A tap for my headstock thread

[cd]

This might no be the right place for this so mods please move it if you need to.
I want to buy a tap to match my lathe headstock 3/4" 16tpi. I have seen some good ideas for chucks and other lathe jigs in the articles section of http://woodturningonline.com and many seem to use hardwood tapped to screw direct to the headstock. I am wondering if anyone here has tried this and if anyone knows where I can buy a suitable tap preferably online

cd

 

[Learner Les]

I have tried this with varying amounts of success. The most successfull was by drilling and tapping whilst the wood remains on the lathe.This article helped: http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/WoodenFaceplate/WoodenFaceplates.htm

I obtained a tap from a local engineering suppliers.

Seasons Greetings

Les

 

[Alf]

cd,

Ian Wilkie did an article on this in #147 of GWW (May '04) and suggested Tracy Tools Ltd as a good source for taps. One suitable for your headstock was quoted at £4 + 20% to cover VAT and postage.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Hans]

Hi CD,

I think Mike Darlow has given a good description of the possibilities an problems of tread cutting in wood in page 129 - 186 of 'Woodturning techniques' ISBN 1 56523 148 1
He shows that cutting a thread in axially grained wood with a (metal cutting) tap gives poor results.
He suggests to convert a fastener to a woodcutting tap as a simple way to cut female threads.

It might be worth looking into Fred Holders 'Making screw threads in wood' ISBN 1 86108 195 2. Equally negative about using metal cutting taps in wood.

Hans

 

[cd]

Thanks for the link Alf
I'll get in touch with tracy tools after Christmas and get one, for a fiver its got to be worth a try.

Hans I'd also read that sometimes its not too easy to get good threads from a metal cutting tap but I think if I choose some hard close grained wood it should be ok, anyway for the price of the tap it seems silly not to try. Besides I dont think my skills are up to hand cutting threads yet

I'll let you all know how I get on in the new year.

cd