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Taps and Dies Cut on the Lathe, with Wrench and Stock
A tap cuts the thread inside a hole; a die cuts it on a rod. Makers made their own in the 16th and 17th centuries. Cut the thread on tool steel in the screw-cutting lathe, file flutes so it cuts, harden it, and use the finished tap to cut the thread in a steel blank that becomes the matching die. A T-wrench turns the tap, a stock holds the die.
The picture: a tap held in a T-wrench.
Advanced
Two days for a few sizes
Instructions
1
1
Turn and thread the tap
Turn and thread the tap
Turn tool steel to the thread's major diameter with a square on the end for the wrench. Cut the thread in the lathe at the right pitch and check it with the gauge. Taper the first 8–10 threads for a taper tap, or 3–5 for a plug tap.
Materials for this step:
Octagonal Tool Steel Bar1 piece
Cutting Oil0.05 literTools needed:
Metal Lathe
Turning Tool Set HSS
Thread Gauge
Digital Caliper 6-Inch2
2
Flute and harden the tap
Flute and harden the tap
File three or four lengthwise flutes along the thread so it has cutting edges and room for chips. Harden in water from cherry red and temper to brown.
Materials for this step:
Water10 liters
Charcoal1 as requiredTools needed:
Metal File
Bench Vise
Blacksmith Forge
Quench Bucket
Blacksmith Tongs
Safety Glasses3
3
Cut the die with the tap
Cut the die with the tap
Drill a flat tool-steel blank to the tap drill size and run the finished tap through it with oil. Drill clearance holes round the thread so it cuts, saw one side open so it can be set, then harden and temper it to brown.
Materials for this step:
Flat Tool Steel Bar1 pieceTools needed:
Hand DrillBench ViseMetal FileBlacksmith ForgeQuench Bucket4
4
Wrench and stock
Wrench and stock
Forge and file a T-wrench with a square hole for the tap, and a die stock from flat bar with a round recess for the die, two handles and a set screw.
Materials for this step:
Mild Steel Flat Bar1 pieceTools needed:
Blacksmith ForgeMetal FileHand DrillBench Vise5
5
Tap drill sizes
Tap drill sizes
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Materials
6- 1 piecePlaceholder
- 0.05 literPlaceholder
- 10 litersPlaceholder
- 1 as requiredPlaceholder
- 1 piecePlaceholder
- 1 piecePlaceholder
Tools Required
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