Reedy Tools-Tap Handles

I'm a fan of Century (german company) - they make a 0"-1/4" T-Handle that I use for 'small' work.

watch your mailbox monday.  
let us know if ya like it - or if its too bulky

I have several tap and die sets, the best being a vintage Craftsman, back when they offered quality tools. But I have never found a suitable tap handle for my 2/56's and other small taps, something that would tighten/grip properly.

I like a T handle but I can never get a perfect vertical down-push with them. Your suggestion Bob may cure that.

I normally use one like the above picture, but have one about that size with a ratchet handle that I like too. It makes it quicker to remove the tap using the ratchet rather than the bar. I also have a piece of 2" x 3/8" x 1/4" steel with a square hole drilled in the middle that works well for the smaller #2 and #4 taps because you can sort of feel it before it breaks.

This is the subject tap handle.

Bob
Thanks in advance, Charles!

I have a 4 piece set similar to the one posted above by Bob that I use.

I have this one and it works well https://www.ebay.com/itm/321485673189?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20210609151224%26meid%3Daee8050ffa2149ef8f6ef154eb2a0371%26pid%3D101112%26rk%3D8%26rkt%3D24%26sd%3D222730796847%26itm%3D321485673189%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2563228%26algv%3DSimplAMLv9PairwiseWebMskuAspectsV1&_trksid=p2563228.c101112.m1982&amdata=cksum%3A321485673189aee8050ffa2149ef8f6ef154eb2a0371%7Cenc%3AAQAGAAACAA55386hZOznBUzSccwAOltGa7aujGEFbGsZgGI0JuGnlJ%252FoCGU525d4S7CBg3YJ6Zl42zmyxSobFlQABHHJSAJdSXroECjoR06h1DzbBmidxDO6bE9n4zTgMblhEqKTGF4VVsPnBSMjCYiogug6uPZdsNVkdfd7JScAc%252FcP1apUgNiqqI4sOitCpsqpsQvJJBZjac50%252F96tw6xp%252FrnEePX1K2%252FrAjf4e2kUaVUE1fTv%252FNSojUWJPPn7XhyX6%252Fyt0xF6sokGtUPme%252BbYMHqqGf4CZirJkTqSuB4DWgasnoQAvDjkozSitRYs0h3ijD2BgoTI3Ua7MElM1vPVD1aa0Bilp5lYxIORyH3JitvSKl2Vnbo0UM4oy02tRkHg5FpWUFSyX5sbslEaZUTgvry3lLif9eq32PtYdAYqI86tBy7cEUv7jwfHvtS3mnhLDVp3NBV%252F6tOMmxYws%252B9jmgU3OWGFYySBZaXr5dcpeIkcCkntPHKOoNxAN1tzjn58Fsk6XQmil7n4kPuDn8yUouOLcVHy5tU0vMQgk3ZoHxdm%252B262IyFFsQ7egUSOqqqO32xtP9vPXeaOoIc97mTvRce%252FGqJm%252FgPyiq4dgxem8lZ79FIhroRQyAGhgC4Vx%252FRZ%252Bq%252FWHzSVj%252BMRK8Mi9eNnOwCOxfnH%252BON9gfwKzECGLBUoFfKK%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2563228 I use both hands to get it started straight .

cstatman wrote:I'm a fan of Century (german company) - they make a 0"-1/4" T-Handle that I use for 'small' work.

watch your mailbox monday.  
let us know if ya like it - or if its too bulky

Received the handle, weee. What a beauty. Just a
hair big for the flats on a 2-56 tap, but it grabs the
tap shank just fine. cstatman is my new best friend.
Bob

In the case that anyone has a hardware store nearby the stocks the General Tools and instruments line.. I have their pin-vise.

Shown below; it's 4-jaw/square collet holds my 2-56 tap nicely.




I've used this combination to chase/cut the threads deeper in a few of my Cox "Bee" crankcases. Many crankcases weren't threaded to the bottoms of the 4 bores.. which can cause the back-end's 2-56 screws to snug-up before the back-end is tight to the crankcase..



Being a "pin-vise".. the smaller jaws would be for gripping small-size drills.. (smaller than the 1/16" dia. that you'd find at the hardware store..)  

Sorry.. there's no part# on it.. only General HDWE New York USA stamped on the barrel. There are X2 double-ended collets that store inside the barrel.



You could.. (and I have..) chucked the barrel in my cordless-drill/driver for using drills of a smaller diameter than my drill-chuck would grab/hold.

roddie wrote:In the case that anyone has a hardware store nearby the stocks the General Tools and instruments line.. I have their pin-vise.

Shown below; it's 4-jaw/square collet holds my 2-56 tap nicely.

You could.. (and I have..) chucked the barrel in my cordless-drill/driver for using drills of a smaller diameter than my drill-chuck would grab/hold.

Roddie, That brings back a few fond memories for me!  I worked for GRS  (Grand Rapids Supply) a local wholesaler of industrial tools and suppplies. Before computers, sat at a desk taking phone orders from Tool and Die shops, Machine shops, Maintenance Repair outfits. Desk had a Phone and a 3ft long metal rack holding all the catalogs of the manufacturers we represented. 8 1/2 x 11 3 part order forms were filled out manually as the customer read his list of Items they needed. Could be busier than a one armed paper hanger in a wind storm, most of the time. During the lulls I enjoyed reading thru all the catalogs to familiarize myself with the vast and varied products.  GENERAL TOOLS  was one of my favorites. They had (and still do) the coolest tools for specialty operations, tools I'd use only once in a lifetime if in my tool box, like an edge deburring tool or hole depth gauges.  GRS is long gone as are most of the tool and die shops. General tools still has a catalog....if ya wanna browse through it like a kid looking at the Sear Christmas catalog...
   https://generaltools.com/media/wysiwyg/TCAT14_TOOLS_CATALOG_1.pdf

PS: your pin vise is on page 89

cool this litle pin-vise wit it's 4-jaw I too have already done this but the tools you use are much better It's not easy to do Me it's an old tap and dril set dubro kit??? What brand is this tap style of drill bit??
It's not the kind of tool you find everywhere. I managed to find a tap to do the spray bar treads on .15 medallion

Marleysky wrote:

roddie wrote:In the case that anyone has a hardware store nearby the stocks the General Tools and instruments line.. I have their pin-vise.

Shown below; it's 4-jaw/square collet holds my 2-56 tap nicely.

You could.. (and I have..) chucked the barrel in my cordless-drill/driver for using drills of a smaller diameter than my drill-chuck would grab/hold.

Roddie, That brings back a few fond memories for me!  I worked for GRS  (Grand Rapids Supply) a local wholesaler of industrial tools and suppplies. Before computers, sat at a desk taking phone orders from Tool and Die shops, Machine shops, Maintenance Repair outfits. Desk had a Phone and a 3ft long metal rack holding all the catalogs of the manufacturers we represented. 8 1/2 x 11 3 part order forms were filled out manually as the customer read his list of Items they needed. Could be busier than a one armed paper hanger in a wind storm, most of the time. During the lulls I enjoyed reading thru all the catalogs to familiarize myself with the vast and varied products.  GENERAL TOOLS  was one of my favorites. They had (and still do) the coolest tools for specialty operations, tools I'd use only once in a lifetime if in my tool box, like an edge deburring tool or hole depth gauges.  GRS is long gone as are most of the tool and die shops. General tools still has a catalog....if ya wanna browse through it like a kid looking at the Sear Christmas catalog...
   https://generaltools.com/media/wysiwyg/TCAT14_TOOLS_CATALOG_1.pdf

PS: your pin vise is on page 89

Such an interesting story to me Rene. Remember the "Thomas Register"? I'm sure you do! We two have traversed similar paths in this life I believe; after reading your words above.

davidll1984 wrote:cool this litle pin-vise wit it's 4-jaw I too have already done this but the tools you use are much better It's not easy to do Me it's an old tap and dril set dubro kit??? What brand is this tap style of drill bit??

It's not the kind of tool you find everywhere. I managed to find a tap to do the spray bar treads on .15 medallion

Hello David, My pin-vise is a "General Tool & Instrument" #92 pin-vise.

The 2-56 NC tap is made by Greenfield. A #50 (.070" dia.) drill is proper for a pilot-hole.

Do you know of the McMaster-Carr Company? You can obtain most anything tool-related from them.

Here's a weblink;

https://www.mcmaster.com/