Tap storage

[TheBrick]

I have (early) inherited a tray full of loose imperial taps, most seems ok from clattering about and I have tapped a few hole with acceptable results. I would like to store them in a more organised way. Has anyone got any good ways / ideas?

I thought just a few blocks of wood with a hole for each tap like a drill stand but would ideally like to place a draw. I could knock up a basic box but then how to separate/ hold them in order without some intricately carving out this fancy foam you can now buy?

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[500e]

Mate routed sheets of softwood soaked in oil to fit in those Bisley draws
Or

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1255188335/sulky-foam-insert-x1-for-bisley-drawers?gpla=1&gao=1&=&utm_custom1=_k_86a2b09040d519672569d6d62f1d6fa3_k_&utm_custom2=420373312&msclkid=86a2b09040d519672569d6d62f1d6fa3&dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fduckduckgo.com%2F

 

[Screwdriver]

Make up a narrow drawer (!) with a nice thick slice of wood. Drill suitably sized holes all the way through the edge, slice the board in half and voila, two halves of wood with semicircular furrows.

A similar method would involve plastic pipe sliced in half and nailed/screwed/glued into a drawer slide.

 

[Brad93]

Raaco drawers up to ½"

Pigeon hole drawers from ½" up to 2"

 

[TheBrick]

Make up a narrow drawer (!) with a nice thick slice of wood. Drill suitably sized holes all the way through the edge, slice the board in half and voila, two halves of wood with semicircular furrows.

A similar method would involve plastic pipe sliced in half and nailed/screwed/glued into a drawer slide.

I like this idea. Nothing over the top and too time consuming but gets the job done. Perfect.

 

[TheBrick]

Raaco drawers up to ½"

Pigeon hole drawers from ½" up to 2"

Good idea especially for the small ones under 1/2".

I will have to decide on the cut of point of nicely organised and easy to see size difference and taking up too much space.


Thanks all


While I am here anyone got a better recipe than a vat of vinegar for surface rust removal?

 

[123hotchef]

hot citric acid solution

 

[TheBrick]

Anyone tried muriatic acid? I have a load of that in a tub. Fair bit lower ph though, I think it comes in at 2 or 3

 

[123hotchef]

give it a try and report back

 

[RichardM]

I use bits of split plastic pipe to protect the threaded part then a divider in the drawer for unc, unf, ba etc. Old cereal boxes cut and wrapped around the flutes work well for reamers.

 

[Pete.]

The taps will cut just as well with the rusty appearance - the faces with rust don't do any cutting, the edges do and they won't be improved by de-rusting. Just get a brass wire brush and give them a quick lick over, squirt them with oil and leave them ready to use.

 

[Rrobson]

I have most of my taps in small sealable bags organised into sets. So in each bag will be at least one of each plug second and taper and (where possible) the corresponding tapping drill so I know when I pick up the m10 or the 1/2” whit bag, in there is everything I’ll need.
Give everything a clean down once used and put back into its bag.
Die’s aren’t as well organised, all the metric ones are in a pile and all the imperial ones are in the overflow bins in the tool drawer but they don’t get used as frequently. Maybe I need to sort those out too!

Whatever you do, just make sure they’re easy to identify and kept in sets. It’s a pain rifling through anything that’s just a dumping ground. At the very least separate them into their thread forms…

 

[MattF]

While I am here anyone got a better recipe than a vat of vinegar for surface rust removal?

White vinegar, citric acid or electrolysis. They're the only options I'd personally consider. The latter being my favourite.