Any recommendations on taps this size? Drill America on Amazon has a 3 piece set with the different tapers for just under $100....but anything else out there at a reasonable price?
It's the standard speaker pole thread size, just need to do a couple holes to make some adapters
You can't cut them in the lathe?
I've cut external M20 on the lathe...internal feels like it would be tight?
Ya, it gets tighter the smaller you go. Once you get down in diameter your tooling choices become limited to HSS or solid carbide. You can grind HSS to do the job or buy pre-ground carbide. But either way you won't be cutting very deeply. It will also feel a bit like scratching out a thread instead of cutting one. I've never single point cut a thread smaller than 1/2. But I'm sure even smaller is possible. However, as the size goes down, so does the cost of taps, till taps become the obvious no-brainer solution.
Any recommendations on taps this size?
and a very very slight taper
For that, I'd just buy a single tapered tap and go for it. Choose the quality you can afford. The amazon Sowa taps are good ones. If you have lots of bar stock, you can also buy a cheap one and not worry about breaking it. Just pitch it if that happens and cut a new one.
If you mean you want a very very slight thread taper, this will be difficult unless you have a taper attachment. No big deal if you mean the OD.
I'd recommend a higher percent fit to kill the sloppiness. The only downside is higher risk of breaking the tap. Choose the percent fit from the following chart and test fit a few holes till you find what works best.
This a screen shot from the Tap and Drill Chart Calculator for M20x2.5 thread on my Android phone.
The alternative is to learn to inside single point. No time like the present to learn new skills.
....not difficult at all, just use my lathe. I get a custom taper on everything I make with it.If you mean you want a very very slight thread taper, this will be difficult unless you have a taper attachment
.....in two weeks time, or grind a cutter, and single point it this afternoon....God, people its metric - this is easy and CHEAP to get.
10sec search -
13 CAD.
Come on METRIC == cheap and easy to get. And IMPERIAL == difficult and expensive. Metric is used by like 95% of the world.
God, people its metric - this is easy and CHEAP to get.
10sec search -
13 CAD.
Come on METRIC == cheap and easy to get. And IMPERIAL == difficult and expensive. Metric is used by like 95% of the world.
I was trying to avoid Chinesium...that was the point in asking here, like if there were nice domestic (or at least not china) made taps at a reasonable price somewhere.