a

4 Back to Homepage Shop All Our Products5

10 Di erent Types of Thread Taps

[De nitive Guide]
by Bob War eld | Blog, CNC Beginner, CNC Products, Machining Techniques

There are many di erent types of thread taps, and knowing exactly when to
use each kind is the goal of this guide.

Note:  If you’re familiar with tap types, but need to learn best practices in their use
to avoid breaking taps, try our article and video 7 Ways to Avoid Breaking Taps.

A great variety of thread taps are available with varying advantages and
disadvantages:

Hand Taps (Tap Set Taps, Straight Flute Taps)

Hand taps, typically bought at the local hardware store, are the most common
types of taps, but they are generally to be avoided for CNC work.

Buy some good quality taps and try tapping by hand versus the hardware store set
of thread taps. You’ll be surprised at how much better taps made for machines
work.

One applicable standard for Hand Taps is ISO 529.

There are two types of Hand Taps:

Taper Tap
A taper tap has quite a lot of taper to help it ease into cutting threads
gradually.   Typically, the rst 8 to 10 threads are tapered.  Taper Taps are the
most common types of taps and are typically what you’ll have in a Tap and Die
Set.

Bottoming Tap
A bottoming tap has almost no taper at the end because it is designed to
thread all the way to the bottom of its reach.  Only 1 to 1.5 threads will be
tapered.
Bottoming Taps are useful for threading blind holes.  It’s desireable to thread
most of the hole with a Taper Tap rst, and then nish the bottom of the hole
with a Bottoming Tap.

Plug Tap
Plug Taps are in between Bottoming and Taper Taps because they have 3-5
threads tapered, which is more than a Bottoming Tap and less than a Taper
Tap.

Unfortunately, terminology is not always consistent.  Some vendors call these

“Second Taps” and refer to Bottoming Taps as Plug Taps.  Check to be sure
what you’re getting and using.

Power Taps

These are the types of taps you should choose from for CNC applications or for
manual machining work.

Spiral Point Taps (Gun Nose or Bull Nose Taps)

These thread taps have a spiral cut with relief grooves. They’re common and look
like most of the hand taps you’ll see around.  But, the spiral angle on the front
cutting edges helps eject the chips and the angled edge also gives superior cutting
performance.  Hence, they’re really the least expensive thread tap you might
consider using for power tapping, and can be run at slightly higher speeds than
hand taps.
Like hand taps, sprial point taps can be had as a taper tap has a tapered end, or a
plug tap (intended for blind holes) has much less taper.

They’re cheaper than the other two types, but I typically prefer the other two. The
primary disadvantage of these is they push the chips ahead of the tap–down into
the hole in other words. This is not a big deal for through holes, but is a bad idea
for blind holes.

Spiral Flute Taps or Gun Taps

Spiral Flute Taps have an open spiral just like an endmill. Their primary advantage
is they eject chips up and out of the hole. They’re always preferable over spiral
point taps when you have a blind hole.
They’re also preferable for an interrupted hole where another feature intersects
because the spiral helps restart the threading past the open feature.

Sometime, take a spiral ute tap and a regular hand tap and tap a couple of
identical holes by hand.  You’ll be shocked at how much less e ort the spiral
ute tap requires.  Choosing the right types of taps really helps!

Interrupted Thread Tap

These thread taps only have a tooth for every other thread.  The idea is to
provide improved chip extraction.  Removing every other tooth helps break
chips and also provides more room for the chip to escape and for lubricant to
come in and do its job.

Pipe Taps

As you might expect, Pipe Taps are the types of thread taps used for tapping
pipe threads.  There are both straight and tapered pipe taps depending on
whether the pipe thread is intended to be straight or tapered.  The photo
shows a typical NPT Thread Pipe Tap.  You can see the taper of the NPT thread
pro le.

Taps for tapered pipe threads have to work harder because you can’t drill a
tapered hole.  There’s quite a lot more material they must remove at top of
hole than bottom.  Use a pipe taper reamer to taper the hole so the tap doesn’t
work so hard.

Form or Roll Taps (Thread Forming Taps)

Thread Forming taps don’t cut threads at all. Instead they cold form. Threads
made this way are often called “rolled” threads.

With this process, the metal is pushed out of the way and compressed into
position rather than being cut.  There are no chips to remove.  As a result, the
taps themselves are less likely to break and the threads they make are
stronger. If your application allows Form Taps, they are generally the best thing
going for those reasons.

Form Taps do require different feeds and speeds and they require a different
starting hole size, so be aware of that before using one.

While many believe they’re only good for soft materials like aluminum, they can
actually be used on materials up to a hardness of 36 HRC, which is about 340
BHN. That covers a surprisingly wide range of materials including a lot of steels.

I will almost always choose a Form Tap over a Cutting Tap out of the available
types of taps if the material isn’t too hard for thread forming.

Tip:

Kelly o ers this tip for form taps:

“One minor hiccup with quite a few of the roll forming taps…unless they have a
groove to allow cutting oil to escape, or there is no room at the root or crest of
the thread, the oil will build up back pressure as the tap goes in, and eventually
act like solid metal plug blocking further entry of the tap into the hole. I gured
this out the hard way after breaking a few taps.”
Extension Taps (Long Shank Taps)
These are just thread taps with a long shank to facilitate reaching di cult holes
that are blocked by other features on the part.

Punch Taps

This proprietary technology jointly developed by Audi and Emuge can save you
up to 75% of your tapping cycle time.  Check out our article for more about
Punch Taps.

Standard Tap Markings

Taps are marked on the shank so you can tell at a glance what kind of thread
tap you’re dealing with.  The markings typically will include:

Nominal Size:  This is the description of the thread size that tap will make.
 Thread Form Symbol:  This describes the thread family.
Tap Material:  Usually Carbide or HSS
Pitch Diameter LImit:  Tells what tolerance thread will be made.

Pitch Diameter Limits (Threads < 1″ in diameter)

L1 = Basic to Basic minus .0005

H1 = Basic to Basic plus .0005
H2 = Basic plus .0005 to Basic plus .0010
H3 = Basic plus .0010 to Basic plus .0015
H4 = Basic plus .0015 to Basic plus .0020
H5 = Basic plus .0020 to Basic plus .0025
H6 = Basic plus .0025 to Basic plus .0030

Note:  You can nd these limits in G-Wizard’s thread database too.

Thread Form Symbols / Abbreviations

ACME 60° STUB 60° Stub thread form

ACME STUB Stub Acme thread form
ACME-C Acme thread – centralizing
ACME-G Acme thread, general purpose
ANPT Aeronautica National Form taper pipe thread
AWWA American Water Works Association
BA British Association Standard thread form
BSF British Standard Fine thread series
BSPP British Standard Pipe Parallel
BSPT British Standard Pipe Taper
BSW British Standard Whitworth
MM ISO Metric thread form
N BUTT American Buttress screw thread
NC American National Coarse thread series
NEF American National Extra-Fine thread series
NF American National Fine thread series
NGO American National gas outlet threads
NGT American National gas taper threads
NH American National hose & re hose coupling
NM National Miniature thread series
NPS American Standard straight pipe thread
NPSC American Standard straight pipe thread in couplings
NPSF American Standard internal straight pipe thread (dryseal)
NPSH American Standard straight pipe thread for hose couplings & nipples
NPSI American Standard intermediate straight pipe thread (dryseal)
NPSL American Standard straight pipe thread for locknuts
NPSM American Standard straight pipe thread for mechanical joints
NPT American Standard taper pipe thread
NPTF Dryseal American Standard taper pipe thread
NPTR American Standard taper pipe thread for rail ttings
NS Special threads of American National Form
PTF Dryseal SAE Short Taper pipe thread
SGT Special Gas Taper thread form
SPL-PTF Dryseal Short Taper Pipe thread
STI Special Threads for Helical Coil Wire Screw Thread Inserts
UN Un ed and American thread series
UNC Un ed and American Coarse thread series
UNEF Un ed and American Extra-Fine thread series
UNF Un ed and American Fine thread series
UNIV Uni ed Miniature Thread Series
UNJ Uni ed Thread Series with Controlled Root Radius
UNJC Uni ed Coarse Thread Series with Controlled Root Radius
UNJF Uni ed Fine Thread Series with Controlled Root Radius
UNR Uni ed Constant Pitch thread series with Controlled Root Radius
UNRC Uni ed Coarse Thread Series with Controlled Root Radius
UNRF Uni ed Fine Thread Series with Controlled Root Radius
UNS Un ed and American threads of selected special diameters and pitches

Who Makes the World's Best Screwdrivers?

Seriously.  And don't think it's Snap On or Craftsman.

Listen, I love "World's Best" articles.  Why?  Because no matter who you
are, you deserve to experience the very best.  Particularly the very best of
something you will use often, like a screwdriver.  So check it out and see. 
We'll show you 8 brands that are far better than the average screwdriver.
 Start Now, It's Free!

More Tapping Resources

Tap Feeds & Speeds Calculator

7 Ways to Avoid Breaking Taps.

Programming Tapping in G-Code

G-Wizard Thread Calculator: Get all the key dimensional information you
need for threads with this handy calculator.

Easy Guide to Thread Terminology

Easy Guide to Thread Mills

 
Like what you read on CNCCookbook?

Join 100,000+ CNC'ers!  Get our latest blog posts delivered straight to your
email inbox once a week for free. Plus, we’ll give you access to some great CNC
reference materials including:

Our Big List of over 200 CNC Tips and Techniques

Our Free GCode Programming Basics Course
And more!

Just enter your name and email address below:

Full Name

Email *

Subscribe

100% Privacy: We will never Spam you!

4 / 5 ( 21 votes )
More articles you may like:

Threadmill & Best CAD/CAM Complete Guide Metrology Sine Bar, Sine
Thread Milling Software for CNC to Fixture Plates, Machinist Tools: Plate & Sine Vise [
2020 Machining Tooling Plates, Complete Guide 2019 Complete
[Speeds/Feeds, Beginners [2020] and Modular Guide, Free
G-Code] Fixtures Calculator ]

Results of the
CNCCookbook
Tool Data
Management
Survey

Themes Tools Training

3D Printing (60)

Blog (870)

CNC Beginner (255)

CNC Manufacturing & Job Shops (205)

CNC Products (241)

CNC Projects (195)

CNC Router (61)

Cool (235)

DIY CNC (83)

Feeds and Speeds (132)

GCode (80)
Guest-Post (14)

Machining Techniques (434)

Manual Machining (39)

NewFeatures (13)

Software (249)

G-Wizard Calculator:
Fast, Easy, Reliable Feeds and Speeds

Try G-Wizard

Software that will make anyone a better

CNC'er
Get Better Tool Life, Surface Finish, and Material Removal Rates Fast.
It's that easy.  You can install and get results in a matter of minutes.

Try G-Wizard Now, It's Free!

Help Desk
? How can we
help you today?

All Material © 2020

CNC Cookbook, Inc.

Software

GW Calc

GW Editor

GW Thread Calc

GW Estimator

MeshCAM

Gearotic

Conversational

CNC Programming / GCode

Free Training

G-Code Simulator

G-Code / M-Code List

Feeds & Speeds

Calculator

Free Calculator

About

Media Guide

Learn

Blog

Free Courses

Free Calculators

CNC Dictionary

Free Trial