Anyone collect vintage Taps and dies?

[454ragtop]

Picked up this old GTD Little Giant set at the swap meet this weekend. It is for small machine screws, but instead of 6-32, 8-32, etc., sizes are fractional 1/8", 5/32", 3/16", 7/32", and 1/4". Sadly, all the taps and tap handle are missing. Not sure what I'm going to do with this, if anyone needs any of these pieces to complete a set LMK.

Also found a minty Ace Hanson Super Set, just listed here in the classifieds.

 

[454ragtop]

Was just reviewing this thread from the beginning and just realized that I saw a huge set of cutters at the same swap meet for the Hart Duplex-B like Lugz showed earlier. They were in a large fitted wooden box or tray, saw the round posts sticking up and figured they went to some obscure die head for a lathe. Bummer, wish I had at least asked whet they wanted for them.

 

[Jazz1]

Older Blue Point set locally for sale, not mine. I have some very old taps I have picked up at yard sales. but not collecting.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-hand-tool/t...et/1347252696?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I have several old sets in wooden boxes but none are anywhere near pristine like some of the sets in this thread. Here are a few pics of a Champion Blower and Forge set I found at a recent swap meet that are pretty interesting to me. All taps are tapered and I believe the 2nd number on the dies 1/32 shows the taper in the dies as well. The tap handle is pretty neat too with different size cuts all the way around for chucking most tap sizes. I have a few other similarly tapered taps (not pipe) from a different set but this one's complete except for one broken in half tap. The lid sticker is nearly gone. Ed.

On edit...Looking the set over a little closer I'm pretty sure the dies are straight cut and the 1/32nd stamp is just tolerance adjustment with the tapered screw. Most the die sizes were fairly standard for the day including the 1/2 x 12 which I've encountered a few times on old equipment.

 

[cash68]

So after buying and returning some absolute garbage, I am in the market. What brands should I look for? Looks like a lot of you guys are happy with the Craftsman Kromedge series.

Anything else I should keep my eyes peeled for?

 

[Galaxie-Ed]

So after buying and returning some absolute garbage, I am in the market. What brands should I look for? Looks like a lot of you guys are happy with the Craftsman Kromedge series.

Anything else I should keep my eyes peeled for?

Used Greenfield sets can be bought fairly cheaply and if you know how to check for sharpness sharpen them the used taps and dies can be a steal for you.

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The old greenfield stuff I have is excellent

 

[DWise]

Two Blue-Point, an Ace and a small Butterfield & Co.

 

[SAA44-40]

An old timer down the street has a nice set from the maker “Mayhew.” Is anyone familiar with this manufacturer? Of particular interest-the handles have a very nice case hardening. Can you imagine a contemporary tap and die with case hardening ? Wow

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Mayhew is an old (at least WWII, most probably a lot earlier) and well-respected tool maker out of Shelburne Falls, Mass. Known primarily for striking and cutting tools (chisels, punches, etc). I didn't know they made tap and die sets and I'm not sure when they expanded.

 

[leg17]

Don't know for sure but I expect that Mayhew sold re-branded items made by one of the established makers.
A lot involved in tooling up for taps and dies.

 

[Jim C.]

Here's a set you don't see too often. It's a Sears/Craftsman Whitworth thread. I think Sears only carried this set from about 1960 to 1962. The tools in this particular set appear to be practically unused.

Jim C.

 

[humber2]

Here's a set you don't see too often. It's a Sears/Craftsman Whitworth thread. I think Sears only carried this set from about 1960 to 1962. The tools in this particular set appear to be practically unused.

Jim C.

Seems to me there are two sets there.

BSW and BSF

There's very little BSW used on automobiles, BSF more so.

Great find.

 

[Jim C.]

Hey humber2,

Here's what comes in the set.

Jim C.

 

[humber2]

Hey humber2,

Here's what comes in the set.

Jim C.

Great set for a British car restorer. The finer thread option is BSFine.

Both options are to the whitworth thread form with the thread angle of 55 degrees.

And an interesting inclusion of the British pipe thread tools.

 

[f66]

Picked up this old GTD Little Giant set at the swap meet this weekend. It is for small machine screws, but instead of 6-32, 8-32, etc., sizes are fractional 1/8", 5/32", 3/16", 7/32", and 1/4". Sadly, all the taps and tap handle are missing. Not sure what I'm going to do with this, if anyone needs any of these pieces to complete a set LMK.

Also found a minty Ace Hanson Super Set, just listed here in the classifieds.

Don't know where to find the missing pieces, but can show a complete set with handles and screw driver.

 

[454ragtop]

Don't know where to find the missing pieces, but can show a complete set with handles and screw driver.

Thanks, think I have the same or similar set, shown in this post https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6790287#post6790287
The one you quoted me on is different from yours, instead of 8-32, 10-32, etc. the sizes are fractional, 5/32, 3/16, 7/32, etc. Suspect it is older.

 

[Jim C.]

Great set for a British car restorer. The finer thread option is BSFine.

Both options are to the whitworth thread form with the thread angle of 55 degrees.

And an interesting inclusion of the British pipe thread tools.

humber2,

Thanks for the additional information. I can’t say that I have an immediate use for the set, but I couldn’t pass it up based on the condition of the tools and plastic case and the completeness of the set. A few of the taps and dies look like they may have been used once or twice. Some look unused. The most used tool appears to be the tap wrench. I’ve never seen another Cman Whitworth set so I bought it.

Jim C.

 

[gman007]

Hi All
I bought this Ace tap and Die set recently. It cleaned up pretty good. Photo 1 shows the before and photos 2 and 3 are the after clean up.

I have three questions for the tap and die experts here (and based on the questions you will quickly realize that I am by no stretch of imagination a tap and die expert).


1- The set was manufactured by Hanson and I can not help but notice the resemblance to blue point/Snap On (eg see photo 4). Did Hanson in fact make the blue point/Snap On sets too? I believe Hanson makes the current IRWIN US made tap and Die set.

2- The die wrench is missing one of the knurled thumb screws and I believe it is a 6-32. I am having heck of time finding a replacement locally (actually to have them match I was going to buy three of them) and on McMaster-Carr web site, there are around $4 a piece

https://www.mcmaster.com/#knurled-head-thumb-screws/=1dzfc1u

I also found a listing on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Finish-Knurled-Threaded-Threads/dp/B00DD4XWXC/ref=sr_1_20?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1533126927&sr=1-20&refinements=p_11%3A%236-32

which seems more reasonably priced (some are 5 for $5.5) but I am not sure either of these are in fact the correct screws. Does any one have any suggestions?

3- And this is the stupidest question of them all and shows my lack experience with using good die wrenches. In the past I have used cheap HF tap and die and the die wrench did not have for lack of better term what I am going to refer to as the "guide" which is adjusted by the three thumb screws.

Now the question is with Hanson die wrench having the "guide" which side of the wrench should be facing the piece (I know enough to use the correct actual die side, so that is not my question)? I am not sure if I am making sense or not. If not I can take two photos of what I mean and post them here.
Thanks for the help

 

[davethorik]

I forgot I picked this a while back at a YS.
Little finger jointed wood slide top box caught my eye. 3-1/8"×1-7/16"×11/16".
A local firm I've never heard of, Wood & Spencer out of Cleveland.
Even has what appears to be 2 of 3 original Wood & Spencer 1/4-20 taps.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's a terrific find, Dave!

As koinkydink would have it, I just found a Reed pipe threading set at my flea market this morning in a little finger-jointed wood box with a nifty hinged lid. As labeled on the end, it's a No. 1 Adjustable Stock & Pipe Dies 1/8" to 1/2" set. It has the stock, the handles, and all the collars, but only two (2) of the four (4) cutting dies, the 1/8" and the 1/2". It's missing the 1/4" and the 3/8". I'll be on the hunt for them now. They are stamped REED MFG CO. ERIE, PA. on the edge. The stock head has the same cast-in marking.

I'm not sure how old it is, but the label on the inside reads...
"Use Plenty of Lard Oil in Starting and Cutting"

 

[HeelSpur]

That's a terrific find, Dave!

As koinkydink would have it, I just found a Reed pipe threading set at my flea market this morning in a little finger-jointed wood box with a nifty hinged lid. As labeled on the end, it's a No. 1 Adjustable Stock & Pipe Dies 1/8" to 1/2" set. It has the stock, the handles, and all the collars, but only two (2) of the four (4) cutting dies, the 1/8" and the 1/2". It's missing the 1/4" and the 3/8". I'll be on the hunt for them now. They are stamped REED MFG CO. ERIE, PA. on the edge. The stock head has the same cast-in marking.

I'm not sure how old it is, but the label on the inside reads...
"Use Plenty of Lard Oil in Starting and Cutting"

My set is a 1A and not near as complete as yours so you're welcome to the pieces you need.

DSCF2026 by wvwheaties, on Flickr

 

[Rileysan]

I don't collect taps & dies but I do collect vintage Craftsman tools. So naturally I couldn't pass up these vintage tap & die sets! I gave $10/ea. One set is missing the tap wrench and both sets have a few misc Greenfield taps. One set is national fine and the other national course.

Brian

 

[honza.vosalik]

I picked up my first Tap and Die set. There's no marks on the wooden box. I don't think the drill bits are original and two pieces have been replaced. The rest of the tools seems to be marked with "GTD GREENFIELD".

Can you guys teach me a little bit more about this set? Does it have a model # or something? Anyone have an old catalog with it? What is the approximate age and value?

Thanks!

 

[paulm12]

I've had these holders for a while. Can't quite make out the larger one, TM Todd Company? The smaller one is OK company.
.

 

[leg17]

J. M. TODD
Waterford, NY

Relatively scarcer than J. M. KING.
Might possibly be a re-brand of KING

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hello fellow threading set collectors! It's been awhile since I have found something new to contribute, and I happy to add another Blue-Point set to the thread, this one a Set No. TDM-109, metric, complete from 4 to 12mm, joining a couple imperial size Blue-Point sets contributed by DWise earlier in the thread back in post #91, linked here.

Not sure when this dates from exactly, but it was introduced as early as the 1957 catalog. Logo on mine and DWise's all look 50's to me.

 

[454ragtop]

Cool set Lugz, minty too, looks like the OEM is Ace Hanson. Does the 1957 catalog listing show 12 point dies? Would have thought that was a later development.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Cool set Lugz, minty too, looks like the OEM is Ace Hanson. Does the 1957 catalog listing show 12 point dies? Would have thought that was a later development.

As far as I now, all Blue-Point sets are Hanson. At least up through the 80's.

Unfortunately, there is no figure accompanying the TDM-109 set in 1957. It's listed on a page dedicated to all their Metric/Whitworth tools, so many of the tools get no figure. What's weird is, it doesn't show up again in any catalog until 1973. I didn't page through each one of the intervening catalogs - I used the tool on the Collecting Snap-on website to look up all instances of the set number. It comes up 1957, then a bunch of 70's catalogs, and that's it. Weird right?

Thanks for the tip, though. That is a good point and something irrespective of the threading (metric vs imperial). The die stock with the self-contained design for the 12-point integrated dies would be the same for dies with imperial sized cutters. So I can see when they were introduced.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Does the 1957 catalog listing show 12 point dies? Would have thought that was a later development.

They were that design from the very beginning, rag. You can see the points on the dies and in the opening to the die stock, which is face up on page 115 of the 1937 catalog.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

So, not tap and die, per se, but I picked up a threading tool-set essential this morning at my flea market, a vintage Reiff & Nestor thread file. I've got a few of these with subtle marking variations, and I have no definitive way of dating them, but the patent on it (1,694,229) dates to 1928. They are a spittin' image picture and specifications match for the WWII-era Federal Stock Number 41-F-1525 thread file that was issued to several upper echelon vehicle maintenance kits, and Reiff & Nestor did have a small wartime contract with the Treasury Department, which supplied the Federal Standard Stock Catalog, i.e., the GSA and NSN of its day. So I am happy when I find them.

 

[Shelbylex]

Got myself a new set (more pictures here)
You guys are infectious - now I want to clean it and complete it at some point.

The label says SWCARD No 301 diamond screw plates. However, when I searched a net, there was this set on e-bay which is much smaller and is advertised as No 301 (I added pictures from ad in case it gets sold)

1. Does anybody has a catalogue of SWCARD (or knows where I can look up my set?
2. I wonder what 301 means since it is present on 2 sets...

I also have some singles from different companies - will hopefully use in the future when I get more sets. (just found a 5/8-18 from SWCard in my little Altoid box of old taps - condition if average, but one less to find unless I get one in great condition)...

 

[PartsGuy]

So, two questions for you tap 'n' die guys.... Number one, how does one go about sharpening these? And number two... what are your preferences between hex, 12 point, and round dies?
My first sets were modern Craftsman and then Blue Point (Hanson) kits, with hex dies. Round dies seem like they would be more prone to slipping, but they exist in great numbers out there....

 

[Stuart in MN]

I picked up this Craftsman tap handle for $2.00 at a yard sale earlier this fall, and was wondering who made it for Sears. It kind of looks like a Greenfield but I'm not sure about that. It's fairly large, about 15" long overall.

 

[454ragtop]

Stuart, that looks like Ace/Hanson, doesn't really look like Greenfield to me.

 

[PETE14]

Pretty sweet either way - especially for 2 bucks! Any clues as to the age of it?

 

[Stuart in MN]

454ragtop, thanks. I'm not terribly concerned about who built it, but it would satisfy my curiosity.

Pretty sweet either way - especially for 2 bucks! Any clues as to the age of it?

I think the -VM- marked Craftsman tools are relatively recent, probably no more than 30 years old.

 

[thin_concrete]

Hi all - I recently picked up a Greenfield set. The tools themselves can be cleaned up with a bit of elbow grease, so no worries there. My concern is the box - does anyone know how to remove wear without damaging the box itself? Does anyone know what kind of wood these were made of? I’d guess starting with a ultra-high grit and then work my way down as needed? Anything I should consider as I build the finish back up?

This set isn’t going anywhere but my shelf in the office with a handful of old tools, and I’d like to find a place for this somewhere.

Thanks in advance,

TC

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hdoes anyone know how to remove wear without damaging the box itself?

Not sure what you mean. "Wear" refers to areas where the wood is literally worn away, so you can't mean "remove" it. Depending on how bad it is, you could fill in those spots with some shellac and sawdust, let dry, and shellac again over the top of that. (Or use commercial wood filler.) That's going to leave darker spots, but everything will be flush. If you want the finish to be 'even' (no darker spots), then yes, you'd have to sand and re-finish.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This is not a tap and die set, but it is tap and thread related...

Found it at my early bird flea market this morning. Nos. 1 (1/4"), 2 (5/16") & 3 (7/16") screw extractors ("e-z-outs", for the colloquial-minded out there in GJ-land...) in a nifty red wooden canister-style holder. The figure of a screw extractor and the contents list on the label matches the screw extractors, and the set is branded "STEEL CRAFT", and adds, "MADE IN New York, N.Y." But the pieces themselves, individually stamped with their corresponding drill size and the industry standard screw extractor number, are all branded "J.P.F. Inc., Worcester, Mass., U.S.A.". Guessing 1940's or 1950's.

I have no doubt these piece are original to the holder and vice versa as a set. While I can't find any historical documentation on them, empirically, I know that STEEL CRAFT has always been a funky enterprise. They had operations in the US ZONE in Occupied Germany after the war. They obviously had an office in NY. And it might even be the same outfit who made the early jump to Japan. So I am thinking "J.P.F., Inc." is the OEM of the units, and the STEEL CRAFT slapped their label on the wooden canister and called it a day and a set.

Anybody know or have any good idea what "J.P.F." might stand for?