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this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2024
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If it's stripped, I doubt chasing the threads with a m4 tap will accomplish much. Tapping it for the next size up (m5) seems like a good choice.
What would you consider a high quality tap or die? I have a cheap(er) set that I got at home cheapo. With how little use it gets, its biggest issue is surface rust from sitting in my garage 24/7.
So, the biggest difference in quality is the steel and hardness.
For 2020 aluminum, it’s not that big of a deal. Even less so for “occasional” use. For harder metals, the cheapos will wear out faster and that maybe leads to frustration.
Guess my point was… we almost never use more than 2-3 in a set, so, it’s better to get the 2-3 and better quality at the same - but totally get the cheapie if you don’t want to spend that much.
At least I only use m3,5 and 1/8” sets.
Also, for the record, you can absolutely tap plastic for a reasonably strong thread. Just add a couple extra perimeters.
My question was rooted in how you would know the quality/hardness of the steel at time of purchase - especially as a (fairly) layperson.
I think my set is dewalt. It included taps, dies, and drill bits for M3-M7. I don't think I've ever used the drills, and the have gotten a lot more use than the dies, but I think I've used almost everything in the kit more than once. Before kids, it was cars. Post kids, it's mostly cheap Chinese furniture my wife buys that I have to chase threads in to get it to assembly well.
I've had pretty good success sizing 3D printed holes to be interference fit. That's how I designed/printed the bed leveling thumb wheels for my i3 clone. They backed off far less frequently than the stock metal once.
Mostly by the cost? As for sets, they’re going to be 200+ easy.
Theres also some difference in tolerances, but to be honest, a super tight tolerance is a double edged sword. Bulk-produced bolts won’t be as tight anyhow.
For casual/infrequent uses, it’s totally fine to get the inexpensive ones. (I’d recommend going to a local hardware store, they tend to have not totally-shitty sets and most sizes/threads individually.)
Also, for printed parts, you can absolutely just cut in with the bolt, unless your printer is somewhat inconsistent, a with a well-calibrated printer, all you really need to know is how much your holes tend to shrink (the thermal contraction as the plastic causes the final diameter to be smaller. This is why we invented test prints….. well. Not me. Somebody’s smarter than me.)