12-28 Taps | McMaster-Carr

A range of sizes that remove chips so they don’t ruin the threads or jam the tap. The spiral-point flutes force chips through the hole to prevent buildup and create threads faster than standard taps. Also known as gun taps.

High-Speed Steel

Image of Product. Front orientation. Taps. Chip-Clearing Tap Sets.

The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic.

Gold Oxide—The finish increases wear resistance and reduces friction to improve chip flow, so these taps can last 50% longer than uncoated taps.

							Plug Chamfer
	No. of Pieces	Thread Size	Thread Type	Flute Type	Container Type	Shank Type		Each
Gold Oxide



		19	0-80, 1-64, 1-72, 2-56, 2-64, 3-48, 3-56, 4-40, 4-48, 5-40, 5-44, 6-32, 6-40, 8-32, 8-36, 10-24, 10-32, 12-24, 12-28	UNF, UNC	Spiral Point	Metal Case	Square	00000000	0000000

Hex-Shank Tap and Drill Bit Sets

Drill and tap a variety of hole sizes. These taps and drill bits are for use on metal and plastic.

Uncoated High-Speed Steel Tap—Uncoated high-speed steel taps have a longer tool life than carbon steel. They are strong enough for most jobs but don’t last as long as other high-speed steel taps. Use them for small-scale jobs.

Plug Chamfer—Plug-chamfer taps are a versatile choice for most tapping applications. With 3-5 chamfered cutting threads, they require moderate torque and are often used for start-to-finish tapping of through holes and closed-end holes. However, they do not start threads as easily as taper chamfers. When using them to tap closed-end holes, be sure to leave sufficient space at the bottom for chips to accumulate.

Black-Oxide High-Speed Steel Drill Bit—Black-oxide high-speed steel drill bits have a longer tool life than carbon steel. They cut with less friction than uncoated drill bits.

	Chamfer Type	Tap Sizes Included	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	No. of Flutes	Pitch Dia. Limit	Drill Bit Sizes Included	Drill Bit Material	Container Type		Each
Uncoated High-Speed Steel Tap



	36	Plug	1 each of sizes: 6-32 6-40 8-32 8-36 10-24 10-32 12-24 12-28 1/4"-20 1/4"-28 5/16"-18 5/16"-24 3/8"-24 3/8"-16 7/16"-14 7/16"-20 1/2"-13 1/2"-20	2" 2 1/8" 2 5/32" 2 11/64" 2 3/8" 2 1/2" 2 15/16" 3 5/32" 3 7/32"	UNC, UNF	3, 4	H2, H3	1 each of sizes: 25/64" 27/64" 29/64" 5/16" 36 ga. 33 ga. 25 ga. 21 ga. 16 ga. 15 ga. 7 ga. 3 ga. F I Q U 2 each of sizes: 29 ga.	Black-Oxide High-Speed Steel	Metal Case	0000000	0000000

Tap Sets

These sets include a variety of taps for threading holes so screws, bolts, and rods fit snugly.

High-Speed Steel—Single Thread Size Sets

Taper, Plug, and Bottoming

Chamfer Set

The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic. These sets include one of each chamfer type: Taper for starting holes and threading through holes; plug for through holes and blind holes; and bottoming for cutting the closest to the bottom of any hole.

Uncoated—The economical choice, these won't last as long as coated taps.

Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated—Run at higher speeds and last twice as long as uncoated taps.

							Taper Chamfer, Plug Chamfer, Bottoming Chamfer
	No. of Pieces	Tap Sizes Included	Thread Type	Container Type	No. of Flutes	Shank Type		Each
Uncoated



		3	12-28	UNF	Plastic Case	4	Square	00000000	000000


		Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated



				3	12-28	UNC	Plastic Case	4	Square	000000000	00000

High-Speed Steel—Multiple Thread Size Sets

Plug Chamfer Set

The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic. These sets include multiple sizes of plug chamfer taps for through holes and blind holes.

Uncoated—The economical choice, these won't last as long as coated taps.

						Plug Chamfer
	No. of Pieces	Tap Sizes Included	Thread Type	Container Type	Shank Type		Each
Uncoated



		19	1 each of sizes 0-80, 1-64, 1-72, 2-56, 2-64, 3-48, 3-56, 4-40, 4-48; 5-40, 5-44, 6-32, 6-40, 8-32, 8-36, 10-24, 10-32, 12-24, and 12-28	UNF, UNC	Metal Case	Square	00000000	0000000

Carbon Steel—Single Thread Size Sets

Taper, Plug, and Bottoming

Chamfer Set

The economical choice for occasional hand tapping. These work on most metals and plastic but will dull more quickly than other taps. Sets include one each chamfer type: Taper for starting holes and through holes; plug for through holes and blind holes; and bottoming for cutting the closest to the bottom of any hole.

							Taper Chamfer, Plug Chamfer, Bottoming Chamfer
	No. of Pieces	Tap Sizes Included	Thread Type	Container Type	No. of Flutes	Shank Type		Each
Uncoated



		3	12-28	UNF	Plastic Case	4	Square	000000000	00000

Taps

Cut threads into holes so screws, bolts, and rods fit snugly. Our basic taps have straight flutes that are good for most jobs.

High-Speed Steel—The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic.

Uncoated—The economical choice, these won't last as long as coated taps.

Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated—Run at higher speeds and last twice as long as uncoated taps.

Taper Chamfer—Good for both starting holes and threading through holes. These taps have the longest taper to gradually engage with the material, reducing the force needed to turn them. They can't reach the bottom of blind holes, however, so you will likely need to finish with a bottoming-chamfer tap.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type, these thread both through holes and blind holes. The tapered section is shorter than a taper chamfer and longer than bottoming chamfer. As a result, they're easier to turn than bottoming taps but require more force than taper taps.

Bottoming Chamfer—Cut all the way to the bottom of blind holes with taps that have the shortest taper. Since these require the most force to turn, they’re often used to finish holes started by taper- or plug-chamfer taps.

Number of Flutes—Taps with fewer flutes have more space to capture chips, so you won’t have to clear them as often. However, they can be more difficult to keep straight in the hole.

Taps Sold as Sets—Include one tap of each chamfer type.

	Taps														Taps Sold as Sets
						Drill Bit			Taper Chamfer		Plug Chamfer		Bottoming Chamfer
	Thread Size	Thread Lg.	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	No. of Flutes	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Shank Type		Each		Each		Each	No. of Taps		Each
High-Speed Steel







				Uncoated

				12-28	15/16"	2 3/8"	UNF	4	15 Ga.	0.18"	Square	00000000	00000	00000000	00000	00000000	00000	3	00000000	000000




						Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated

						12-28	15/16"	2 3/8"	UNF	4	15 Ga.	0.18"	Square	00000000	0000	00000000	0000	00000000	0000	—	———	0

Drill Out Tap Extractor Sets for Screw Thread Taps

After using a large-diameter bit to drill a starter hole in a broken tap, drill out the tap with one of these tools. Sets include multiple extractors for use with different tap sizes and two picks for removing the remains.

No. of Pieces	Includes	For Tap Size	Overall Lg.	OD	Material	Container Type		Each
7	Four Tap Extractors, Pin Vise, Two Picks	No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 8, No. 10, No. 12, 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", M3, M3.5, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, M10, M12	1 1/4" 1 1/2" 2" 2 1/2"	1/8" 5/64" 3/16" 1/4"	Carbide	Plastic Case	0000000	0000000

Tap Extractor Sets for Screw Thread Taps

To extract taps of different sizes, these sets include multiple extractors. Fingers on the extractor grip the flutes on a broken tap. Use with a tap wrench to remove taps with straight flutes from the workpiece.

No. of Pieces	For Three-Flute Tap Size	For Four-Flute Tap Size	Material	Container Type	For Number of Tap Flutes		Each
6	—	No. 10, No. 12, No. 14, 3/16", 7/32", 1/4", 9/32", 5/16", 11/32", 3/8", 7/16", 15/32", 1/2", M4.5, M5, M5.5, M6, M6.3, M7, M8, M9, M10, M11, M12, M12.5	Steel	Plastic Case	4	00000000	0000000
11	No. 5, No. 6, 1/8", M3, M3.5	No. 8, No. 10, No. 12, No. 14, 3/16", 7/32", 1/4", 9/32", 5/16", 11/32", 3/8", 7/16", 15/32", 1/2", 9/16", 5/8", 11/16", 3/4", 13/16", 7/8", 15/16", 1", M4, M4.5, M5, M5.5, M6, M6.3, M7, M8, M9, M10, M11, M12, M12.5, M14, M16, M18, M19, M20, M22, M24, M25	Steel	Plastic Case	3, 4	00000000	000000

Chip-Clearing Taps for Steel and Stainless Steel


Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes	Spiral Flute for Blind Holes

Made of a high-vanadium alloy, these taps are harder and more wear-resistant than other high-speed steel taps. The flute design prevents buildup to protect the quality of the threads and avoid damage to the tap. Since you don’t need to reverse these taps to extract chips, they also create threads faster.

High-Speed Steel—The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic.

Black Oxide—The dark finish increases wear resistance and reduces friction to improve chip flow, so these taps can last 50% longer than uncoated taps.

Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes—Push chips ahead of the tap and out of through holes. Also known as gun taps.

Spiral Flute for Blind Holes—Pull chips back toward the tap so they won't build up in blind holes. When tapping brittle material like iron that creates fine or powdery debris, choose a straight-flute tap.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type. With a longer taper than a bottoming chamfer, they are easier to turn but won't thread as close the bottom of a hole.

Bottoming Chamfer—These taps have the shortest taper to thread close to the bottom of blind holes. They require the most force to turn, so they’re often used to finish holes started by plug-chamfer taps.

					Drill Bit			Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes				Spiral Flute for Blind Holes
	Thread Size	Thread Lg.	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Shank Type	Chamfer Type	No. of Flutes		Each	Chamfer Type	No. of Flutes		Each
High-Speed Steel







				Black Oxide

				12-28	1/2"	2 3/8"	UNF	15 Ga.	0.18"	Square	Plug	2	0000000	000000	—	—	———	0


				12-28	1/2"	2 7/16"	UNF	15 Ga.	0.18"	Square	—	—	———	0	Bottoming	3	00000000	000000

Chip-Clearing Taps

Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes

Remove long, stringy chips to produce cleaner threads than standard taps. The flute design prevents buildup to protect the quality of the threads and avoid damage to the tap. Since you don’t need to reverse these taps to extract chips, they also create threads faster.

High-Speed Steel—The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic.

Uncoated—The economical choice, these won't last as long as coated taps.

Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated—Run at higher speeds and last twice as long as uncoated taps.

Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN) Coated—Resist heat, chipping, and wear for three times the life of uncoated taps.

Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes—Push chips ahead of the tap and out of through holes. Also known as gun taps.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type. With a longer taper than a bottoming chamfer, they are easier to turn but won't thread as close the bottom of a hole.

					Drill Bit			Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes
	Thread Size	Thread Lg.	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Shank Type	Chamfer Type	No. of Flutes		Each
High-Speed Steel







				Uncoated

				12-28	15/16"	2 3/8"	UNF	15 Ga.	0.18"	Square	Plug	2	00000000	00000




						Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated

						12-28	1/2"	2 3/8"	UNF	15 Ga.	0.18"	Square	Plug	2	0000000	00000




								Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN) Coated

								12-28	15/16"	2 3/8"	UNF	15 Ga.	0.18"	Square	Plug	2	00000000	00000

Drill Out Tap Extractors for Screw Thread Taps

After using a large-diameter bit to drill a starter hole in a broken tap, drill out the tap with one of these tools. Remove the remains with a scriber or pick.

For Tap Size	OD	Overall Lg.	Material		Each
No. 8, No. 10, No. 12, M4, M5	1/8"	1 1/2"	Carbide	0000000	000000

Chip-Clearing Taps for Titanium

Spiral Flute for Blind Holes

Sharp, angled flutes cut through tough titanium alloys while reducing heat and preventing clogs. These taps draw out chips gradually to create clean threads and protect the tap from jamming or breaking.

Cobalt Steel—Tough and wear resistant, cobalt taps last twice as long as high-speed steel. They also can run at higher temperatures without damage to their cutting edges.

Black Oxide—The dark finish increases wear resistance and reduces friction to improve chip flow, so these taps can last 50% longer than uncoated taps.

Spiral Flute for Blind Holes—Pull chips back toward the tap so they won't build up in blind holes.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type. With a longer taper than a bottoming chamfer, they are easier to turn but won't thread as close the bottom of a hole.

					Drill Bit			Spiral Flute for Blind Holes
	Thread Size	Thread Lg.	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Shank Type	Chamfer Type	No. of Flutes		Each
Cobalt Steel







				Black Oxide

				12-28	5/8"	3 5/32"	UNF	15 Ga.	0.18"	Square	Plug	3	0000000	000000

Drill Taps

Spiral Flute

Drill holes and cut threads without switching tools. Made of high-speed steel, these taps are for use on most metal and plastic. The square shank is compatible with tap holders for drill presses and milling machines. All have a plug chamfer with 3-5 chamfered cutting threads, so they're suitable for start-to-finish tapping.

Uncoated High-Speed Steel—Uncoated taps are strong enough for most tapping jobs but have the shortest tool life.

Spiral Flute—Taps with spiral flutes keep chips clear by drawing them back toward the tap and out of the hole.

	Thread			Drill Bit							Plug Chamfer
	Size	Lg.	Overall Lg.	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Point Angle	Flute Type	No. of Flutes	Thread Type	Pitch Dia. Limit		Each
Uncoated High-Speed Steel



		12-28	21/32"	2 3/8"	15 Ga.	0.18"	110°	Spiral	2	UNF	H3	0000000	000000

Chip-Clearing Taps for Nickel

Spiral Flute for Blind Holes

Avoid heat buildup that can deform material and prematurely wear taps when threading nickel alloys. The body on these taps narrows closer to the flutes for better coolant flow and less contact with the workpiece. Spiral flutes prevent stuck chips that can slow you down and decrease the quality of the threads.

Cobalt Steel—Tough and wear resistant, cobalt taps last twice as long as high-speed steel. They also can run at higher temperatures without damage to their cutting edges.

Black Oxide—The dark finish increases wear resistance and reduces friction to improve chip flow, so these taps can last 50% longer than uncoated taps.

Spiral Flute for Blind Holes—Pull chips back toward the tap so they won't build up in blind holes.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type. With a longer taper than a bottoming chamfer, they are easier to turn but won't thread as close the bottom of a hole.

					Drill Bit			Spiral Flute for Blind Holes
	Thread Size	Thread Lg.	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Shank Type	Chamfer Type	No. of Flutes		Each
Cobalt Steel







				Black Oxide

				12-28	7/16"	2 3/8"	UNF	15 Ga.	0.18"	Square	Plug	3	0000000	000000

Tap Extractors for Screw Thread Taps

Fingers on the extractor grip the flutes on a broken tap. Use with a tap wrench to remove taps with straight flutes from the workpiece without damaging the surrounding threads.

Tap Extractors						Replacement Tap Extractor Fingers
For Tap Size	Material	Square Shank Size	Choose a Number of Tap Flutes		Each	Choose a Number of Tap Flutes	Pkg. Qty.		Pkg.
No. 12, 7/32", M5.5	Steel	0.128"	2 , 3 , 4	00000000	000000	2 , 3 , 4	12	00000000	000000