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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Perth, Western Australia
    Posts
    18

    Default Tap and Die storage

    Hi,
    After many years of my taps and dies being stored in tins and boxes on a shelf (and taking forever to find what I want) I have built some draws under one of my benches to store them in an easy to find way.
    I am looking for some ideas on laying them out and may be making up some dividers to keep the individual sizes apart.
    What do you guys do?

    Tony







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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    3,149

    Default

    If you have a router and a ball nose cutter or two I'd suggest putting some grooves in some MDF pieces cut to the size of your drawers. If you had shelf space you could try a block of wood with holes in it to stand the taps vertically.

    Michael

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Bundaberg
    Age
    54
    Posts
    3,402

    Default

    Mine are stored in small plastic multi-compartment storage boxes, one for metric, one for UNC, one for BA etc. Not ideal but suffices for now......

    However, if you have made some drawers how about making some foam inlays? Buy a cheap 8mm thick camping foam "mattress" and cut out holes to suit your needs, then glue it onto a second sheet. Total thickness: about 16-20mm depending on what brand of foam you buy. Buy two different colours and have a contrasting base; looks pretty!

    Find bits of tubing the same dia as the botton dies, grind a bevel on the INSIDE and you have a hole punch. Make another one about 1/2-5/8" dia and use that to make finger holes so you can get them out afterwards, put a single finger hole between two dies. Dies that are large enough to stick a finger into won't need them.

    For the taps, put them into sets (threes or twos) and cut slots that allow them to sit alongside each other, then cut a single 5/8" slot across the centre of each set so you can pull them out.

    If you have missing sizes cut them out anyway; an empty slot is a good excuse to justify tool expenditure!

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Far West Wimmera
    Age
    63
    Posts
    2,765

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bts View Post
    Hi,
    After many years of my taps and dies being stored in tins and boxes on a shelf (and taking forever to find what I want) I have built some draws under one of my benches to store them in an easy to find way.
    I am looking for some ideas on laying them out and may be making up some dividers to keep the individual sizes apart.
    What do you guys do?

    Tony

    snip
    Currently I do what you used to do but I plan on building a shelf/draw in my metalwork cupboard (Build posted in previous thread) with timber cutouts as mentioned by Michael. I inherited my fathers Tap / Die set a few years ago. It is I think P & N, older than I am and comes in a wooden box with cutouts. All original as far as I am aware. Unfortunately it it a bit too long to fit in my cupboard so I will have to take it out of the box. I will be keeping the box tho.

    I plan on having a drawer that sits under a shelf so takes up little space. Just 2 bits of wood. One with cutouts one without, or maybe 2 seperate shelves or maybe 3. 1 for metric, one for imperial and 1 for holders.

    I don't have as many as you.

    Dean

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Mandurah, WA
    Posts
    40

    Default

    Quite a fair bit of handy and free storage tubes can be had from your local path lab or clinic.

    I have got a heap of little plastic tubes with a twist top, I think they are for blood collection and I have taps in these.

    Use the styrofoam vial trays to hold drills, scribes and anything that you want held in its own compartment.

    Check them out they next time you give blood

    Mike

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Bendigo Victoria
    Age
    80
    Posts
    16,560

    Default

    A lot of the taps and dies I have are for my penmaking and are generally rather specialised threads.

    To keep them organised and easy to find I bought some parts cabinets from Aldi and have a small drawer for each size, labelled accordingly.

    When I buy these taps and dies, they quite often don't come in their own container, especially the taps. I have bought quite a few small plastic tube type containers from craft shops, used for beads, they make good tap containers.


    The larger taps get put in the plastic vials used by pathology labs for collecting blood etc.


    Some of the taps come in their own plastic container.


  8. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    melbourne australia
    Posts
    2,621

    Default

    GregQ brought these to our attention a while ago. I've been meaning to get one and try it out:

    INREDA CD rack - IKEA

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    68
    Posts
    834

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jack620 View Post
    GregQ brought these to our attention a while ago. I've been meaning to get one and try it out:

    INREDA CD rack - IKEA
    I've used them for some time now, they are brilliant for the smaller taps and drills.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    nowra
    Posts
    1,361

    Default

    I use the same thing as Big Shed.
    Those Aldi boxes are great I keep a drill with the tap so it's always handy saves 15 minutes looking for the right drill (this time would be greatly reduced if I had my drills organised and not all in one box
    BETTER TO HAVE TOOLS YOU DON'T NEED THAN TO NEED TOOLS YOU DON'T HAVE

    Andre

  11. #10
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    rural s.a.
    Posts
    120

    Default

    I've been using the Ikea c.d. racks for tap storage for a while now. they come in 2 sizes, C.D. & D.V.D. Also its easy to remove a division for larger taps with a sharp wood chisel. Have to go out, but will post a pic either later tonight or tomorrow.
    Ian.

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    sydney
    Age
    64
    Posts
    3,566

    Default

    Shouldnt take 15 minutes to locate the correct tapping drill if drills are kept in a stand and charts are available.

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Perth, Western Australia
    Posts
    18

    Default

    Thanks for all the feedback guys, lots of good ideas.
    The Ikea CD racks look interesting might suit my draw application.

    On the subject of drill storage, I got a bit carried away when I made a shelf for storing stuff near the drill press. (hate to think what its going to cost to fill all the holes).


  14. #13
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    rural s.a.
    Posts
    120

    Default

    Here are the pics I promised, The taps aren't labelled, but I know that Metric is on the right, next is BSW then UNF then BSP. Anything else are taps I wouldn't use very often. Also a pic of the tool bit drawer, the dividers are 3 mm mdf & just cut 1/2 way through with the table saw. That's the first one I have done that way & it works O.K. The drawers are made from cover sheets from a kitchen manufacturer.
    Ian
    IMG_2IMG_2110a.jpg108a.jpgIMG_2111a.jpg

  15. #14
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Salem Ohio
    Age
    65
    Posts
    214

    Cool

    Same thing except with aluminum sheet folded like zzzzzz's ...Bob

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    3,149

    Default

    One thing I have seen used in the past is a section of mini-orb corrigated iron. The only problem that I see with using metal is potential to scuff up teeth.

    Michael

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