Tap and Die set (metric)

steviejr92

Authorized Vendor
So I have probably an obvious question to some of you guys. As some of you know i just finished the MO and the holes for the enclosure werent tapped all the way down. I just went out and bought a metric Tap and Die set. Can someone please tell me i bought the right system here i feel a little embarrassed asking this!
 
Based on Tayda‘s description, you have. They list the screw as 7 x .8 mm (pitch), but without getting mu calipers out and finding a screw, that doesn’t make sense, it’s probably a #2 metric.

Before you even mount a tap into the holder, you can try screwing it down into the shallow tapped hole—if it doesn’t screw in, you will need a different size.

But the other issue, besides the correct thread size, is the type of tap. Hand tapping is almost always with tapered taps—these start to cut threads by cutting very finely, then taking out more and more as they are screwed in. But this means that there is a longer part of the tap tip that can’t cut threads in a “blind hole”, which is what enclosure screw holes are, meaning that they don’t go all the way through. So, you may need a “bottoming, or plug” type tap, which does not taper, since it is designed to be used after there are started threads.

Since I’m on a roll, the procedure for hand tapping is to back up 1/2 turn for every forward turn, once you are cutting threads. This clears out the cuttings, that would jamb the teeth of the tap. Before you tap a hole, rub the teeth of the tap (just need to do this on one side) on a bar of soap, to act as a lubricant. The aluminum boxes are both very soft, and very “loose” (meaning that the cast metal flakes off of tools easily, which is shy drilling and tapping are so easy).

Also, note that you really only need 2 or 3 threads worth of bite in an enclosure screw, so the option of cutting screws may be more appealing if you dont have the correct tap. Just make sure that there is no burr on the cut end—this will try to cut new “threads” in the hole, making a real mess of it. One trick is to put a nut on the screw, up above where you’ll cut it, and then after cutting the length by removing the nut, you‘ll clean the burr off the tip.

(edited to correct pre coffee garble)
 
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Based on Tayda‘s description, you have. They list the screw as 7 x .8 mm (pitch), but without getting mu calipers out and finding a screw, that doesn’t make sense, it’s probably a #2 metric.

Before you even mount a tap into the holder, you can try screwing it down into the shallow tapped hole—if it doesn’t screw in, you will need a different size.

But the other issue, besides the correct thread size, is the type of tap. Hand tapping is almost always with tapered taps—these start to cut threads by cutting very finely, then taking out more and more as they are screwed in. But this means that there is a longer part of the tap tip that can’t cut threads in a “blind hole”, which is what enclosure screw holes are, meaning that they don’t go all the way through. So, you may need a “bottoming, or plug” type tap, which does not taper, since it is designed to be used after there are started threads.

Since I’m on a roll, the procedure for hand tapping is to back up 1/2 turn for every forward turn, once you are cutting threads. This clears out the cuttings, that would jamb the teeth of the tap. Before you tap a hole, rub the teeth of the tap (just need to do this on one side) on a bar of soap, to act as a lubricant. The aluminum boxes are both very soft, and very “loose” (meaning that the cast metal flakes off of tools easily, which is shy drilling and tapping are so easy).

Also, note that you really only need 2 or 3 threads worth of bite in an enclosure screw, so the option of cutting screws may be more appealing if you dont have the correct tap. Just make sure that there is no burr on the cut end—this will try to cut new “threads” in the hole, making a real mess of it. One trick is to put a nut on the screw, up above where you’ll cut it, and then, but removing the nut, you clean the burr off the tip.
I used the M3 .06 tap and it was the right size the M3 .05 was a hair to small!
The M3.06 is the 2nd size up from the first!
 
This is exactly what it needed....so not only did it need to be tapped but when i pulled the tap out the paint was being pulled out as well. Which tells me there was a lot of gunk in those screw holes! Guys check your enclosures before committing it really sucks when you finish your babied build only for the back plate not to screw on! Now everything is flush holding on the back plate!





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Based on Tayda‘s description, you have. They list the screw as 7 x .8 mm (pitch), but without getting mu calipers out and finding a screw, that doesn’t make sense, it’s probably a #2 metric.

Before you even mount a tap into the holder, you can try screwing it down into the shallow tapped hole—if it doesn’t screw in, you will need a different size.

But the other issue, besides the correct thread size, is the type of tap. Hand tapping is almost always with tapered taps—these start to cut threads by cutting very finely, then taking out more and more as they are screwed in. But this means that there is a longer part of the tap tip that can’t cut threads in a “blind hole”, which is what enclosure screw holes are, meaning that they don’t go all the way through. So, you may need a “bottoming, or plug” type tap, which does not taper, since it is designed to be used after there are started threads.

Since I’m on a roll, the procedure for hand tapping is to back up 1/2 turn for every forward turn, once you are cutting threads. This clears out the cuttings, that would jamb the teeth of the tap. Before you tap a hole, rub the teeth of the tap (just need to do this on one side) on a bar of soap, to act as a lubricant. The aluminum boxes are both very soft, and very “loose” (meaning that the cast metal flakes off of tools easily, which is shy drilling and tapping are so easy).

Also, note that you really only need 2 or 3 threads worth of bite in an enclosure screw, so the option of cutting screws may be more appealing if you dont have the correct tap. Just make sure that there is no burr on the cut end—this will try to cut new “threads” in the hole, making a real mess of it. One trick is to put a nut on the screw, up above where you’ll cut it, and then, but removing the nut, you clean the burr off the tip.
This is amazing info man! Bookmarked for future reference!
 
I was in a Dallas blue collar steakhouse in the 70s, with a good friend. They had mountain oysters on the menu, and I mentioned I was maybe going to get them. Being a New Orleans boy, I get fresh oysters whenever I can. He looked at me a few seconds. “You really don’t know what they are, do you?”
 
I was in a Dallas blue collar steakhouse in the 70s, with a good friend. They had mountain oysters on the menu, and I mentioned I was maybe going to get them. Being a New Orleans boy, I get fresh oysters whenever I can. He looked at me a few seconds. “You really don’t know what they are, do you?”
I made the design without knowing what Mountain Oysters were. Googled it and had to put it on the back as a joke! :ROFLMAO:
 
I have had a couple of enclosures where they got a lot of the powder coat into the screwholes. Usually a little very carefully placed nail polish remover will soften it up to allow getting the screws in
 
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