Identifying and restoring taps/dies for modelling

[Lacathedrale]

Hi all,

 

About a decade ago I picked up two tobacco tins full of old taps and dies - they've been kept in a little oil and stored in a toolbox for a long time - but I figure it's about time I either do something with them, or throw them away:

 

 

I'm not really all that sure however, how I sohuld be quantifying what's worth keeping or binning, and how (if possible) I should look about restoring them? Given that taps are about £5-10 per item at Eileens I'd rather try than not!

 

All the best,

[micklner]

If they are marked HSS that means they are good quality, next what thread system to do you use, e.g B.A and nothing else not a lot point keeping other types of threads. Put them on ebay if the are not wamted.

[Lacathedrale]

Is it worth trying to clear off the rust? Is there a way to do that while keeping them sharp?

[tomparryharry]

Just looking, I can see some smaller stuff there, including a reamer. It also looks like some smaller Whitworth sizes. They certainly would be of interest to someone who has a use for what is called ME (model engineering) sizes.

 

I always recommend buying a Zeus booklet: they contain a mine of information on readily available sizes, so you can get a good idea of what you've got. I managed to pick up an old Firth Brown book at a second-hand bookseller once, absolutely packed with information, and directed at someone who would normally making taps, dies & reamers.

[trustytrev]

Hello,

     The best way to clean them would be to drill some holes and use them to make threads.That would show which ones where actually still usable and those that were not. You are likely to ruin the cutting edges any other way.

After finding the good ones you could clean them up carefully by hand with with a wire brush. Beware of using a powered brush as it would probably do more harm than good.

trustytrev.

[bike2steam]

8 hours ago, Lacathedrale said:

Hi all,

 

About a decade ago I picked up two tobacco tins full of old taps and dies - they've been kept in a little oil and stored in a toolbox for a long time - but I figure it's about time I either do something with them, or throw them away:

 

 

I'm not really all that sure however, how I sohuld be quantifying what's worth keeping or binning, and how (if possible) I should look about restoring them? Given that taps are about £5-10 per item at Eileens I'd rather try than not!

 

All the best,

 

 

Funny you should mention it, I have a great deal more, left over from my engineering days, finished professionally nearly 30 years ago. Yes, taps, dies ( mostly British standards, BSW,BSF, and American UNC,UNF etc), and reamers, along with an assortment of various drill sleeves, and odds, and ends, all way to big for modelling, but some was retrieved for a short spell of railway preservation work. If you do find somewhere handy to off load, please let me know - tar!!??

[polybear]

This website is good for selling (and buying) Model Engineering (and Engineering) related items - all for free.

https://homeworkshop.org.uk/

I'd use a soft brass wire brush to clean them up - that'll do no hard.  Some scotchbrite on the plain shank also.

BA are worth keeping, also Metric.  UNC, UNF, Whitworth etc. less so, unless you are into model engineering, or restoring old machinery, classic cars/bikes etc.  Don't chuck them, they have a a value.  M.E. (Model Engineer's) Thread Taps can be particularly expensive.

Remember taps come in sets of three normally - First, second and Plug, and are shaped differently (to enable starting the thread the first is tapered, the second less so, and the plug has a flat end for blind holes).  It doesn't matter if you don't have all three in each size - they are still desirable to the right person.

 

This site sells taps and dies, so is useful for price guides:

https://www.tracytools.com/

 

HSS are more expensive than Carbon Steel, and known quality brands such as Presto are valued.

 

HTH

Brian

[Edley]

Some are very fine threads although without some way of knowing the diameters it's hard to be sure, But some look like brass thread to me, The tap should have tampe dint the shank the dia, the thread type BSF, BSPP, BSPT , Brass,  BA etc and a number being the turns per inch. To preserve taps and dies it  is worth buying a tin  of tapping lubricants say Trefolex, make sit easy to tap and  cuts down wear. Frankly I've been buying tools like end millsm slot drills and  taps and dies [ where the size is available] from China. Excellent quality and I think on might find that the ones you buy locally  made in China anyway and you are just paying a middleman mark up. Recently I needed a long series 5/16" BSF tap. Not something you use  a lot but locally would be about AU$ 35, Bought from China on ebay  under $3 [ so bought a spare while I was paying postage which was also  negligible

[Lacathedrale]

Many of them are unmarked completely, loads under 1/4" dia - it's a bit of a pain, but I've put them back for now. I guess I could get a set of thread gauges?

 

I did manage to identify a pair of 10BA and 12BA taps, and tested them out after a quick scrub with tinfoil and a vinegar bath :

 

 

Not so bad!