finally organized one set of taps ....

[Stick Figure]

After building my dad's b-day gift .... http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73030

i was inspired to do a bit more organizing of my own taps .....

Used a couple sheets of MDF and spent some time on the router and drill press. I left a lot of extra spaces for future growth. Once the pilot holes are drilled its pretty easy to open them up with just a hand drill, so it should be easy to add on at any time. The Metric run 5mm - 14mm and the SAE are #0 machine screw - 9/16" larger in either size had to be stacked in the back for now. They were just getting too large both length and diameter.

Now i just have to do something about the home box.

 

[Atlascycle]

Looks like a nice solution is that a single sheet that you used? or did you stack two up.

How about more construction details.

 

[Stick Figure]

for this i used two pieces of 3/4" mdf. the top sheet i used a router w/ a 90° V shaped bit. Then i just used a jig set at a 45° angle to set the piece up in drill press. and do all of the pilot holes. I just used a hand drill to open the holes up to proper size once i figured out exactly where i wanted to put what taps. For finish on this, i used a cheap spray on black truck bed coating. That way i didn't have to do as much finishing work on the wood, and wouldn't have the dry times for stains. I had to hurry though this one since it was for the work box, and about the same time i had all my taps at home i would need one.

 

[justinmc]

I like this as a solution. My current tap/die & rethreading drawer is a little cramped. I dunno that I have room to really use a setup like that one though. Hmmmm now I'm thinking of solutions. haha.

 

[Bolster]

Inspirational. I need to do the same.

Question...had you thought of putting the threaded part down and the shank part up, so you can read what the size of the tap is w/o removing? Or do you label these in some way?

 

[dsan]

Really nice work.

 

[Deskmechanic]

You guys with your woodworking skills are making me look bad, LOL.

Gotta get me one of those router things...

 

[DHCrocks]

very nice.

can you please take a picture of the profile, I want to see how you routed it out.

 

[mrholeshot]

Very nice!!!!!!!!!

 

[TheGrooveking]

Great idea, I will be borrowing that idea, perfect presentation for grabbing them fast and preserves them from damage rolling around into each other.

TheGrooveking

 

[Stick Figure]

I like this as a solution. My current tap/die & rethreading drawer is a little cramped. I dunno that I have room to really use a setup like that one though. Hmmmm now I'm thinking of solutions. haha.

It does take a taller drawer, which is the down side to this. Luckily for my shop box i have plenty of room right now.

Inspirational. I need to do the same.

Question...had you thought of putting the threaded part down and the shank part up, so you can read what the size of the tap is w/o removing? Or do you label these in some way?

Thread down would probably kill either the holder or the tap pretty quick. I could label them but honestly i use the metric 99% of the time, and it pretty easy for me to tell be look what i am after.

very nice.

can you please take a picture of the profile, I want to see how you routed it out.

Kind of a bad photo but this is of the build process of the set i did for pops .....

Just a regular 90° "v" grove bit.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2122

for the smaller box i used a 1/2" version. For my drawer set up i went with the 3/4". Anything larger than a 9/16" (14mm ish) tap i would have had to take two or three steps to get the grove large enough for there to be room.


for the rest thanks for all the kind words.