I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. Scrap metal or not?

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

You can always list them on Ebay or Craigslist. See what people are willing
to pay.

Should be OK, if they are sizes you use. The fact you were "given" the box
says something.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Randy333" wrote in message
...
I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. Scrap metal or not?

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

Randy333 on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:26:08 -0500
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. Scrap metal or not?

Yes.

Are they any good? (sharp not broken) then they are good. Thread
sizes have been "standardized" in the US since the Civil War.

Other wise - they're raw material for making other tools.
--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although more often, Age travels alone."

Stormin Mormon wrote:

You can always list them on Ebay or Craigslist. See what people are willing
to pay.

Should be OK, if they are sizes you use. The fact you were "given" the box
says something.


Not really. It depends on why they were given away. Lots of old
timers have to give up their hobby or pass on, and the family just wants
the stuff gone.

On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:37:01 -0800, pyotr filipivich wrote:

Randy333 on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:26:08 -0500 typed
in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. Scrap metal or not?

Yes.

Are they any good? (sharp not broken) then they are good. Thread
sizes have been "standardized" in the US since the Civil War.

Ah, but which standard? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Screw_thread#History_of_standardization.

I would check the taps carefully -- I wouldn't expect a bunch of cutting
edges that rattled around in a box for a while would be as good as new,
although they may still be plenty good.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:26:08 -0500, Randy333
wrote:

I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. Scrap metal or not?

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

Are they sharp? Do you have a surface grinder to sharpen them with?
Sharpening them is actually pretty easy. It can even be done with a
Dremal tool....but it takes time

Unless you are a production shop..they will probably do you just fine

Gunner

The methodology of the left has always been:

1. Lie
2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
6. Then everyone must conform to the lie

On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:11:44 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Stormin Mormon wrote:

You can always list them on Ebay or Craigslist. See what people are willing
to pay.

Should be OK, if they are sizes you use. The fact you were "given" the box
says something.


Not really. It depends on why they were given away. Lots of old
timers have to give up their hobby or pass on, and the family just wants
the stuff gone.

I was given 300+ pounds of nearly new taps a couple years ago. Most of
them werent even used. All "dipped" nicely. Metric and ASA.

Ive got taps Ill probably never use in 2 lifetimes

Gunner

The methodology of the left has always been:

1. Lie
2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
6. Then everyone must conform to the lie

On Feb 25, 7:26*am, Randy333 wrote:
I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. *Scrap metal or not?

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

Depends on whether they were in a damp basement for 40 years and what
brand names they have on them. If you've got button dies, split ones
are a little more useful, all those can be resharpened if you know
how. Same with taps above a certain size. If the threads are really
rusty, though, or the tap edges are chipped, they're no use for the
intended purpose. That's not to say they're useless, I've made many a
busted tap into a center punch or prick punch. Can be reground for
lathe cutters for some oddball setups, too. And if the chips are at
the end, you can shorten the tap to a second or bottoming tap.

If you sort out what you have by size and thread, the next time you
need a tap or die, you won't have to spend a whole lot of time looking
through the whole lot. My dad took his collection of button dies and
slid them in order onto a piece of scrap #12 insulated wire and
twisted the ends. Hung it on a hook at the back of the bench. But
then he was an electrician, he did that with a lot of stuff, scrap
copper was cheap. He never did get the tap situation sorted out, had
some old tire patch cans from his dad, cardboard with a metal top,
stuck the big ones in one and the small ones in another. Fit in his
tool box, that's all he was concerned with. If you've got really
small taps, one way to keep the edges apart is to stick them into a
chunk of corrugated cardboard, got a number of new gunsmithing taps
sent that way stuck into the edge corrugations.

Stan

On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:15:36 -0800 (PST), Stanley Schaefer
wrote:

On Feb 25, 7:26*am, Randy333 wrote:
I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. *Scrap metal or not?

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

Depends on whether they were in a damp basement for 40 years and what
brand names they have on them. If you've got button dies, split ones
are a little more useful, all those can be resharpened if you know
how. Same with taps above a certain size. If the threads are really
rusty, though, or the tap edges are chipped, they're no use for the
intended purpose. That's not to say they're useless, I've made many a
busted tap into a center punch or prick punch. Can be reground for
lathe cutters for some oddball setups, too. And if the chips are at
the end, you can shorten the tap to a second or bottoming tap.

If you sort out what you have by size and thread, the next time you
need a tap or die, you won't have to spend a whole lot of time looking
through the whole lot. My dad took his collection of button dies and
slid them in order onto a piece of scrap #12 insulated wire and
twisted the ends. Hung it on a hook at the back of the bench. But
then he was an electrician, he did that with a lot of stuff, scrap
copper was cheap. He never did get the tap situation sorted out, had
some old tire patch cans from his dad, cardboard with a metal top,
stuck the big ones in one and the small ones in another. Fit in his
tool box, that's all he was concerned with. If you've got really
small taps, one way to keep the edges apart is to stick them into a
chunk of corrugated cardboard, got a number of new gunsmithing taps
sent that way stuck into the edge corrugations.

Stan


Not rusty, but many are chipped. Some are chipped bad! I just wonder
if they are even worth sorting through. I use mostly spiral point or
spiral flute taps. I am trying to run a business and make a living at
this. The tap wreches are nice, one is even a starrett.

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

On 2/25/2013 2:07 PM, Gunner wrote:
On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:26:08 -0500, Randy333
wrote:

I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. Scrap metal or not?

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

Are they sharp? Do you have a surface grinder to sharpen them with?
Sharpening them is actually pretty easy. It can even be done with a
Dremal tool....but it takes time

Unless you are a production shop..they will probably do you just fine

Gunner

The methodology of the left has always been:

1. Lie
2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
6. Then everyone must conform to the lie


I never could sharpen a tap. How do I learn?

On Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:22:55 -0500, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:

On 2/25/2013 2:07 PM, Gunner wrote:
On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:26:08 -0500, Randy333
wrote:

I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. Scrap metal or not?

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

Are they sharp? Do you have a surface grinder to sharpen them with?
Sharpening them is actually pretty easy. It can even be done with a
Dremal tool....but it takes time

Unless you are a production shop..they will probably do you just fine

Gunner

The methodology of the left has always been:

1. Lie
2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
6. Then everyone must conform to the lie


I never could sharpen a tap. How do I learn?

Where are the cutting edges? Simply sharpen them

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/j...eningTap-1.asp

http://www.ehow.com/how_8242462_shar...read-taps.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzT0CRhWDLE

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/arc...hp/t-1954.html

Its hardly rocket science. Shrug

Gunner

The methodology of the left has always been:

1. Lie
2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
6. Then everyone must conform to the lie

Going thought them now.

found a tap 1-1/4-7 US STD. Viley and Russell Mfg Co.

weird thing is the lead goes up 14 teeth. more than 1/2 the tap is
lead in.

Is this the way they used to make carbon steel taps?

Also a few taps tapered all the way, one is marked 3/4 1/32 10. I'm
guessing 3/4-10 thread with a 1/32 taper per foot. What's it for?


On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:26:08 -0500, Randy333
wrote:

I was given a big box of old taps and dies, many are marked USS or SAE
instead of NC or NF. Scrap metal or not?

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy
Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

Looked up the name.
Came up as Wiley and Russell. They were taken over by GTD in 1912 and
in 1916 the Wiley and Russel name was dropped, so this tap has to be
at least 97 years old. WOW. Still does not appear to be worth
anything.

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy

Maybe next year? I uess 1916 was a very good year for taps?

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Randy333" wrote in message
...
Looked up the name.
Came up as Wiley and Russell. They were taken over by GTD in 1912 and
in 1916 the Wiley and Russel name was dropped, so this tap has to be
at least 97 years old. WOW. Still does not appear to be worth
anything.

Remove 333 to reply.
Randy