Do any old-timers still remember the Little Giant "screw plates"?

[Tokarev]

I have the Little Giant AA-4 screw plate from Greenfield, which is a wood case with adjusting dies and matching taps. These adjusting dies cut from slightly oversize to hugely undersized threads, which is very convenient. Are similar kits still available? I would love to have different kits with the same kind of adjustment. The modern split adjusting dies suck because they only adjust by very little. This is my set. It only cuts number threads, plus 1/4x20. I am looking for a wider range of threads.
259965

[indian joe]

I have the Little Giant AA-4 screw plate from Greenfield, which is a wood case with adjusting dies and matching taps. These adjusting dies cut from slightly oversize to hugely undersized threads, which is very convenient. Are similar kits still available? I would love to have different kits with the same kind of adjustment. The modern split adjusting dies suck because they only adjust by very little. This is my set. It only cuts number threads, plus 1/4x20. I am looking for a wider range of threads.
259965

Ahhhh man ---these are the best!!! My Dad and uncle had a set each they got early 1950's - I bought mine at a yard sale about 1975 (all were in NF thread - 1/4x28 to 3/4 or one inch NF) I managed to get enough replacement parts from an old family run hardware store to bring my set back to good condition and also fill out the coarse thread sizes up to 3/4inch - made a new wood box for the set of NC dies. I have inherited my Dads set and considered selling it but never gonna see these again . I searched all over the 'net, nowhere I can see making new dies like these. Greenfield Tap and Die, Green River on a knife blade, the best of the best

[john.k]

I used to see hundreds of these loose in tool room boxes in the big clearing auctions of the 70s,soon as I started collecting them ,everyone piles in and wants them ......Anyhoo ,that said Greenfield was still selling them as recent as 2015,but now ,seems they are a special order at a special price.....something like $100 per size....Maybe if you want one real bad ....

[mattw]

You are lucky to have those! I had a very large set that spanned 4 boxes stolen from me in the mid 90's. They also took the matching wood box set of pipe dies and 2 handles in the set.

As my dear departed Dad would say... "Handier than a hole in a night gown" :)

[Tokarev]

That is a blood shame! I'd be furious if anyone moved my tools.

[akajun]

you can find them on Ebay and craigslist for not too much. I have picked up a few sets over the years up to 1". FYI they still make new cutters for them if you need them. However I never use them to cut new threads as I have a lathe. I use the hell out of them for thread repair though so I don't need sharp cutters. I just open the die up and massaged the damage away.

[john.k]

Havent checked recently ,but last I saw new die pair with collet ,were something like $100.....Buying used from dealers is risky online ,as each die pair are a matched set ,and the ebay sellers often sell mismatched halves . There are also a lot more wood boxes survived than the easily lost dies....The hand stocks are also quite common ,but no use without the dies .....there are also a number of different size ranges.