Tap storage??????

[Typecaster]

I picked up a load of taps—through, plug & bottom, NC & NF, up to 3/4". Any suggestions for storage? I should have enough for sets for both sons.

I've been using pill vials for each size/thread for the smaller sizes, at least.

Any better way?

Thanks,

Richard

[Bret4207]

For the smaller taps like 6-48 a simple section of corrugated cardboard works fine, Just shove the tap down into the corrugations. Plus you can write the details on it. For larger taps...I've seen everything used from an old printers cabinet to boughten tap indexes to baggies to boards with holes drilled for each tap. Best suggestion is to use your own best judgement.

[John 242]

I use small baggies to hold each tap and them place them in divided container by size.
By 'divided container' I'm talking about something that would come with a couple fishing lures in it. A little plastic box with cells in it.
On the better boxes, you can move the dividers around.
I labeled each cell on the outside with a grease pencil.
Here's an example:http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_1533500451f239063.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=5917)
I should've probably have removed that big sticker... duh.

[KCSO]

I took a dooubled square of 12X12 and drilled holes for each tap from 3-56 to 3/4-16 and each used tap sits in it's oown hole in the tap drawer not touching any other metal. Unused taps sit in the tube until they replace a dull tap. Each tap size has 3 taps, taper, plug and my home made full bottom taps.

[andremajic]

You can buy a box full of mailing envelopes for storage.

Write the size on the envelope, oil/grease the tap up really well, and stick it in the envelope.

The paper allows it to "breathe" which discourages rusting.

Cheapest solution that I've found that works for drills/taps/etc. Also keeps the sharp edges and flutes from crashing together when stored in a box.

[msinc]

You can buy a box full of mailing envelopes for storage.

Write the size on the envelope, oil/grease the tap up really well, and stick it in the envelope.

The paper allows it to "breathe" which discourages rusting.

Cheapest solution that I've found that works for drills/taps/etc. Also keeps the sharp edges and flutes from crashing together when stored in a box.

+1...the two biggest things is to keep them separated so they cant dull each other and prevent rust. I find that a good coat of Rig brand gun grease lasts as long as anything I have tried. Those stupid little things cost too much to replace when you need a new one to let them go south for neglect. If you got a bunch of them cheap that is fantastic...but dont let the good deal get away because they weren't stored properly.

[Bad Water Bill]

In 1960 I worked at a machine shop. One day I asked the owner about fixing a broken tap. He said "son if you can solve that problem I have a whole box of broken ones for you to work on".

Long story short I still have taps from him in plain plastic divided drawers and they still cut every time. No rust or other problems. He said just let them lay there in a drawer and they will be OK.

He started with 0 and built a multi million dollar business so who was I to argue.

I got to keep 1/2 of the taps I fixed.

[kywoodwrkr]

I bought a large collection of taps here on the CB forums a year or so ago.
There were small #0 up to about 3/4" taps.
For the smaller taps I bought some bead tubes on e-bay.
Example #290721631731 and #290398554618.
The latter looks like it has some little hanger ends even.
Better than what I found last year.
Also Brownells has a celluloid tube set in assorted sizes.

[Longwood]

I hate plastic containers in my shop. They prove to be problematic as they age.
My taps that are 1/4" and over go in one of the center drawers in my top box.
My little ones are kept in a round tin box that is about the size of your average pill bottle.
It had Versace Red Jeans toilet water in it so I bought it for the taps and gave the perfume to a cutie. The prior box was a plastic box that a Autolite sparkplug came in in 1958 that finally bit the dust.
The newer tin box/can is bright red and stands out well on a busy work bench.
A Throat lozenge bow works well for small tools also. I toss them in a fire so the paint burns off the label them with a vibrator etcher, scribe.

[Longwood]

In 1960 I worked at a machine shop. One day I asked the owner about fixing a broken tap. He said "son if you can solve that problem I have a whole box of broken ones for you to work on".

Long story short I still have taps from him in plain plastic divided drawers and they still cut every time. No rust or other problems. He said just let them lay there in a drawer and they will be OK.

He started with 0 and built a multi million dollar business so who was I to argue.

I got to keep 1/2 of the taps I fixed.

Lots of my taps were free ones that I took out of scrap bins then repaired.
Dull ones are the best if only the tips of the teeth are damaged. A little time on my special narrow aluminum oxide stone that only cost a few bucks at the swap meet, and it is like new.
I look for dull one at swap meets and get them for pennies if I show the seller the rounded off teeth.
I tell them I am after the steel in them.
It's true. I do want the steel.
I often grind broke taps so they work more like a gun tap.

[Bad Water Bill]

Remember the BROKEN taps can always be converted to bottoming taps.

If the hole is deeper than the amount of threads left can reach grind off some of the body ABOVE the tap threads and you can still reach the bottom with the bottom tap.

[xd4584]

When I first bid into my current job from welding (I welded and machined most of my life) I was working with one of the best operators in the lab I work in. He snapped a 1/4-20 tap off. It was the only one he had so I looked at him and said, I can fix that. He kinda chuckled. He was twice my age. He told me to go ahead and try but while I was wasting time he was gonna go find another tap. While I was fixing the taper tap he broke he found a bottoming tap and was trying to hand start holes in some cast steel. Most of us know how much of a pain it is to start by hand with a bottoming tap.

Well, I was able to grind the tap on a diamond wheel, by hand, back to a nice flat base and also taper it. I took it back to him and seen him getting mad about having trouble with the bottoming tap. Handed it too him, he looked at it, looked at me... put down the bottoming tap and used the one I fixed. It cut like a brand new tap. From that day on, when I told him I could do something, I no longer was doubted.

[uscra112]

Many of my smaller taps (3/8 and less) are each stored in a short piece of vinyl tubing of appropriate size. That way they can just lie in the drawer waiting to be used. I keep 'em in some sort of order so I can find the right one, but one could tape a label to the outside. Could also add end plugs made of bits of wooden dowel.

[Frank46]

I keep all the oddball taps in a rcbe die box that I cutout the uprights out of. The regular ones I have in a drawer in my kennedy tool box. And have another set "sears" in its origional box. Frank

[tbhutton]

Hout makes drawers to store taps, and they come with labels to mark the drawers. I would suggest wrapping the taps in oiled paper of some sort to keep them from dulling each other and also to keep rust down. You can find the Hout drawers on ebay.

[Casting Timmy]

I would recommend storing a drill bit with your tap too. I have limited room so some of my storage bins have two sizes of taps. I might store 8-32 taps and drills in the same slot as my 5/16-18 taps and drills.

I like it as I can just grab teh one bin and have everything I need to drill and tap the hole.

[Bad Water Bill]

While you are at it put in a clearance drill also and save a lot of time.