Useful Tapping Drill feature

[R Johns 1Participant @rjohns1]

Greetings all. I am a bit long in the tooth having been a fitter turner apprentice in the 1980's, so subsequently my tooling is that age or older hand-me-downs.

I had to order some ME taps and a die yesterday from Tracy Tools. Well they arrived this morning and I note that the taps have the suggested tapping drill size stamped on them.

Is this a new feature or am I just out of date?

[R Johns 1Participant @rjohns1]

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi R Johns, it's not really a new feature, I've got some taps that are several years old like that, I suppose it all depends on who actually makes them.

Regards Nick.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Hi R Johns, I was apprenticed fitter/turner back in the 60's.Have you got a Zeus book, it has all the necessary tapping info plus other handy info in it. IIRC it was priced at 2/6d.

George.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

No ME tapping drill sizes in my Zeus

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Posted by mechman48 on 24/06/2020 11:58:35:

Hi R Johns, I was apprenticed fitter/turner back in the 60's.Have you got a Zeus book, it has all the necessary tapping info plus other handy info in it. IIRC it was priced at 2/6d.

George.

They are a bit more than that now George – but still a very handy purchase.

When you get to the point where you can't stand the greasy, black fingerprints all over your copy – just replace it – it's so very nice to have a lovely clean one to mess up all over again…

IanT

[R Johns 1Participant @rjohns1]

The ZEUS. Mine is dated 1981/82. Why do they have a date? BA sizes have not changed, BSF are still 55 deg, the Whitworths remain the same. Well, where I was an apprentice the date was used when a crap job came in. The foreman will be holding the paperwork, Mike who told all the old war stories would get his zeus out and say "Cant be my turn, the book says 1950 something. All the other lads followed suit showing dates from the 60's and 70's so poor old muggings had the job until a new apprentice arrived a couple of years later.

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

I've just received a second hand 3/4 x 26tpi tap and that has the tapping drill size engraved on it, It's an older British make so its been done on these type of taps for some time.

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

It's all very well for you keen-eyed youngsters who can see that sort of detail!!

I use a magnifying glass on the big Myford wall chart!

rgds

Bill

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Just had a look & I have 2… 1980 &01995. According to Amazon latest revision is 2008 @ £5.20. some reviewers have stated they have 2010 & 2020 version ??.

R Johns; if its of help … scan of a chart ME tapping sizes

George.

[LainchyParticipant @lainchy]

Just checked mine and it's a metric edition… copyright 2027??? eh? No ME sizes though.

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Back in the day as they say Zeus book was one of the few sources of drill sizes etc but these day's Zeus book information can easily be found on line, but I agree with Ian T about finger prints so I have a couple one pristine and one grubby

H

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

Some makes did, I have some Dormer with the size on them, and some without, its the luck of the draw.

[Alistair Robertson 1Participant @alistairrobertson1]

Many years ago a workmate had a set of taps for AF thread (American Fine, the same as UNF) on some the drill size was marked in 128ths of an inch!! I think it may have been made by Greenfield Tap and Die Co. Greenfield. Mass. but I could be wrong in that, it just came in to my mind and seems to have stuck.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

I have quite a lot of old Warrior taps in BSF & BSW, most have the tapping drill size stamped on the side. Never knew they did that. It's good though.

Steve.

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