Managing a tiny tap

[austinrick]

I purchased a Kadee #246 tap & drill set. The 2-56 tap is about 5/32 in diameter; too big for either of my little pin vices. One end is squared off, for what that's worth.

What are people using to hold and stabilize such a tap? It's a very common size.
-thanks

 

[montanan]

I have a number of pin vises and for tapping I use this one. Check and see if you can change the collet in your pin vise. It so happens that the collets from my Dremel tool just happens to fit perfectly.

Please excuse the messy work bench.

 

[flyboy2610]

I use a regular tap holder from Menard's.
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...52349543-c-10160.htm?tid=-7460953984688923354

Just use care cutting the first couple of threads. I use it all the time for 2-56 screws. In fact I leave the 2-56 tap in it all the time. I have another set for 4-40 and up.

 

[austinrick]

Thanks very much! My local O'Reilly Auto is bringing in Century's equivalent #98501 for me. We'll see if my tap fits.

Yours appears to be a Vermont-American product. But it seems both these brands come with one collet, judging by the packaging. One collet will not hold from #0 - 1/4", so I'm not sure what to expect.

Anyway, thanks again for the lead.

 

[fire5506]

Usually tap handles have 2 steps in them, the inner one holds smaller taps and the outer one holds the larger taps. They grip the square, not the diameter.

 

[austinrick]

Thanks much. The tap handle I got (Century, above) does hold the 2-56 tap by the square end, which I did not expect and thought was wrong but opportune--but you've made sense of that. I don't see two distinct steps in the ferrule, so not sure how it holds a #0 as well as a 1/4" shank. The package labeling was useless. But I'm good to go for now, so thanks for the input, and look for me back here when I can't get a different tap to fit!