Qualtiy BA taps in the US

[rhankey]

Does anyone have any comments as to who sells high quality BA taps in the US? If the best source is to get them from the UK, then that's ok, but shipping gets a little expensive.

In my searching around here, I'm seeing I should get HSS over carbon. Of the US company names I'm finding from my searches on this site, none seem to offer BA taps.

My current complete set of BA taps and dies is British made, which I ordered from the UK.

I just broke my first 7BA tap, and one of the other 7BA taps doesn't feel like it is going to last much longer either. Fortunately it broke in a 1/16" thick through hole, but in an awkward corner, so I was able to get the broken piece out with about an hour of work. I do use a chuck guided tap holder to ensure the taps go in dead straight. I think these taps have become dull, though I’m not sure ever worked quite as well as some of my larger BA taps. I have had to tap quite a number of 7BA holes, most of which in SS, so I’ve probably done well to go so long before breaking one. Shortly I will have roughly 75 to 100 7BA holes to tap in an a 2-piece cylinder casting, which is not where I want to be breaking any drills or taps.

I appreciate any advice you can pass on.

Robin

 

[Tin Falcon]

robin this is one of those times where location would help.
This has come up before and there are several sourses of BA taps that have been mentioned. I think there is on in forida do not recall the name .
Marylad Metrics just outside of Batamore sell Goliath brand tools imported from the UK you can try them.
http://mdmetric.com/prod/goliath/goliaththreading_tool_kits.pdf
Tin

 

[rhankey]

I'm sorry Tin, I'm in the US (North Carolina). Robin

 

[fltenwheeler]

Hi Robin

There are a couple suppliers in the US that handle British tools and hardware.

I found this company:

British Tools & Fasteners, LLC
7696 Route 31
Lyons, NY 14489
USA

http://www.britishfasteners.com/index.php/categories/ba-taps

Tim

 

[rhankey]

Thanks Tin and Tim. Maryland Metrics looks most promissing. The other site doesn't give an obvius source for their taps, and at this point I'm not keen on taking any chances with the amount of tapping I have to do.

Robin

 

[Blogwitch]

Robin,

One of your main problems is the cutting of stainless steel, that will blunt most taps and dies after a couple of operations.

I come from the UK, and for all my quality taps and dies I use this place.

http://www.tapdie.com/html/ba__taps.html

I tend to buy in bulk if doing a lot of one size. They work out a lot cheaper. Order by email or phone if you want to obtain the discount rates.

I have yet to find taps & dies at this price that cut stainless as well as these HQS ones.

I use general purpose HSS for everything else, but as soon as I start on stainless, out come these ones. I even power tap on the lathe in stainless down to 3mm, and have yet to have a failure. Plenty of good quality high pressure cutting oil makes up the ideal combination.


John

 

[doubletop]

I'll add I get most of my parts from the UK companies they will ship worldwide, the service is good and I've never had a problem with any of those I've used.

If you are using BA taps you'll need some nuts and bolts.

http://www.ba-bolts.co.uk/

This guy just about makes them to order from what I can tell. His postage is more than reasonable and he's quick

Don't forget that the UK prices also have 17.5% VAT (sales tax) which you won't pay, that more than covers the postage in most cases.

Pete

 

[Bluechip]

Doubletop

News travels slow to NZ it seems.

VAT [ sales tax ] is 20% :'( :'(



BC

 

[doubletop]

"Bugger me" (as they say over at Toyota NZ)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfzUx6PiNd8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfzUx6PiNd8[/ame]

...........and I was only there in August, maybe I missed it. But then the pound is in such a sorry state these days an extra 2.5% VAT could go unnoticed.

Pete

 

[rhankey]

Thanks John. The HQS taps from tap-die.com sounded most appealing given the amount of SS I am using, so I just ordered a bunch from them. As expected, the shipping is almost as much as the taps, but if they last longer when cutting SS, then it will be worth it.

Btw, that bugger commercial was quite amuzing. I was the cause of one of our daughters almost being tossed out of school for swearing when she innocently said bugger in a grade 1 or 2 Canadian classroom. Her teacher and principal settled down once they realized she had learned this from her British father. I probably said bugger when I broke the tap yesterday, and definitely would have had much more colourful words to say had I broken one in a not so easily replaced casting.

Robin

 

[rhankey]

Wow John, The Tap & Die company e-mailed me within about an hour of me placing the order that they had shipped the order. That could have the taps here for this weekend, which is about as quick as if I ordered from within the US.

 

[Blogwitch]

Robin,

They are used to dealing with industry, which normally requires the bits yesterday.

I have over 1000 UK pounds invested in their tap and die sets, knowing full well that when a job needs doing, they get it done.

BTW, they were from the days when I did production work, and the customer paid for the tooling, I couldn't justify their cost now, unless I just wanted to buy say 10 off taps of one size to do hundreds of holes.

I hope you find they cut as well as I get them to do.

I have been given a load of stainless bar stock, which I am starting to use instead of BMS for making tooling, and it holds no fear for me when threading using these tools.


John

 

[doubletop]

Btw, that bugger commercial was quite amuzing.

I'm from the UK and it made me sit up when it first came on NZ TV. There was a bit of a fuss and I think they were taken to court but the ruling was something like its colloquial expression in NZ, so it remained on prime time TV.

Then this one arrived

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqIg7YMbT90]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqIg7YMbT90[/ame]

Pete