MetalworkingFun Forum

Plans for T tap wrench ?



I'd like to make some good tap wrenches

I'm using Starrett 93C  1/4 to 1/2." range as an example

Unless I spring for Starret brand new tols, the local stores here just have those hardware store quality ones at 3/4 of the starrett price

The Starrett are nice, but I can't find used ones and depending on the source come out to $70 ish with tax and so on

If it goes well, I'd do a few for relatives and friends.



They have this on the website
http://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/93C

http://www.starrett.com/dms/download.asp...&p=93C&i=3


I was hopint that this is a popular apprentice project and these are published in project books or magazine articles.

Here's one that fits your requirements. Scaleable up or down.

Chuck

(11-29-2014, 05:49 PM)chucketn Wrote: [ -> ]Here's one that fits your requirements. Scalable up or down.

Chuck

Chuck,

Take a look at his links to the Starrett wrenches. The plan you posted is not the type of tap wrench he's looking for.
But thanks for posting the PDF anyway.

Ed

I am looking for the  T handle type

However thanks for those plans.
I will make a big one like that too.

 

My bad, missed the "T" part.

Chuck

Well it does form a 'T' when you put a tap in it Chuck Either way, someone will benefit from the plans you posted.

I've got a quite an array of Starrett No.93 (A, B, C, & E) and No.91 (A, B, C, & D) and all came off eBay and Craigslist. None cost me more than $40, and there isn't a smoother, better gripping tap wrench made, IMO.

While I admire the will to make some, I don't know if you'd ever be able to make anywhere near the same quality. If you're definitely going to do it, why not just take apart yours and scale it up or down with reverse engineering? If you'd rather have exact dimensions for each, I suppose I could help by taking one (or more of mine apart to give you dimensions.

(11-30-2014, 12:15 AM)PixMan Wrote: [ -> ]I've got a quite an array of Starrett No.93 (A, B, C, & E) and No.91 (A, B, C, & D) and all came off eBay and Craigslist. None cost me more than $40, and there isn't a smoother, better gripping tap wrench made, IMO.

While I admire the will to make some, I don't know if you'd ever be able to make anywhere near the same quality. If you're definitely going to do it, why not just take apart yours and scale it up or down with reverse engineering? If you'd rather have exact dimensions for each, I suppose I could help by taking one (or more of mine apart to give you dimensions.

I've got a nice plan for a 91B from an old SouthBend apprentice projects book
Combined that plan with the Starrett product info, I'll have no trouble making up a nice set of 91's

I'm in Canada
Our used market is pretty dry compared to the US and UK flea market / boot sales
Or you have to drive 3 hours round trip to pick something up and our price of gas is double yours.

Buying Ebay is out because most sales will not ship to Canada and everyting shipped is an additional $40 for shipping and import fees, plus 13% tax on top of the item and the fees.

It makes it impossible to get deals like that.

Quote: why not just take apart yours and scale it up or down with reverse engineering?

The ones I own are hardware store crap, none with the separate jaw that makes those good.

It's the 93C I'm after.

I can get some info from here for the general body dimensions
http://www.starrett.com/dms/download.asp...&p=93C&i=3

I take it that the body uses .939-20 as the thread dimensions
that part will be a challenge
The rest seems doable

I'd appreciate some info on

The body - the thread and the taper it has
The cutout

The size of the jaw inserts and the depth/ width of the v cut

the nut

I'm surprised they are so expensive. I have four of the Eclipse (UK) equivalent  and they often turn up at the shows new or used for a couple of pounds each.

Arbalest, I don't think the ones you pictured are the same as the Starrett ones. The ones you show are 3 piece. The knurled/threaded collar , the body (slit in four pieces up to close to the handle) and the sliding handle. The Starrett ones I own and prefer have 2 separate jaws connected by a spring to cause them to open when the knurled collar is unscrewed.


SteveC