Hand Taps.

What are Hand Taps?

Hand taps are precision-threaded tapping tools engineered to cut internal threads into pre-drilled holes by hand. Often referred to simply as a cutting tap or a thread tapping tool, these essential engineering hand tools feature a straight flute profile designed to manage material removal cleanly. This category encompasses the specific tap bits needed for manual threading operations and does not include the standalone tap handle used in conjunction with them. They are vital for generating high-accuracy mating threads across a spectrum of industrial, prototyping and maintenance projects.

How Hand Taps Work

Hand taps work by progressively cutting material inside a pre-drilled hole to form a precise internal thread profile. To operate, the tap bit must be securely paired with an appropriate manual tap handle, which provides the necessary leverage and rotational control.

The manual hand tapping process typically utilises three types of hand taps in a strict sequence: the first tap (taper) initiates the thread profile, the second tap (plug) deepens the cut and the bottoming tap finishes the thread to the very base of the hole.

For example, an engineer fabricating a custom electronics enclosure uses this exact sequence to tap clean threads into blind holes within a block of metal or plastic, ensuring precision screws can be tightly secured without risking damage to the component or stripping the thread.

What Materials Hand Taps Are Made From

Accu's range of thread cutting tools utilises high-performance substrates to deliver exceptional durability and wear resistance across demanding workshop and production environments.

• Steel - HSS: Provides outstanding hardness, toughness and thermal stability, ensuring the cutting edges remain sharp and precise during hand tapping operations.

Size and Types of Hand Taps Available

Accu offers a comprehensive selection of hand tap sizes and configurations engineered to meet exact industrial standards. The extensive thread specifications include:

• Metric Coarse: M1.6 (1.6 mm) up to M60 (60 mm). The go-to metric thread pitch for most applications.
• Metric Fine: M3 (3 mm) to M40 (40 mm). A finer metric thread pitch for specialised applications.

For imperial and North American standard applications, the lineup includes:

• Unified Coarse: 1-64 UNC to 2-4.5 UNC.
• Unified Fine: 0-80 UNF to 1.1/2-12 UNF.

Speciality pipe threads are fully accommodated, featuring:

• National Pipe Taper: 1/16-27 NPT to 2-11.5 NPT.
• British Standard Pipe: 1/8 BSP(G) to 2.1/2 BSP(G).
• British Standard Pipe Taper: 1/8 BSPT to 2 BSPT. 

Traditional British engineering standards are also widely supported, encompassing:

• British Standard Whitworth: 1/16-60 BSW to 2.1/2-4 BSW.
• British Standard Fine: 3/16-32 BSF to 2.1/2-6 BSF.
• British Association: 12 BA to 0 BA.

All variants utilise highly efficient straight flutes and are available as individual First, Second or Bottom taps, as well as complete sets for absolute layout flexibility.

FAQs

Q: What is a hand tap used for?

A: A hand tap is a specialised thread tapping tool used to manually cut, repair or clean internal threads within a pre-drilled hole, allowing bolts, screws and other threaded fasteners to engage securely with the material.

Q: What are the three types of hand taps?

A: The three types of hand taps are the first tap (taper), the second tap (plug) and the bottoming tap. They are designed to be used sequentially to safely and progressively form a complete, full-depth thread profile.

Q: What is the proper way to use a hand tap?

A: Secure the hand tap into a suitable tap handle, align it perfectly straight with the pre-drilled hole and turn it smoothly. To prevent binding, periodically reverse the rotation (typically a half-turn backwards for every full turn forward) to break and clear accumulated material chips from the straight flutes.

Q: How do you choose the right hand tap size?

A: Match the hand tap size directly to the major diameter and thread pitch of the fastener you intend to use. Always refer to a standard tapping drill chart to ensure the initial hole is pre-drilled to the exact required diameter before tapping.

Q: How do I know what size taps to buy?

A: Identify the precise thread standard (such as Metric, UNC or BSP), the pitch and the diameter required for your components. From there, you can purchase individual first, second or bottoming taps based on whether you are threading through-holes or blind holes, or select a complete hand tap set to ensure you have all three options on hand.

Bespoke Hand Taps Manufacture.

High precision, bespoke manufacture of Hand Taps to customer specification. State of the art facilities specialising in both small batch prototyping and large scale manufacture.