.236-60 tap

[Wayne Smith]

Brownells wants $38+ for one -gag! I need four holes threaded, and in brass.

Any alternative ideas? I can ask my gunsmith if I can borrow a tap, but I think he'd be a little reluctant!

[jhrosier]

If this is for your grip making jig and you do not intend to remove the bushings,
I would drill a hole to be a close fit to the outside diameter of the thread, degrease everything good and seat the bushings in a dab of JB weld. Put some boolit lube in the inside hole so you don't get any JB in the threads.

Jack

[Wayne Smith]

Humm - Wat would happen if I drilled the shaft hole in the brass, slightly champfered it, and turned the bushings in with a screwdriver in a drill press. Do you think they might self-thread?

I've never used JBWeld in brass. Does it work well in non-ferrous metals? Since it's a 2-part epoxy I guess it should.

[dragonrider]

Wayne I thought I had that tap, turns out what I have is the .150-50 tap for the grip screw. You can mooch that if you need it.

[JIMinPHX]

All the alternatives that I know are more expensive.

[Wayne Smith]

Thanks, Paul, that one I don't think I need.

[dominicfortune00]

If you have a bolt of that size, you could use a file or a dremel to cut slots in the threads on the bolt to make it look like a tap, then use it in the proper sized hole as a tap.

Being that you want to tap brass it shouldn't need to be hardened.

I've done this when I don't have a tap to clean out holes, and it works!

[Bret4207]

Try MSC or Enco. They usually have far less expensive taps than Brownells.

[Wayne Smith]

Doninic, if you find a bolt that's threaded .236-60 please let me know! Other than on a 1911 grip screw bushing, that is.

A guy at Grainger accepted the challenge - he said it was his first challenge today.

[StarMetal]

Just type " .236x60 tap for sale" in google. That's what I do for hard to find taps and dies.

[scb]

Wayne as far as I know (and I guess you're finding out) 1911 grip bushings are the only screws in the known world that use that thread. Therefor it's not a mass produced tap like a 10-32 or an m5 x.8. I doubt seriously you'll find them outside a gunsmith speciality house. I thought I had one but just spent a half hour looking and can't seem to find it. I looked on a couple of the reamer rental sites and they (4-d) have some odd taps S&W K frame barrel taps, Mauser receiver taps and the like but no bushing tap. Maybe if you put in a request.

[StarMetal]

Here's your tap from Midway for $20

http://www.midwayusa.com/BROWSE/BrowseProducts.aspx?brandId=2209&numberOfResults=16

scroll down and you'll see it. It's from Swenson.

[Wayne Smith]

Thanks, StarMetal, it's on my wish list. Since I'm a dealer I've got to get the order up to 40.00 to send it in. Only have two orders pending now! Probably won't take long.

[StarMetal]

Thanks, StarMetal, it's on my wish list. Since I'm a dealer I've got to get the order up to 40.00 to send it in. Only have two orders pending now! Probably won't take long.

My pleasure...the secret to using a search engine, such as Google, is being able to ask the right question with the proper wording. Took me all of 30 seconds to find that tap.

[Wayne Smith]

I guess my problem is going to specific companies web sites and then searching. I'm guessing their search engines are not up to Google.

[Coffeecup]

If you're just building a grip-making jig, I've got a tap for an oversize grip screw bushing you could borrow--thread sizes are larger, but the external bushing is the same. Might take me a day to remember where I stowed it, but I do still have it.

[Wayne Smith]

Thanks, coffeecup, but I have the bushings and need the tap for them. If those are a larger thread size, and I'm tapping brass, lateral forces as I grind the rock would create major problems I would think. I'm guessing I would get a lot of movement and eventually the holes in the brass would expand even more.

[kywoodwrkr]

Humm - Wat would happen if I drilled the shaft hole in the brass, slightly champfered it, and turned the bushings in with a screwdriver in a drill press. Do you think they might self-thread?

I've never used JBWeld in brass. Does it work well in non-ferrous metals? Since it's a 2-part epoxy I guess it should.
Wayne,
Could you use process you described, and tin bushing and brass, and then just solder in?