DIY & Home Improvement

.... taps and dies in the kit they came in.

Finally, take a known 1/4-20 bolt and physically put the bolt alongside the tap. Tip to tip (one is up, the other down), and match the bolt thread to the tap. It SHOULD be an exact match. They should fit together perfectly.

If you are going to do a lot of tapping, buy a plastic guide that includes all of the tap sizes. Also, buy a small can of CUTTING OIL to use when tapping metal.

And one more tip: if you tap metal, take a turn or two into the hole, THEN take a half turn back, which breaks the cut material free. Now continue 2 turns in 1/2 turn back.

Hope this helps!