Thread taps come in an assortment of shapes and sizes, and knowing when to utilize each can assist you in tapping quicker and all the more productively. They are available in a wide variety of styles, each with its own unique benefits.

Taps with Spiral Points (Gun or Bull Nose Taps)

These thread taps have relief grooves and a spiral cut. They're common and resemble the majority of hand taps you'll encounter. On the other hand, the spiral angle on the front cutting blades aids in chip ejection and provides greater cutting performance. As a result, they're the cheapest thread taps you might use for power tapping, and they can run at somewhat faster speeds than hand taps.

Spiral point taps, like hand taps, come in two varieties: a taper tap with a tapered end and a plug tap (for blind holes) with significantly less taper.

They are less expensive than the other two, but most machinists prefer the other two. The main disadvantage is that they push the chips ahead of the tap–in other words, down into the hole. This isn't a significant concern for through holes, but it's a horrible idea for blind holes.

Blind holes can be threaded with the use of bottoming taps. It's preferable to thread most holes with a taper tap first, then finish with a bottom tap.

Gun Taps or Spiral Flute Taps

Spiral Flute Taps, like endmills, have an open spiral. Their main benefit is that they can eject chips up and out of the hole. When you have a blind hole, they're always preferred to spiral point taps.

They're better for an interrupted hole where another feature meets because the spiral helps the threading continue past the open feature.

To test the taping technique, tap several identical holes using spiral and standard taps. You'll be surprised at how little work the spiral flute tap necessitates. Choosing the appropriate taps is quite beneficial.

Interrupted Thread Tap

Every other thread has a tooth on these thread taps. The goal is to make chip extraction more efficient. Removing every other tooth aids in chip breaking and allows more room for the chip to depart and the lubricant to enter and perform its function.

Hand Taps (Straight Flute Tap, Tap Set Taps)

The most popular taps are hand taps, which may be purchased at your local hardware shop. However, they should be avoided for CNC operations. Purchase some high-quality taps and compare them to the thread taps from the hardware store. You'll be shocked at how much better machine-made taps perform.

ISO 529 is one suitable standard for hand taps and taps are classified into two types:

Taper Tap

A taper tap has a lot of tapers, which makes it easier to cut threads gradually. The first eight to ten threads are usually tapered. Taper Taps are the most common taps, and they're usually included in a tap and die set.

Bottoming Tap

Because it is meant to thread all the way to the bottom of its reach, a bottoming tap has nearly no taper at the end. Tapering will be limited to one-to-one and a half threads.

Plug Tap

Plug taps are a cross between bottoming and tapering taps, with three to five threads tapered, which is more than a bottoming tap but less than a tapering tap.

Bottoming taps are sometimes referred to as "plug taps" by some manufacturers and are referred to as "second taps" by others, as terminology isn't always consistent. Check to be sure you're receiving and using the right thing.

At SCTools, our clients value our industrial tools for their dimensional accuracy, great finish, increased durability, and high strength. Our products are widely used in various industries due to their high-quality standards and dependability. We use cutting-edge technologies to create optimal setups based on our clients' requirements.

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