Tapping threads straight can sometimes be a challenge. A lathe, drill press, or a lot of practice help the process — or you could use a tool like Big Gator Tools’ V-Tap Guide. A series of graduated holes in the V-Tap Guide keep the tap aligned perpendicular to the surface.
Big Gator Tools makes the V-Tap Guide from nickel alloyed steel, heat treats it, grinds the bottom flat, and chrome plates it. They also cut a V-groove into the bottom, which both gives the tool its name and allows you tap perpendicular holes on corners and round stock in addition to flat surfaces.
The Inch guide can handle most tap sizes from 0-80 to 5/8-18; the Metric version handles most taps sized 1.6 mm to 16 mm. Metric or Inch, either V-Tap Guide will run you about $20, or you can pick up both for $34.
V-Tap Guide [Corporate Site]
V-Tap Guide [Little Machine Shop]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
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6 Responses to Say No To Crooked Threads
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I see lots of tools I’d LIKE to have on a regular basis. This is something I can actually say that I SHOULD have. Sweet!
why i didn’t think of this is beyond me. i’m gonna get one. might use it once in my lifetime but that tap is gonna be straight !
Does it come with magnets? I drill and tap a lot on vertical surfaces and a magnet sure would handy.
I like that feature for tapping corners; haven’t seen that before.
If you want a cheap, one size fits all, tap guide then .get a hardwood block and saw a v-notch into one side.
Yes this is a very cool tool for anyone who uses a tap, but with a block of hardwood, a table saw, a drill press and a handfull of drill bits you can have one just like mine for free in half an hour.
True, but not everyone owns a drill press, for a number of reasons.