
Ultra Member
I have 3 of these ER 40 collets for imperial 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 inch drive no metric at all.
I've seen a few references that Sowa colored ring taps are made in Japan (although strangely, no reference to that COO in their own catalogs). I also seem to recall it on the packaging but I may be hallucinating.
They are very high quality IMO & reasonably priced. For a few bucks less you can get garbage at other dealers.
They are very high quality IMO & reasonably priced. For a few bucks less you can get garbage at other dealers.
I just checked. The actual body of my M&W holder is about 3.04 inches long. The screw adds an inch or so depending on the size of the tap being gripped. So 4 inches overall or as you guessed larger than a 174 and considerably smaller than a 91A. I'm jealous and need to find a 174!
@kstrauss @Susquatch
These are perfect projects!! Ken makes a Starrett 174; John makes a Starrett 91E!
I anticipate to see the sequence of events within a month!!
These are perfect projects!! Ken makes a Starrett 174; John makes a Starrett 91E!
I anticipate to see the sequence of events within a month!!
I anticipate to see the sequence of events within a month!!
I dunno about Ken, but I have two words for you and they are NOT "right on".