How do you store your taps/dies etc?

[Matt Irvine]

I've been sorting through my shed, putting everything in its place, rather than on an odd shelf, cupboard or lying on the bench, and come up with this, boxes of taps and dies, there is a complete set of whitworth, to 1" with taper, plug, and bottoming, a complete set of metric from 1.6mm to 27mm, with taper, plug and bottoming, and complete sets of UNC, UNF and Metric Fine, from 3/16 to 1" and 4mm to 20mm respectively,with just plug taps, as well as assorted BSF, brass, BSP, And BSPT.
What I want to know is if anybody has any suggestions on effective ways to store them all, in some kind of order?
I also have slot drills in regular and ball from 2 to around 20mm, if any body has any suggestions on those.
Sorry if the picture is huge, posting this from an Iphone.
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[Canadian Charlie]

Mine are in thier original cases i bought them in. I have 3 sets

 

[lakota]

The way your are storing them is improper. You need them, to be separate and not touch. Touching will dull them. This also applies to files, drills, etc.

 

[PCO6]

I use fishing lure boxes.

 

[Canadian Charlie]

The way your are storing them is improper. You need them, to be separate and not touch. Touching will dull them. This also applies to files, drills, etc.

100% true, they shouldn't be touching

 

[cheechi]

well you could get some wood scraps and drill holes to stand them up in order. Similar to socket trays. That involves effort though. Most people use the fishing lure boxes that allow them to touch if you put more than one in a section.

 

[bobadame]

I had these aluminum blocks left over from another project so I drilled them each to fit 3 taps and the proper tap drill for 75% thread. No more searching for the right tool, life's too short.

 

[cheechi]

That is ****. It's better than what I was meaning, but essentially that's what I meant.

 

[Matt Irvine]

The way your are storing them is improper. You need them, to be separate and not touch. Touching will dull them. This also applies to files, drills, etc.

All the sets up to 5/8s are in packs, the other odd taps and big ones that never had packages are loose, I have been meaning to get some cardboard tube to put them in, so I am aware of this, all my slot drills are in packages still.

 

[Packard V8]

The best storage I've ever found for small round and flat hand tools are the Kennedy #520 7-drawer machinist's chests. They come around occasionally for $25-50 and I buy every one I see in that range and have five now.

One is exclusively for taps, dies, stocks and wrenches, another for drills and reamers, one for smaller punches and chisels.

They're also good to place by each stationary drill press, mill, lathe.

jack vines

 

[RCStocker]

Most of my sets are in cases but I have many loose taps. 50 years ago I took big blocks of aluminum and drilled holes in it the sizes of the taps. I must have 100 taps stored this way. They are all working end up and never bang against each other.

I have sense done it with wood for my son's and grandson's Just get a nice piece of hard wood and lay out the rows and spacing. You can use a spade bit or regular bit. I would center punch each mark first. This helps keep the bit form wondering. As for the dies I use a Plano fishing parts box.

 

[gearhead1]

I had these aluminum blocks left over from another project so I drilled them each to fit 3 taps and the proper tap drill for 75% thread. No more searching for the right tool, life's too short.

That's awesome! I'm going to use that!

 

[2oolhound]

The best storage available by a long shot for those whit worth t & D's is at 2oolhounds' shop. I'll pm you the address where you should send them.

 

[Rossco]

Yeah I store mine just like Matt with the exemption of a Jap made set in a fold out case.

Dormer: Some quality right there.

 

[greasemonkey44]

I use the clear box like above from harbor freight, 40528 is the part number. they are taking up too much room now. I need to reorganize, they take up a drawer of my box.

 

[Outlander]

The way your are storing them is improper. You need them, to be separate and not touch. Touching will dull them. This also applies to files, drills, etc.

I was fine until this post - now I need to go re-examine my entire storage philosophy.

You guys keep the drills with the taps?

 

[mdbeck1]

I store most of mine in the original boxes. The boxes fit inside my Kennedy box. I have a few miscellaneous ones that are in one of the drawers. Thanks for pointing out that they are not supposed to touch. I had forgotten that. I think I'll cut me some pieces of wood that will fit in the Kennedy drawers and put some slots in them. That should work.

 

[sberry]

This is on my list. I am going to score a drawer set, mine are pitiful and inconvenient in about 3 places.

 

[AP514]

@bobadame

Hell if I put my tools out in open like that here in Houston they would be covered in RUST in a WEEK.....

 

[zkling]

I keep all the milling cutters taps and reamers in standard tool box drawers with stiff paper folded like an accordion. Then place the bits in the V's. That way they won't roll and touch.

 

[Jason280]

I use an extra tool chest...

 

[Evolution-VII]

And what about the taps/dies brands? Which ones you guys suggest?

 

[softailgarage]

I have hundreds that were Dads. After he passed in '98 I found coffee cans full of taps...and drill bits...and end mills. The dies were easy, I store them in an old Snap On box. The taps and bits I did the hard way. I bought a buttload of acrylic tubes and caps from McMaster Carr and every night after work I started cutting and capping. I'm still not done, but heres what I have so far....

 

[softailgarage]

And more....

 

[Krokodil]

Very nice solution.

 

[AndrewV]

The best way, is the way they came. Seperate from each other, in a protective case.
Just store them in the case.

I forget who did it, but you can cut foam, and insert them into cut outs. Sorry i forgot who.

 

[lilredex]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=184013

 

[zengarage]

Its funny that all the tool and die makers I know store taps and drills and end mills and just about everything just like that and they should know better. I use huot indexes for smaller sizes and the tubes they come in for the larger ones.

 

[ritzblitz]

Yeah space is at a premium in a toolmakers box, hence the 'improper' storage. I don't have room to keep all of my stuff in their original tubes. I tried it for a while but ended up quickly running out of room.

I think the whole rubbing of tools together is a crock. Maybe driving across the country with a bucket full of taps touching each other would dull them, but having them stored like the OP is fine in my opinion. It takes a hell of a lot of rubbing against another tool to dull a tap.

 

[crewchief888]

most of mine are in the original blow molded cases in my service truck, larger sizes are in my boxes at work.


i dont keep many at home, i have 1 drawer in a top box dedicated to them, another drawer in another top box dedicated to drill bits.


If i need something i dont have in the garage, my service truck is 50 ft away....

 

[JonnyMac]

There is a thread that was goibg about 3 months ago where a really talented guy used sheets of colored plastic and milled slots as the most awesome storage.
I cant rember the exact name of the product but it was something like kingcolor.. I did a very quick search but couldn't find it. He made up socket and every other type of storage too.

 

[Troutsqueezer]

I think the whole rubbing of tools together is a crock. Maybe driving across the country with a bucket full of taps touching each other would dull them, but having them stored like the OP is fine in my opinion. It takes a hell of a lot of rubbing against another tool to dull a tap.

Ditto. Maybe if you put them in a rock polisher.

 

[JonnyMac]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174553


Found it...

The ultimate in storage for taps, dies and anything at all really!

 

[woody 73]

I use this model for all my taps:

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=3317189&PMAKA=309-0017

 

[lakota]

The importance of using a sharp tap cannot be
over emphasized.

Taps should, at very least, be prevented from banging into one another or other hard objects; doing so can easily chip the cutting edges. Dies are a bit less subject to this, but avoid just tossing either into a drawer or box.

 

[ritzblitz]

The importance of using a sharp tap cannot be
over emphasized.

Taps should, at very least, be prevented from banging into one another or other hard objects; doing so can easily chip the cutting edges. Dies are a bit less subject to this, but avoid just tossing either into a drawer or box.

Like banging your taps with a hammer? I think you're way over thinking this. Just my opinion.

I do agree that sharp taps are important. But having them in a pile touching eachother isn't gonna make a difference.

So many dull tools in this drawer. None of them can be used. (Sorry it's upside down)

 

[zengarage]

Sharp taps are important but dull and broken taps can still be used. I just used a tap that had less than half the teeth it started with. It wasn't the best but it worked. It was a weird size and the only one around was broken. Of all the tool and die makers I know who store there taps together I have never seen one break a tap. I see mechanics break almost brand new taps that where stored in a case separately often. I don't think the way you store them is all that important unless you want them organized better. If you use them often enough you will also be able to pull the size you need out of a pile on the first try just as fast as opening up the index.