Gunsmithing 8-40 Taps

[671RTO9513]

Can anyone point me to a tool supplier who carries a Greenfield or Brubaker quality 8-40 spiral point tap that works well on rifle action steel?

I see Brownells carries one but I don't know the brand.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Re: 8-40 Taps

Brownell's are GTG.
Get their cutting oil too.
Cheers,
LG

 

[tpryder]

Re: 8-40 Taps

I have ordered them from Brownells, but if you really want to know the manufacturer of the taps try these websites. They are manufacturing supply houses: www.use-enco.com and www1.mscdirect.com

 

[PFCSkoug]

Re: 8-40 Taps

hanson taps are shit!, which unfortuantly are what brownells sells. ive considered special ordering some good ones from osg but havent. 8-40 isnt a standard size in industry so it gets difficult to find good taps. The hanson taps will work but dont use them for more than one job

 

[shoot4fun]

Re: 8-40 Taps

If you don't find it at MSC then it may not exist.

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: 8-40 Taps

Brownells has them but I dont like their taps.

 

[LRI]

Re: 8-40 Taps

Mitsubishi makes some damn nice tooling.

Get a gun tap that pulls the chip out of the hole. Ditch the stinky sulphurized cutting oil crap and buy a bottle of Castrol Moly D tapping fluid. (around $50 bucks for a 20oz size but worth every penny)

You'll love the stuff so much you'll consider using it for brushing your teeth!

Good luck.

 

[671RTO9513]

Re: 8-40 Taps

Chad

Do you mean the spiral flute taps? I like a tap to either push the chips forward (spiral point in a through hole) or out the back (spiral flute in a blind hole). Don't like to use hand taps if I can get away with it. Spent way more time driving a power tapper than I want to think about!

I'll for sure try the Castrol.

Where's the best place to get the Mitsubishi tooling?

Thanks.

 

[operator1]

Re: 8-40 Taps

Enco has 16oz. of Castrol Moly Dee for $17.95
Here is a link: http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA...p;PARTPG=INLMPI

 

[jcfd2201]

Re: 8-40 Taps

+1 on the Castrol Moly D!
Enco has great products, great customer service, and fast shipping. They will typically have tools in a quality and economy line.

 

[LRI]

Re: 8-40 Taps

Ordered a case!

That's a smokin price!

 

[Mike308Bell]

Re: 8-40 Taps

Are you drilling in a blind hole or all the way through? And are you taping by hand? I like a 2flute tape for steel. I mostly use spiral taps on aluminum. But some times its just depends on the quality of the tap. Yesterday I broke a 6-32 that had been tapping five holes every 8 min cycle for over a week. It broke and I put in another and it only lasted four runs. Some times they just are junk and theres nothing you can do. Buy the best you can.

 

[Munimula]

Re: 8-40 Taps

Enco or MSC are good sources for taps.

I use Hertel taps with good success. But to each his own.

 

[Clark]

Re: 8-40 Taps

I don't notice any improvement when I compare Moly D with Tap Magic for 6-48 taps in receivers.

It depends on if you want thick and black or thin and clear.

I have tapped more than a hundred 6-48 holes into guns, planning on re working with 8-40 if they strip out, and I am still waiting for the first 6-48 failure. And I have put some heavy scopes on some hard kicking rifles.