‘Fully Ground’ taps, I’m curious how taps are made

‘Fully Ground’ taps, I’m curious how taps are made

This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 18 April 2015 at 21:15 by Tim Stevens.

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18 April 2015 at 19:25 #186878
Ian P
Participant
@ianp
I use taps from M1.4 to M16, the smaller ones particularly appear to have a ground finish on every part of its surface, they often have male or female centres.

Are the centres used when the tap is manufactured or are they for sharpening purposes?

Also I find many taps where (I am sure) all its features are not accurately concentric, which seems odd when its thread form is highly accurate.

How on earth do they repeatably grind the thread profile on a tap say, only 1mm diameter. I would think the grinding wheels would have to be quite large if they are going to keep their form for any length of time so I wonder if the tap making machine is physically large.

Ian P
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18 April 2015 at 19:25 #23825
Ian P
Participant
@ianp
18 April 2015 at 21:10 #186892
Swarf, Mostly!
Participant
@swarfmostly
Hi there, Ian,

I share your amazement and admiration for the manufacturers of small ground thread taps.

BUT, if you think the taps are difficult, how about the dies?!?!?!

I did post a question on here some time ago, probably well off the bottom of the site history by now.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!
18 April 2015 at 21:15 #186894
Tim Stevens
Participant
@timstevens64731
They use a fine-grained grinding wheel and form the thread on the wheel by crushing the profile using a hard steel form (also ground) of the thread profile.

Or at least they did not too long ago.

Cheap taps are cut, then grooved, then hardened. Posh ones get the grinding last as it removes any twist, etc, from the hardening.

Cheers, Tim
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