M3 Die

PAY ????????? to get into a show ???

Good heavens what next.

I flatly refuse to pay to get into shows, I go to buy, OK I'll look round but my sole object of going is to buy.

Now the trade stands I buy off have already paid serious coin to stand there, plus still paying their rates back at base.

If I went to their shops / warehouses would I be charged entrance fee.

No way, I'd be welcomed in, given a coffee at the better places [ Andrew are you reading this ?? ] and relieved of cash.

So what's different??

PS Kevin, I'll have a look in the morning for a spare, must have one, anything under 1/2" is a bloody rivet.

-- Regards,

John Stevenson Nottingham, England.

Visit the new Model Engineering adverts page at:-

That's what our toolroom manager at work says, I have a note stuck on the wall next to my crib sheet for screw sizes which says "avoid using M3" -he hates it when I design stuff with little screws in. I keep threatening to take some 12BA nuts & bolts in to work.

Regards Kevin

We use a lot of M3 stuff, but have moved away from plated Chinese stuff to Stainless Steel Chinese stuff, less chance of broken screws!

We still use BA stuff but less as time goes by.

Have also got a lot of BSW and BSF cap head stock in std and CSK types if anyone gets stuck for such items.

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk Web:

Tracy Tools - Dartmouth?

Has them at £2 each in carbon steel but minimum order is £5

Having just recently finished a project using 12BA screws, I ca sympathise.

Some radio control model shops now stock M3 size taps and dies as the use these smaller sizes on model aircraft. There are also som questionably cheap chinese taps and dies to be had from motor spare shops

-- DX-SF

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My local Aldi has a set of M 3-4-5-6 taps ond dies for £3.99.

It's a bit out-of-date though, 'phone your local to see if they have any in stock before you go.

Thanks for that -I just popped in on hte off chance to have a look, the local Aldi is only round the corner. I thought they had all gone as there were none with the tools, but then I found some in the "bargain bin" reduced to £1.99 -Result!

Regards Kevin

I recently needed an M4 tap rather urgently & bought a metric tap & die set from B&Q - my local store reckoned that they weren't going to stock it any longer & let me have it for a fiver IIRC. You may get lucky with your local B&Q...

Regards, Tony

Be careful with cheap carbon steel made in itchifanni tap and die sets. The larger taps are usually close enough to size to do the job but the same dimensional error on the small ones can be enough to wreck a thread. Best to try the tap in a nut first and make sure it doesn't cut oversize or have any nasty burrs on it.

-- Dave Baker

Agreed. Quality control seems to vary a great deal with taps and die

from the Pong Ping Panda Poop Machine Company. Like most things, yo generally get what you pay for

-- DX-SF

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I have a couple of sets of these - check the die nuts - IIRC there is a metric fine thrown in for a laugh.

Steve