KoolKat
02-07-2008, 12:05 PM
TheKid007
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 00:37:23
I found a site with reasonable prices for taps and dies. I ordered a left hand 3/8" 24tpi die for making tie rods. ( I already have a right hand die.) A lot of the tie rods we make are not readily available in the lengths we need. I wanted the right and left hand tie rod ends so toe in could be adjusted on tadpoles and quads without removing the tie rod end. (Also called ball joints.)
I also ordered a 1 3/8 24tpi die for threading the right side of rear wheels to accept disc brake adapters. I have several hubs that have identical sides, one threaded for a freewheel, one plain. On the tadpole that's almost finished, I'll thread the ouside hub to accept spinners made from the left side of bottom brackets.
In case anyone's interested in buying taps and dies, here's the link:
https://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/victor/products.html (https://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/victor/products.html)
trikeman
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 05:17:34
I hope you don't have as much trouble with yours, as I did with mine. It turns out that most of the tap and die sets they sell aren't really made to actually cut threads on new stock. Rather, they are designed to clean up old threads. I use the nick Smyrna5 on my welding forum, and here is the saga of my cutting the threads on my DW steering link. It worked, but it wasn't pretty. Of course part of my problem also turned out to be using a hot rolled steel rod, which wasn't very round to begin with. There are also some good suggestions there for doing it.
http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/showthread.php?t=24383&highlight=die (http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/showthread.php?t=24383&highlight=die)
Larry
TheKid007
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 11:04:51
This company sells both types of taps and dies, cutters and chasers.
Never use hot rolled or galvanized steel for cutting threads, unless you're real good at grinding to near perfect roundness. Always use the right lubricant. and unless you're extremely good at holding a wrench straight, always use a die stock or tap wrench. If you have to drill and tap, make sure you have the right size drill bit. Sometimes you could find a drill and tap as a package. Pep Boys sells these in a limited range of sizes.
I've found that taps and dies stay sharp if you flush them with oil after use, then while still coated with oil, store them in small plastic bags.
I've never bought sets, because there's usually a bunch of them I'll never use. The dies I have are all right handed, 1/4' 5/16", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4". I've had them for well over 20 years, and each have been used numerous times without failures. I have a few taps in screw sizes and 1/4", again, had them for years without failures. Now I'll have dies for threading bicycle parts as well.
I wanted to buy the taps for pedals, but the only ones I found were for chasing existing threads. Now I'll order the correct size cutting taps from victornet.com.
Zobman
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 22:23:16
What size tap would be needed to tap the threads longer on a tube?
Zobman
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 22:35:07
I ment on a steering tube! Sorry about that!
TheKid007
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 23:23:04
I'm not sure on the size, but I think you need a die that cuts shallower threads than normal. I'm sure the people at victornet.com will help. If they don't know offhand, maybe they could match it up if you send them a steering tube.
BTW, I ordered the dies just before midnight on Halloween, and they arrived today. The company is in Brooklyn, only about 30-45 minutes from my house, but that was still quick. I also ordered the left hand tie rod ends from Jack's small engines on Wednesday, and they also arrived today. They're located in Maryland.
All I need now are the wheels I ordered for the quad, and the 3/8 rod for the tie rods. I'll also have to find some bikes, because I ran out of BB's for 3 piece cranks.
Here's a link for Jack's home page, and the tie rod page. There are tools and all sorts of other stuff:
http://www.jackssmallengines.com/ (http://www.jackssmallengines.com/)
http://www.jackssmallengines.com/gokaz_tierods.cfm (http://www.jackssmallengines.com/gokaz_tierods.cfm)
SirJoey
Posted - 11/04/2007 : 07:44:59
You're welcome, Larry.
"Love makes the world go 'round, but money greases the wheels"
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 00:37:23
I found a site with reasonable prices for taps and dies. I ordered a left hand 3/8" 24tpi die for making tie rods. ( I already have a right hand die.) A lot of the tie rods we make are not readily available in the lengths we need. I wanted the right and left hand tie rod ends so toe in could be adjusted on tadpoles and quads without removing the tie rod end. (Also called ball joints.)
I also ordered a 1 3/8 24tpi die for threading the right side of rear wheels to accept disc brake adapters. I have several hubs that have identical sides, one threaded for a freewheel, one plain. On the tadpole that's almost finished, I'll thread the ouside hub to accept spinners made from the left side of bottom brackets.
In case anyone's interested in buying taps and dies, here's the link:
https://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/victor/products.html (https://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/victor/products.html)
trikeman
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 05:17:34
I hope you don't have as much trouble with yours, as I did with mine. It turns out that most of the tap and die sets they sell aren't really made to actually cut threads on new stock. Rather, they are designed to clean up old threads. I use the nick Smyrna5 on my welding forum, and here is the saga of my cutting the threads on my DW steering link. It worked, but it wasn't pretty. Of course part of my problem also turned out to be using a hot rolled steel rod, which wasn't very round to begin with. There are also some good suggestions there for doing it.
http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/showthread.php?t=24383&highlight=die (http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/showthread.php?t=24383&highlight=die)
Larry
TheKid007
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 11:04:51
This company sells both types of taps and dies, cutters and chasers.
Never use hot rolled or galvanized steel for cutting threads, unless you're real good at grinding to near perfect roundness. Always use the right lubricant. and unless you're extremely good at holding a wrench straight, always use a die stock or tap wrench. If you have to drill and tap, make sure you have the right size drill bit. Sometimes you could find a drill and tap as a package. Pep Boys sells these in a limited range of sizes.
I've found that taps and dies stay sharp if you flush them with oil after use, then while still coated with oil, store them in small plastic bags.
I've never bought sets, because there's usually a bunch of them I'll never use. The dies I have are all right handed, 1/4' 5/16", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4". I've had them for well over 20 years, and each have been used numerous times without failures. I have a few taps in screw sizes and 1/4", again, had them for years without failures. Now I'll have dies for threading bicycle parts as well.
I wanted to buy the taps for pedals, but the only ones I found were for chasing existing threads. Now I'll order the correct size cutting taps from victornet.com.
Zobman
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 22:23:16
What size tap would be needed to tap the threads longer on a tube?
Zobman
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 22:35:07
I ment on a steering tube! Sorry about that!
TheKid007
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 23:23:04
I'm not sure on the size, but I think you need a die that cuts shallower threads than normal. I'm sure the people at victornet.com will help. If they don't know offhand, maybe they could match it up if you send them a steering tube.
BTW, I ordered the dies just before midnight on Halloween, and they arrived today. The company is in Brooklyn, only about 30-45 minutes from my house, but that was still quick. I also ordered the left hand tie rod ends from Jack's small engines on Wednesday, and they also arrived today. They're located in Maryland.
All I need now are the wheels I ordered for the quad, and the 3/8 rod for the tie rods. I'll also have to find some bikes, because I ran out of BB's for 3 piece cranks.
Here's a link for Jack's home page, and the tie rod page. There are tools and all sorts of other stuff:
http://www.jackssmallengines.com/ (http://www.jackssmallengines.com/)
http://www.jackssmallengines.com/gokaz_tierods.cfm (http://www.jackssmallengines.com/gokaz_tierods.cfm)
SirJoey
Posted - 11/04/2007 : 07:44:59
You're welcome, Larry.
"Love makes the world go 'round, but money greases the wheels"