MTFCA Forum

WTB - obsolete 7/64-56 tap

I am trying to fill in a missing tap on an old set

on the wild chance that you have such a thing lurking around, I would love to hear from you

thank you

Hi Scott,
That is a odd ball thread, I have taps down to 0-80 but that one escapes my collection.
Craig.

Yes, it is!
thanks for checking Craig

I will be looking a long time, I think

I looked through a few tobacco cans full of taps I got at an auction and there was none. Is this a real thread? Can u buy a bolt to fit it? What would it be used for?

Robert

it is a real thread and I doubt that I could purchase a screw that needs it. It would have to be a custom fabrication (I have the die). This is from an obsolete thread system of fractional threads, including increments of 64, 32, 16 and 8...the 1/8-40 is in fact a 5-40 in today's threads and the 3/16-32 is just a few thou off of a modern 10-32, the 7/32 tap is just a few thou off of a #12 tap. These, and all of the others are pure and simple odd-balls for today's work.

I have a stock of several hundred taps/dies in all sorts of USS, ASME (Special & Standard), UNF/UNC/UNF(of course) as well as Schrader Valve, Metric, BSW, BSF, and ADMF (and probably a few others).

These are used in the repair of very early and specialty carburetors and occasionally scientific instruments.

the tap I presently seek is the only one missing from a circa 1882 set that is otherwise complete for both taps and dies.

Thanks for checking!

One suggestion - Maybe Adam Booth of Abom79 Youtube fame would be willing to make a pair of taps for you. I know he has the machine tools and the heat treating equipment to do so. If you sent him a picture of one of the other taps in the set (close to the size you want) with some dimensions, maybe you could convince him to take it on as an interesting Youtube project for his channel. Tell him about the age of the set and your connection to Model T Fords, it might spark his interest.

https://www.youtube.com/@Abom79

Thank you Mark

I'm in fact acquainted with his channel, having loosely followed him for years. Unfortunately, no matter how much charity he put into it, I could not afford the cost of a custom manufacture relative to the utility I could get out of it!

To be sure, I am not unappreciative of the suggestion, and had not come up with it myself, so again "thank you"! but for now, I don't see that as being viable. Who knows, I may be contacting him eventually, though... If I always came up with the right answer the first or second time, I'd be an entirely different person

Now here's what is confounding and angering (at least to me). Much of what I happen to need in the form of really odd threads is impossible to source anywhere else, but is readily available, over the counter, at my most hated and despised supplier - China. And to make matters worse for any American or Free World supplier, when I order something from SUZHOU, China, the shipping is usually less than $5 US, while something I order from Miami, FL can cost between $10-15. Don't tell me that anyone in the Federal Gov't is trying to help put Americans to work or even on par with Communists when they make sweet shipping deals like that, with the Devil Himself. RANT OVER.

I asked for help and am getting it, so it's all a win!

Scott,

As it turns out, I have 3 such taps. Go figure...
My father and I have spent many years poking through boxes of odd taps & dies at flea markets, always looking for unusual threads.

You are welcomed to one of them. I believe I have your address handy and I'll get it out to you soon.

Jerry

I'm FLOORED and OVERWHELMED!!

I never really in a million years expected success much less such a wonderful offer! Thank you!

I just cannot thank you enough

Scott_Conger wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 18, 2023 12:26 pm

Jerry

I'm FLOORED and OVERWHELMED!!

I never really in a million years expected success much less such a wonderful offer! Thank you!

I just cannot thank you enough

Yer welcome! I was kind of tickled that I actually had a few.

Reminds of a story, (most things do...) I asked an older guy I worked with, how his weekend went. He grumbled that his kids threw he and his wife a surprise anniversary party. I asked why he was unhappy with that. Turns out, they hauled out some of his old records to play and broke one of them. (Yes, it ruined the whole weekend for him ) I asked what the title was. He couldn't recall it exactly but described the song. It was a 1940's tune about a guy who was turned down for military service. The next day, this 22 year old kid, (me), handed him a copy of the record. He was blown away! I never ever saw this guy "happy", except on that day. It was a lot of fun, just like this.

Jerry

it's clear that you were raised right...kudos to you and your mom and pop!

Oh, and as long as Santa's out there, I'd like a train, too

Not that anyone asked, but am feeling a little "professor-ish" so will add this tidbit: back in days of old, your local Blacksmith would and could make oversize screws in 1/64 and 1/32 sizes. He would use a die stock which as infinitely adjustable die plates parmanently captured in a runner between the handles. These die stocks had sliding plates and between each plate, would be a thread-count...one popular die stock had sliding plates of 12, 14 and 16 TPI and he could close it down and cut over and over until he had a pretty good facsimile of your bolt in an oversize condition. You'd be happy to pay $.05 for a bunch of 'em and go on your merry way satisfied that your "good" tap and die set all the way from Wells Bros. in New England would finish that screw or bolt to a very precise size from his "blank" and you also had an oversize tap to clean out that buggered hole.

Companys like Heavy Hardware Company in Toledo, OH would also sell pretty much any fastener, part, or accessory your buggy, wagon, or in many instances your auto-wagon could possibly need (and lots of stuff it didn't) for use in its repair and upkeep. Need a new Whip-stand to hold your whip at a moment's ready, while giving your gal a thrill in your gentleman's carriage? (The horse got the whip, not the gal...stop that). They had one... plus anything, everything, and things you've never heard of, just for the asking.

Now you know

do you care?

do you care?
yes!