Source for reasonable priced metric fine taps & dies (& other stuff)

[Pete.]

I bumped into this link and was so impressed by the prices I thought I would post it here.

Here's a page full of metric fine taps.

http://www.drill-service.co.uk/Product.asp?Parent=180040000000&Tool=417

As an example:

MMF-12.00X1.25-S M12 x 1.25 HSS Second Tap 1.25 £9.73

Last time I bought one of these it cost me £32. Most of the prices are barely more than you would pay for carbon steel taps.

 

[tinman123]

looking through their prices some of their stuff isnt a steal but they arent dear for new taps thats for sure.
i wonder what the stuff is like.

for years and years ive slowly been buying taps and dies, altho there are more taps than dies about but ive gathered up a good collection over the time, most of it ive bought off e bay in bits and pieces and the rest came out of clearance sales or auctions.
the last tap i got was off e bay yesterday, a new m22x1.5 goliath one for £6 inc postage, i have no use for it but it ill come in handy some day im sure.
but for the tap your stuck for the next day, they arent dear for them in fairness.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

I bumped into this link and was so impressed by the prices I thought I would post it here.

Here's a page full of metric fine taps.

http://www.drill-service.co.uk/Product.asp?Parent=180040000000&Tool=417

Set of stubb drills I have been keeping my eye out for are a good price there. I might invest in some.
Cheers for the link.

 

[Shox Dr]

Good find. Silver steel is well cheap

 

[winchman]

They look good thanks for the info.
I have been lucky and bought most of mine at car boot sales over the years
I did get two of these recently one UNF one UNC
http://www.mod-sales.com/auction/vehicle/home/44623/Tap_and_Die_Set.htm
I think I paid £20 the pair!
Looking for Cycle thread taps and dies but never even seen one

 

[Shox Dr]

Looking for Cycle thread taps and dies but never even seen one

Tracy Tools do a lot of obscure taps and dies, including cycle

 

[winchman]

Tracy Tools do a lot of obscure taps and dies, including cycle

Thanks
I was hoping to pick some second hand ones up but never seen any at all, often see other imperial ones though.

 

[whm_fab]

i hate looking at websites like that, i just want ALL of those sexy looking drill bits so much

 

[Kram]

Nothing they sell is cheap! might be better quality grinding/uk made? but I doubt I would notice...they are reasonably local tho.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281482608134
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261800356174

 

[AndyStobbs]

I have this set
http://www.lasertools.co.uk/product/4554

 

[tinman123]

They look good thanks for the info.
I have been lucky and bought most of mine at car boot sales over the years
I did get two of these recently one UNF one UNC
http://www.mod-sales.com/auction/vehicle/home/44623/Tap_and_Die_Set.htm
I think I paid £20 the pair!
Looking for Cycle thread taps and dies but never even seen one

i dont know if im going to be any help but i have an assortment of taps here that im not exactly certain as to what they were for.
from memory some are up on 30mm or so with a fine thread, and some arent shaped like a normal tap either.
now for all i know these could of been made for a special application altho iirc some have identification marks on them, imperial i think.
i cant remember where i got them from either but i think it was a job lot from a random auction.
what dose a cycle tap look like if you dont mind me asking, its not something i be at.

 

[brightspark]

like any other tap but quite a fine thread

 

[tinman123]

like any other tap but quite a fine thread

these have a fine thread alright.
i must pull them out and have a look see.
its an obsolete thread now a days tho is it no.

 

[winchman]

Here is a good explanation
https://www.britishfasteners.com/threads/bsc.html

They are still used on some push bikes but I wanted some as my son is building a Bobber from a 1965 BSA and its a combination of UNF and Cycle. I have spoken to an older gent I know who is a font of all knowledge with this sort of stuff and the reason I have never seen any is often they are not marked, he has no idea why but none of the few he has carry markings, he just measures it.

 

[graffian]

Nothing they sell is cheap! might be better quality grinding/uk made? but I doubt I would notice...

The bloke that owned it had two Bugattis and a Hispano Suiza to keep in parts and fuel;-)
That is where I go to buy drill's, basically don't worry about make they don't sell ****.
If you call get them to show you a 1 thou drill!

Cycle thread is actually listed in one of the Emuge[?] catalogs, but to special order.
I got prices on having machine taps ground, buying one they were maybe 20-30 quid each, but get
10 and they were down to under a tenner.
You can buy hand taps from two ebay sellers, I bought some they seem OK.

 

[Mr shiney]

Another vote for Tracy Tools, great service and quality at really good prices.

 

[MattF]

If you call get them to show you a 1 thou drill!

I bet that's like looking at something not much wider than a hair.

 

[ford34/2]

I know a fabulous watch clock repairer, I was there when he showed me how to drill a hole in a hair spring. !! all his machines were DC, with torque you couldnt believe. The drill I could barely see. Just lives over off the Cradle Well bypass in Jesmond/Heaton. His customer base is world wide.
Stan