Tap & Die Box Project

[steven c newman]

Inherited a load of taps and dies...
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The dies....with 2 holders. And the pile of taps..
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From a No. 8 up to a 3/4" size....Finally sifted these down a bit...
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There was a wrench for the 2 smallest taps...
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But they only would fit the #8 or the #10....and nothing else. Stashed these two away, into the small tool Tool Chest. Which left a single tap holder/wrench
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That will only fit maybe half of the sizes. Will be looking around for the larger sized holder...So, for now, I will ship off the extras...
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To a friend of mine. And then build a box to hold the rest . And the dies, and the wrenches. There is also a set of taps for doing pipe threads, and a 1/8" NPT die...will see about a box for them, though, not quite as big.
For now...have bought seven Poplar "Project Boards" 1/2" x 5-1/2" x 24", and a 2 x 2 x 3' stick of Poplar. Will be standing the taps up, and they will sit in holes in the 2 x 2s. Then I build a case around the holders (3), with 2 gaps....that I will fill 1/2 way, and add a way to store 12 dies.
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Then a lid of some sort....maybe cut from a glue up of these 2...
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First, need to haul the boards to the shop.....sweep the floor, bring the trash can and the trash scooper to the shop...and clean off the bench....we have work to do..

Stay tuned....just a Build-along thread..:D

[steven c newman]

Well, first...I needed that 2 x 2 cut, as 3' was a bit..long..
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So, I tried to cut it into 3 sections on the Mitersaw..
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Saw is powered by..
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Yes, it is sugar-free now-a-days....cut three sections, then, to get them all the exact smae length..
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Ganged up, with the other ends flush with each other. set these aside, once I figured out how long the box's sides need to be...then cut a "front" and "back"..
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Leaving enough out on the right side to then cut the 2 ends to length...had to choose the best out of 5 pieces of 24" long planks..
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All 5 are supposed to be the same length? Hmmm. Then lay out a few toys..
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Thought I could use that 1/4" plywood as a bottom for the box....usual luck, it wasn't.
Toys are to do dovetails with, also needed one other item...
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Since I tend to sit down when doing joinery work.

That will be in the next episode....Through Dovetails....stay tuned.:D

[steven c newman]

Ok, to bring things up to date on that 3 hr Shoptime, yesterday...( waiting on lunch, at the moment, before heading that way, again)

As I do Pins first ( you can do either way, it happens to work better for me) Need a little layout done....1/2" to 1/2" sides..
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set the bevel gauge to the shape dovetail I wanted. Marking gauge set to the thickness on the boards. A shoplight pointed on the work area, better to see what I am doing. I don't like to saw with the board high in the air like this, so...
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I dropped the level down to about 1/8" above the top of the bench. Used both of those saws...Old No. 4 was having issues with getting started in some spots...No. 68 took over those...full length strokes with both, needed 8 or fewer strokes. Then a Pine scrap was set on the bench top, and the pin board was clamped down..
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It saves the top of my bench from chisel marks. Yes, that is Stanley No. 5002 chisel. And a Wal E World mallet. I chop 1/2 way down, and leave a front porch..usually I start on the "show face" of the board..
then flip over, and chop the rest of the waste out. Sit a end flat on the bench, stand the just cleaned up pins onto the end board, making sure I had everything oriented the correct diection...sharp pencil to trace around the pins. Knife a stop-line....bandsaw made a lot of cuts, all in the waste side of the lines, thin slices are easier to chop out. Again, show side first, then the inside....then a dry fit
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Then, rinse and repeat for the second corner....using the 1st corner parts as templates for the spacings...left thing a tad long...dry fit?
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When you need the mallet to slide things together...I can live with that. Need to go out and buy a 1/4" plywood panel for the bottom, and a #45 set to plough the grooves for it. Then, do corners #3 and #4.

May just do the corners, today...we'll see.
Stay tuned :D

[steven c newman]

The other 2 corners are done, for now....
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The 3 racks have been sized to fit...
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Set this aside, set up a plane....open the box..
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"Some assembly required"....so...
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Set up with a #12 cutter, to plough 1/4" wide grooves....then set up a jig..
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Should hold things still, long enough to make a groove?
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Despite the fact I was going against the grain.....such that Poplar has...groove is to hold a 1/4" thick Luann plywood bottom.
Maybe tomorrow, or Tuesday...I can get the rest of the grooves done? Then start on making the racks ready for the taps?

Then decide on a lid of some sort, and a latch.....maybe some handles on the ends? We'll see..

Stay tuned :D

[steven c newman]

Rest of the grooves for the bottom panel have been done. Panel for the bottom has been cut to size..I hope.

1/2" wide groove to hold the shelf for the 10 Dies, has been milled, cleaned up and centered in 2 of the 2 x 2s....Shelf was a tad too thick, WR 62 to S4S it to size.

Computer has a bug.....went into "Read Only"......am now trying to clear it out....will not let me edit the photos from today's workout in the shop....oh well...

[steven c newman]

Two Hackwares....cleaning things up now...as for photos?
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Making noodles?
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These all matched up...
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Reset the Stanley 45...#18 cutter..
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Making a wide groove...
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Groove cleaner...
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And..and plywood bottom panel ready to install...
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More to come....stay tuned...

[steven c newman]

Turned out, I did not quite have that wide groove centered, so turned the 2 x 2 around, and widened the groove a bit, to center it. The 71-1/2 was t flatten the bottom of that wide groove. The Die holder was a bit too thick, and needed the edges jointed..so..
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We have ways...to reduce the rather rough faces a bit...to better fit the groove..
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So it will fit..
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Then place the rails in the box...
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Just enough room for the Dies..
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So, I dug out the drill bit set...
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Selected one that will match the Dies diameter..
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1" bit. Will try tomorrow to drill a few holes....may get a glue up of just the box....maybe, maybe not...depends on what the lid will be...

Stay tuned...

[steven c newman]

Trying to work through some computer issues....had to change how things were edited...and where to put the files at...
So..today was a drill press day...after a bit of lay out..
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Find the center...
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Figure out the spacings...then drill a hole to check..
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Seems to fit...do the other 9 holes..
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And fill them up...
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And set aside...same with the racks for the taps...had to keep changing bit sizes..but..
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One rack done....went back and drilled the 2 holes for the 7/8" taps a bit deeper...then the other rack..
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Dry fitted in the case, with the case's bottom installed too
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About ready to at least glue the case together....will install the racks later...

[steven c newman]

So..I went ahead and spread a bit of glue around..
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Added a few clamps, and some cauls....
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Checked the case for square, including the diagonals....will come back later, and clean up the glue dribbles...:D

Right index finger has a blister on it. Was using the grinder to "adjust" the thumbscrew on the 71-1/2 plane to better fit the case....some dummy grabbed that hot part....ouch...won't mention any names, but his initials are SCN.....Hmm...pop it, or not to pop it...that is the question.:rolleyes:

[steven c newman]

Have 2 glue-ups to "de-clamp" and clean up today.....maybe after Lunch?
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Will see....glued up a blank to make lids from...green stripe and all...
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To keep, or not to keep, that is the question...

[steven c newman]

De-clamped...
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Handsome, ain't they? Box needed leveled, top and bottom...
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Need the sides planed smooth...
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Until they at least looked presentable..
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Laid this on the lid blank...and made some layout lines...
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Then cut out the parts...
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Goal here is to miter the ends and re-attach to form a lip under the edge of the lid.. which means I use the Mitersaw..
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Then joint an edge for the glue...
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Stay tuned for part 2 :D

[steven c newman]

I also used that Millers Falls No. 15 to flatten the lid...
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Then glue and a LOT of clamps...
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Let this sit a day..

Then since the glue was handy....decided to assemble the racks ...
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Cauls in the middle because...the center rack wanted to curve and break,,,,:mad:

And that was that, for today.....other than a LOT of fussing around trying to edit all the photos....

Stay tuned...:D

[steven c newman]

Boring anyone? Clamps are gone, again....things were cleaned up...racks are being glued in place...fancy way to clamp it, Jed..
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Lid has been fitted to the case..or, was that the other way around..
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Need to sort through the hardware supplies...
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And see what ones I want to use....still have some of that Black Chain....may see about using that, again...
Stay tuned....:D

BTW: From a Garage Sale this morning...
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Kind of needed those 2 clamps last night...$1 each...."Flats" is a Stanley No. 117....Round top is a Crescent No. 73...need to figure out how to sharpen these two....just in case the line ahead of me is moving too slow....:eek:

[Michael J Evans]

Steven
Really like the tap and die box. Looks very functional. I've lately been trying to turn any scraps into boxes for misc items in the garage.

[steven c newman]

Had Laundry Detail this afternoon....so, while the washer was running...
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Hinges were installed...I used a pair of clamps and a caul to hold the lid in place...
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Flip things over, and install the latch...and a name plate holder..
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As for those square holes? Poplar scrap was trimmed to fit into them..glued in place, trimmed flush..
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Looks a bit better? Needed a pilot hole drill for some of the larger screws..
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Like the ones for the handle on each end..
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Then tried to add a chain for the lid..
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First chain I cut, it took off and hid...this is the second one I cut....shouldered screws to hold the chain in place..
Sanded everything down....eased the sharp corners a bit...and started to get the can of Minwax stain off the shelf....and a new brush...

Stay tuned...have the stained up PIP coming right up...

[steven c newman]

So, a PIP? Letting the "Gunstock" dry overnight....will see about a top coat of some sort...tomorrow...
Front View...
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End view..
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Note the grain direction on the end of the lid?
Lid view..
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Then open the lid..
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And look inside....
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Letting things air out, so the insides will dry, too....

need to design a name plate to add to the holder....and figure a way to add on inside the lid, to hold any paperwork, size charts...

Stay tuned

[steven c newman]

Thanks. Waiting on the finish to dry, before I can start on a smaller box for the Pipe Taps and the pipe Die...
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May lay the 2 big ones down,,,stand the rest up...and drill a 1" hole for the single die I have....Still have enough Poplar to build the next box...

Stay tuned...

[steven c newman]

First coat of clear gloss poly is applied,,,,waiting on that to dry a bit...then see IF it will need a second coat...

Since the varnish was out, and the brush was handy...had a few other wood handles in need of a bit of finish....bench is now full of sticky, smelly objects....

[Thomas Wilson]

This project makes me realize how much I hate blow molded cases. This case is just so much better. Thanks.