Thread: does anyone use...?

A few weeks ago I bought a job lot of taps and dies through the forum. My intention was to take out what I wanted and then find homes for the rest of it. At the time I did ask if anyone had any specific needs and got a couple of responses (and in one case have even found the specific items that were being searched for too).

The items arrived today (Thanks to Piers and Joe Hovel for doing the transport) and I've started going through them. I had hoped that there would be some order to the collection to make things easier but that is not to be. There are a lot of duplicates, there are gaps in the sequences, item condition can be variable and things are not necessarily grouped by type...

Anyway, there are things there that I am not sure what to do with. My default position is probably scrap the rusty/ obsolete/ broken stuff and think what to do about the rest, but the question is what to do about the following -

• BA series taps and dies. Not much but I know that occasionally people are looking for this stuff. I may use some but there are duplicates
• 32 tpi and 40tpi ME threads. A few of these; probably only suited for hard core model makers making from plans pre WW2
• A couple of 26tpi series taps - similar to above
• Some large diameter (1") WW & 'gas' (I assume these are probably BSP) taps

This is not a 'for sale' post, but I would like to know if anyone uses these (or know people who do), or will I save time by binning these now?

There were some metric thread taps but most of the rest are WW and NF. I'm assuming that most people would have these if they need them and as the condition is 'used', would there be any demand for these?

Michael

Hi Michael, the 26 tpi taps are most likely to be brass thread, I use them on vintage lighting.

Hi Michael, I tend to use Metric and the NF in what I do, WW I have sufficient.
Thanks,
Kryn

I use BA quite often, common size in older American electrical items e.g. dog clippers (I still maintain these for my SIL ) also hair clippers multi meters, 80's radio control gear servo motors etc.
Definitely do not bin them, if you decide to sell you know where I am

Hi Michael,

I occasionally come across BA stuff. I have 2BA, 4BA, 6BA and 8BA dies, and would be interested in any of the missing ones up to 10BA. Don't need any BA taps.

In the 26TPI series, 1/4-26 Whitworth thread form taps are the same as 1/4 BSF as well as the BSB mentioned above, and 1/4-26TPI 60 degree thread is BSC (cycle) thread if anyone is looking for these. Also in the 40TPI series 1/8 ME40 is the same as 1/8W, and in the ME32 series 5/32 ME32 is the same as 5/32W, a common thread on old drawer pulls etc; was also vintage Austin 7 wheel spokes.

Frank.

I spent years getting rid of Whitworth and more obscure sockets/taps/dies whenever I acquired them with other things but as I have gotten more into restoring vintage stuff I am wishing that I had kept at least one set around, as I keep on finding I need to make repairs or replace nuts and bolts but lack the correct threading stuff with which to do so.

Michael,
when you have a list of WW, BSF, NF and NC taps and dies that you don't want to keep let me know and I'll see if they can fill any of my collection gaps. I do use them quite a bit restoring tools and machinery.
I think I have my metric needs covered....

Hi Michael,

Id be interested in any 32 and 40 tpi taps/dies. Not necessarily hard core...Can come in handy though and have been contemplating getting a few sizes for a while now.

let me know when you work out what you have.

Cheers
Steve

I helped clean out a deceased estate earlier in the year, i now have four Sistema storage containers meant for cakes full of thread cutting things. If anyone needs anything to complete a set or is looking for something oddball feel free to get in touch, highly likely I can help (although it may take some digging to find it, I’ve only sorted about 3/4 of the two buckets of stuff I bought home from the estate).

Hi Michael

I am intersted in the 26TPI taps if available