I have read older threads on how to use taps & dies, but I have another question.
Besides earring backs, posts and clutches, what are good uses to justify the cost of a good set?
Anything that you might want to hold together with a cold connection. You can make your own tiny bolts and other threaded fasteners. Lots of fun…Rob
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Agree with Rob…any kind of cold connection, such as many use on copper or brass to avoid the problem of matching solder color…think steam punk, as in this style, the cold connections are consistent with it. AFAIK, there isn’t any such thing as a good set, they seem to all be the same, and cost about $15. In measuring them, I noticed that the diameters seem a little off, but as long as the tap and die match fairly well, this shouldn’t matter. You will need a few small twist drills to drill the holes for the taps. They should last a while, as they are steel and you will be using them on relatively soft precious metals and copper, brass, etc. -royjohn
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Miniature taps and dies are made in a variety of qualities by different manufacturers. Jewelers commonly use a screwplate rather than individual dies, though even those vary in quality. The $15-20 sets are generally sufficient for most jewelers. But if you’re planning on featuring screws prominently in your designs, say as a recurring signature motif, then you would do well to invest in something a bit better.
You don’t necessarily have to buy industrial quality taps and dies, where each tap or die might cost $40-50, but a set made for hobbyists, like model railroaders, will give you better service than a cheap screwplate. They will also be more regular in their sizes and so easier to know what size drill and wire to use.
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Taps and dies produce threaded parts ,(obvious, right?) But if you look at the larger world outside jewelry, how many things are assembled with threaded parts? Bolts and screws and nuts are everywhere. In jewelry, a threaded connector of some sort might be a candidate for anything you need to attach to anything when solder or welding wont work. And if you look at more complex high end jewelry you will often find the use of multiple parts that deliberately are not soldered, but are assembĺed with hidden threaded screws and nuts, so that if and when repair work is required, the various parts are accessible after disassembly. Want to work with anodized aluminum, or titanium? How will you assemble parts? Screws and nuts are time honored mechanical cold connections…
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The master goldsmith James Miller was kind enough to explain to me how he created his magical rock crystal flower arrangements. The flower is secured between the metal stem and the metal stamens, which are literally screwed into the top of the stem. Now THAT is an amazing use for tap and die. To see some absobluminitly gorgeous work, find “The Work of a Master Goldsmith” by James Miller. True eye candy for a jeweler.
Judy in Kansas, where fall is in the air and I finally had to turn on the furnace. Still getting some tomatoes and peppers from the garden…for a few more days anyway.
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Thank you all so much. On a new quest of mind bending. I only create new ideas. Not into replication.