Screw Loose

LOCAL hardware stores almost always carry these, at least around me they do. Sometimes the locals can be your friends.

-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric

A tap and die set should work fine. When using it, make sure you don’t try to cut too much at once. Repeatedly back the tap back up to remove waste, then thread it back in to cut some more. If you try to do too much at once and snap it off in the hole, it will be really, really hard to remove as it is necessarily very hard steel and you will end up with a bigger problem than you started with. (Or so I heard, not that I would do something like that)

-- Dale Manning, Carthage, NY

Be sure to use the right size drill first, use something like “Tap-eze” or cutting oil, and back the tap out every little bit to clear it. They are very hard and a bit brittle to cut hard steel, they break fairly easily if forced too much.

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Also, you may need to expand your twist drill bit set. Depending on the size of the tap, you may need some “odd” sized drill bits that are not so common in wood working. Sizes up to 1/4” are often “lettered” sizes.

To get a good “fit” you need to use the precise size bit. It may be cheaper to buy what you need rather than a set. In fact, if all you are doing is tapping holes, you probably won’t need the die and die handle- which can be expensive. Get the tap, tap handle and the bit to match the “percentage” of thread depth. Look up the Starrett site for a machinist chart. It will give you everything you need.

Sorry- Topamax beat me to some of this!

Metric taps use metric drill bit sizes.

Oldskool, You’d think I’d find it, but I went to three different hardware stores and didn’t. The 1.25 threads are widely available for M7s and M8s but not for M6s. There in lies my problem.

I’ve got enough to hold everything together, but I’m going to want to finish it out so I’ll probably be upgrading my tool set to have the at least the taps for this. I appreciate the helping advice, guys!

Danny

-- He said wood...http://hickbyassociation.blogspot.com/

Sometimes I find the closest reg threaded self tapping screw. It works I use that to redo the threads then use a screw with the same threads without the tapping front.

Do it all the time on metal doors and frames. Aluminum doors, even safe doors. And those are thick.

Saves me from redrill and tapping.

-- Measure once cut twice....oh wait....ooops.