Hi, I found this set of tools in my father in laws workshop. I think it came from his father. It made by Greenfield and it's a tap & die set. Stock number is #5180-752-9355. Everything seems to be there and in good shape. Except for some rust. Not sure if cleaning would increase or decrease the value. But was wondering 2 things. Approx when it was made. I know they were around from like 1900 hundreds till about 1958. So what year and value. Sorry 3 questions. Should I clean them up before listing. Here's pics
Greenfield Tap and Die set
- Thread starter w666will
- Start date
RTM
Well-known member
Try looking here, I didn’t see them in a quick glance.
four.cycle
Well-known member
Hello w666will and welcome to the site!
Keep this link handy at all times!
and this one too!
Greenfield / Greenfield Tap & Die Corp., Greenfield, MA / est. 1912, merged with United Tool & Drill 1958, renamed United-Greenfield, merged with TRW 1963, acquired by Kennametal Industrial Products Group 1992 / taps, ties, screwplates, brace sockets / "Little Giant" / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p2.html#gtd / http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=402 / http://chc.library.umass.edu/greenfield-historical/category/greenfield-tap-die/ / https://www.westfield.ma.edu/histor...ads/2018/06/Ducharme-summer-2006-combined.pdf / http://americancenturies.mass.edu/c...id=18426&img=0&level=advanced&transcription=1 /
Here's the "Anyone Collect Taps & Dies?" thread.
Keep this link handy at all times!
and this one too!
Greenfield / Greenfield Tap & Die Corp., Greenfield, MA / est. 1912, merged with United Tool & Drill 1958, renamed United-Greenfield, merged with TRW 1963, acquired by Kennametal Industrial Products Group 1992 / taps, ties, screwplates, brace sockets / "Little Giant" / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p2.html#gtd / http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=402 / http://chc.library.umass.edu/greenfield-historical/category/greenfield-tap-die/ / https://www.westfield.ma.edu/histor...ads/2018/06/Ducharme-summer-2006-combined.pdf / http://americancenturies.mass.edu/c...id=18426&img=0&level=advanced&transcription=1 /
Here's the "Anyone Collect Taps & Dies?" thread.
paulsomlo
Well-known member
That set has no antique value - cleaning it up can only help. In it's present state, I wouldn't give more than $15. Cleaned up, maybe $25 to someone (but not me).
One thing that jumps out at me is the cool ratcheting tap handle: "Greenfield #251-A Special Ratchet Tap Handle". I don't think I've ever seen a tap-ratchet with equal handles, which could be very useful in certain situations.
At this point, I expect a barrage of two-handled tap-ratchet pics
.
At this point, I expect a barrage of two-handled tap-ratchet pics
.niget2002
Well-known member
As requestedOne thing that jumps out at me is the cool ratcheting tap handle: "Greenfield #251-A Special Ratchet Tap Handle". I don't think I've ever seen a tap-ratchet with equal handles, which could be very useful in certain situations.
At this point, I expect a barrage of two-handled tap-ratchet pics
This is the one I have
bwringer
Well-known member
I wouldn't de-rust them before listing, because some processes can harm the cutting edges, and any buyer for these would have their own ideas of the correct process.
Same for oiling them or spritzing them with WD-40 or whatever; they're already a bit corroded, and anyone buying vintage taps and dies will have their own preferences for preservation. Keep them dry and protect them in shipping so they don't get any worse, but leave the rest up to the buyer.
Same for oiling them or spritzing them with WD-40 or whatever; they're already a bit corroded, and anyone buying vintage taps and dies will have their own preferences for preservation. Keep them dry and protect them in shipping so they don't get any worse, but leave the rest up to the buyer.
Thanks.Try looking here, I didn’t see them in a quick glance.
Perfect. thats why i came here you all know your sh#t.
Again, thanks for this info. And to all the great advice here. Now that I know more about this. I may just keep them. I've had bolts and such start to strip. Or those lively bolts we get with new items from China how nice snd clean bolts and nuts, etc go together so perfectly. I know this isn't a large set. But I never know if it'll come in handy...thanks though!
RTM
Well-known member
The yankee style ratcheting tap handle. I have one here somewhere, but no pix at hand, so will spare you.
Or maybe not
, I had two.Packard V8
Well-known member
Interesting. I've owned several of the larger GTD sets, but never this smaller one with the ratcheting tap wrench.
jack vines
jack vines
bwringer
Well-known member
If you regularly work with inch stuff, then keeping this set and cleaning it up could be the best move. I think the consensus is that it isn't some super-rare collectible that's worth a lot; they are high quality tools, but the money you'd get is a lot less than you'd pay for a similar quality set. You might as well try and make use of it.
In my world, I primarily work with metric, so I'd supplement with a good metric set, or at least the sizes I use the most. The ratcheting tap handle could be pretty useful for metric taps.
It could be fun to make a matching routed and painted wood case for a metric set.
As others have noted, Evapo-Rust does the best job of removing rust without risk of doing added damage to sound metal. That said, the rust has undoubtedly already caused damage to some of the edges, so you will likely have to replace at least some of these taps and dies to make them usable. But it's certainly worth some experimentation.
four.cycle
Well-known member
Asking prices on ebay are not always necessarily the actual selling price. For reasons I have never been able to understand, people have come to believe anything appearing "old" equates to "valuable", and that simply isn't the case in the real world: "rare and unusual" is "valuable". "Common as rocks" is "common as rocks".
On ebay: Click "advanced" (top right), enter brand name of product, scroll down and click "SOLD" and then go all the way down and click "newly listed" and then click "search".
To find the actual selling prices on items which were sold for a "best offer", you have to switch over to "Seller Hub" to get at that information - I cannot remember exactly how to get there, but I don't set my selling prices based on what other sellers are asking - that's a one-way road to ruin.
The ratcheting tap handle IS something that might tempt a prospective buyer if you don't put too outrageous a price on the set, which is going to have very limited market appeal with those thread sizes (the largest being 12-24.) A screw having 3-48 threads is something you'd find in a watch or on your glasses, maybe.
I'd see if it would fit into a medium flat-rate box ($18.40), pick a number, and post it on ebay "as is".
Just my two cents.
my ebay stuff