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How do you store your taps

WhoWhatNow

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Feb 22, 2011
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I picked up a bunch of taps at an auction yesterday and am looking for a better way to store them. I don't think this is how it should be done:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1370173977.152253.jpg

On another note, this came with one if the lots I bought. My guess is it was a machinists school project. Milled out of solid aluminum.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1370174085.268670.jpg


ImageUploadedByTapatalk1370174098.880227.jpg
 
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woody 73

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The huot dispenser is very nice but it will set you back about $75.00 dollars from MSC. If you want to go on the cheap side you can buy the plastic fishing tackle boxes from a sporting goods store and store your taps.
 

lilredex

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I have that Huot tap dispenser box, but only use it to store my new taps.

My every day taps get stored similarly to your first picture. They have been stored this way for years (cardboard liner) , and it works for me. That box rarely moves, if ever to a workbench. It is never bouncing around in a truck.


print screen windows xp
 

larry_g

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ClickHandler.ashx


I like the above style.

lg
no neat sig line
 

jjjrmx5

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ClickHandler.ashx


I like the above style.

lg
no neat sig line


If used daily, then ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.

If used occasionally, then clear divider boxes found at any hobby or craft store for about $1 to $2 ea. or at any Walmart for a little more $$.

I keep most of mine labeled in the clear divided craft boxes and my regularly used one in a small leftover and repurposed Minute Rice container from the grocery. :)
 

Jim C.

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I had a similar problem. I had several taps (many were duplicates) that I really didn't know how to store so that they didn't take up too much room, but were still easy to access by size and tpi. I also wanted storage that was relatively economical and durable. I figured I'd start at Home Depot, where I expected to find a lot of plastic, made overseas junk, with cheap ill fitting drawers, etc. That's pretty much what I found prominently positioned at eye level on the display shelves. Down on the bottom shelf, literally below my knees was one unopened carton of six of these little storage boxes made by a company called Plano. I opened the carton and took one out. I was impressed. The box is heavy duty, fairly compact, has adjustable partitions, is water proof (notice the picture with the dark blue rubber gasket inside the lid), and was MADE IN THE USA. I ended up buying four of them. I think I paid around seven dollars apiece. This may be an option for taps, drill bits, hardware, and other small parts.

Jim C. (A new Plano storage box fan)
 

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zkling

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I keep most of my machinist cutting tools in a 6 drawer 26" wide craftsman top chest. The one that has 6 long thing drawers. Lined with thick grid style liner, or something with ridges to keep them from touching one another. Now this box doesn't move so I don't have to worry about them shifting. Taps are too expensive to allow them to bang together.

I have seen where some guys will use a plastic container designed for reloading ammunition. Buy one of the proper caliber / size to fit general taps. The are divided into individual compartments and keep the taps standing on end. Very protective, but take up quite a bit of space if you have a large collection of taps.
 

EOC_Jason

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If you don't want to shell out the bucks for a Huot, you can find the Flambeau (Made in USA) plastic containers that have Zerust corrosion protection added to the plastic. All my local sporting goods stores and even Walmart carry them...
 

Packard V8

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The Kennedy 7-drawer #525 machinist chests are everywhere. They make wonderful storage for taps, dies, drills, reamers, hole saws, countersinks, punches, chisels.

jack vines
 

2oolhound

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I have sets that i keep in the original wood or plastic blow moulded cases and I keep all the loose ones in shallow drawers in one of the roller cabinets. The drawers are lined with a few layers of oily rags (folded neat and flat) and taps are just placed single file on top. The cabinet never moves so it works ok. Eventually I'd like to consolidate all taps and dies in the drawers and get rid of all the different cases. I'd keep some of the blow moulded liners that are tightly arranged but most the old wood types are not that compact and use a lot of un-neccesary space.
 
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W

WhoWhatNow

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Great suggestions guys. I don't know why I didn't think of Plano type boxes in the first place. I have a Huot box for drills and it is great. If I find another one cheap I will definitely pick it up but for now plastic boxes with lots of dividers sounds like a good plan.
 

jeffmoss26

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Cleveland, Ohio
I have this small Jandorf box from one of the hardware stores that closed. I modified the first 2 compartments to fit a couple tap handles. The rest of the compartments have taps and extractors grouped by size, with more tap handles in the drawer of my toolbox.


I got this holder from work which is designed to hold metric taps and their corresponding bits. Since I do not have any metric taps, I just keep extra bits in it. One of the guys has a couple holders with all the SAE taps and bits at his machine. No idea who makes them, there are no markings.
Of course, at work, the tool crib is stocked with Lista cabinets and endless amounts of taps and bits in those little red Schaller bins :)
 

jmm

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I have a few old Huot boxes that fold out, they work very well. The smallest one is about 5"x7", holds maybe 5-10 taps and bits, and has a chart. It's empty. If anyone is in need, shoot me a PM.
 

WWIIjeep

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I got this holder from work which is designed to hold metric taps and their corresponding bits. Since I do not have any metric taps, I just keep extra bits in it. One of the guys has a couple holders with all the SAE taps and bits at his machine. No idea who makes them, there are no markings.

That's an Allen stand. I think they're still USA-made. You can get them here:

http://www.penntoolco.com/catalog/products/products.cfm?categoryID=2076

The blue one that Larry showed earlier is mine. I got it from J&L Supply, which merged with MSC a few years ago, but it looks like MSC doesn't carry it anymore.

The nice thing about those kinds of stands is that they hold both coarse and fine thread taps, and the corresponding tap drills, and the clearance drills.

Beyond that, I store extra plug taps, taper taps and bottoming taps in plastic trays in a drawer.
 
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KMScott

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Daufuskie Island, South Carolina
I do not like searching for taps, I have used a block like this for years, it has the tap drill, in the center is my bottom taps and in the front row is my plug taps. All new taps are kept in the original cases. I have three of these blocks around the shop, again I hate wasting time looking on the chart, finding the taps and the tap drills.
 

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jeffmoss26

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Spoke to the guy at Penn Tool, they have 30 SAE stands on order with 20 already accounted for, so I ordered 1. Not sure how long it will take to show up.
 

BD1

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I have mine in a separate drawer. The mostly used ones have a nut screwed on for quick identification. Easier to judge nut size then what's marked on tap.
 

LG63

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The Kennedy 7-drawer #525 machinist chests are everywhere. They make wonderful storage for taps, dies, drills, reamers, hole saws, countersinks, punches, chisels.

jack vines

Same here, the Kennedy 520 is perfect all kinds of small cutting tools.
 

Outlawmws

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Another 520 Kennedy user. I have one dedicated to taps, dies, and extractors.

I do like the block of wood with taps and tap drills, I may do that to keep a set near the DP later, so the common stuff is handy... (I have so many "spares" its getting a bit ridiculous, but on the other hand, they are somewhat of a consumable...
 

WWIIjeep

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Kennedy 520. BFD. Anybody can do that. :evil:

I use a 1950s Craftsman 3-drawer roller cabinet.

Taps in the top drawer; dies in the middle drawer; tap wrenches, die stocks and sets in boxes in the bottom drawer; tapping heads and pipe threading tools in the bottom till.

Seriously though, good idea. I've got a spare Kennedy 520 just sitting empty on a shelf. Time to put it to use.
 

humber2

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Feb 13, 2011
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Downunder
Here's my "system" for storing multiples outside of the convenience of cased sets.

I use either cashiers boxes or the multi-compartment cases.

Both work well up to 3/4 inch when the taps get too long.

Good to store dies right alongside too.
 

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F-117HWK

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Virginia
I had a similar problem. I had several taps (many were duplicates) that I really didn't know how to store so that they didn't take up too much room, but were still easy to access by size and tpi. I also wanted storage that was relatively economical and durable. I figured I'd start at Home Depot, where I expected to find a lot of plastic, made overseas junk, with cheap ill fitting drawers, etc. That's pretty much what I found prominently positioned at eye level on the display shelves. Down on the bottom shelf, literally below my knees was one unopened carton of six of these little storage boxes made by a company called Plano. I opened the carton and took one out. I was impressed. The box is heavy duty, fairly compact, has adjustable partitions, is water proof (notice the picture with the dark blue rubber gasket inside the lid), and was MADE IN THE USA. I ended up buying four of them. I think I paid around seven dollars apiece. This may be an option for taps, drill bits, hardware, and other small parts.

Jim C. (A new Plano storage box fan)

I'm assuming you don't fish if you don't know Plano :D Their stuff is awesome and what I use for all my fishing tackle. Nice score at HD for sure! Looks like a great alternative to an actual tap storage solution. Thanks for posting the pics.
 

justanengineer

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Motor City
Ive got one of the Cman top chests full of MT drills and taps that I use plus a few other smaller boxes full of overflow. I really need to get a single bigger box and organize when I get the rest of my tools moved in.
 

Jason280

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Mar 4, 2012
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I use an older generic tool chest for mine, and it works pretty well.

Here's the box...



Most of the handles fit in the lower drawers...





The dies...




A few taps...





...and these are mostly larger drill bits in odd sizes (37/64, etc).




I need to get my taps a little more organized, as I always have to look up which drill bit to use. Right now, though, it works pretty well and slides under the table out of the way. I'd hate to know how much it all adds up to, but they come in very handy when you need them. In fact, I had to break out the 3/8-24 die to chase the threads on a transmission torque arm stud earlier today, which saved me from having to order a new one.
 

Kevin54

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attachment.php


You really want to be careful when you buy taps like that from a garage sale, flea market, or wherever. Most of those guys that sell them are selling either their trash or someone elses. The dies can't get damaged as easy as taps laying against one another. I'm guilty of doing it also with a few. but most of mine are in plastic containers. When you go to use one, if it starts getting tough, don't horse it, back it out and just shitcan it. You can get new taps that will outlast someone elses taps. Nothing is worse than busting off a tap in a head of an engine, or in a block, or where it's in an almost inaccessible place to try and get it out.

Just saying.
 

cburnscrx

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Indianapolis
If you don't want to shell out the bucks for a Huot, you can find the Flambeau (Made in USA) plastic containers that have Zerust corrosion protection added to the plastic. All my local sporting goods stores and even Walmart carry them...

Yep, love em, that's what I am using at home for small parts storage and drill bit storage. No taps to speak of as of today. :(
 
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