Tap threads into hardened steel and iron. These cobalt steel taps have straight flutes for high durability. With a square shank, they're compatible with tap wrenches and 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. When using them to tap closed-end holes, be sure to leave sufficient space at the bottom for chips to accumulate.

Use uncoated taps for short production runs.

To tap nickel and other hard material, these cobalt steel taps have high cutting strength. Their spiral flutes keep chips clear, so they don't need to be reversed to prevent buildup. With a square shank, they're compatible with tap wrenches and 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.

Taps for through-hole threading push chips ahead of the tap and out of through holes.

Taps for closed-end hole threading draw chips back toward the tap while cutting threads, preventing chip accumulation in closed-end holes.

These taps are for use on most metal and plastic. They have a square shank that's compatible with tap wrenches and tap holders for drill presses and milling machines.

Use uncoated high-speed steel taps for small-scale tapping jobs. Titanium-nitride (TiN) coated high-speed steel taps resist heat and wear better than uncoated taps, letting them last up to twice as long.

Taper-chamfer taps have 7-10 chamfered threads at the tip for cutting into the workpiece. They require less torque than other chamfer types, making them a good choice for starting threads and tapping through holes. However, a longer taper means that they cannot thread as close to the bottom of closed-end holes.

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.

Bottoming-chamfer taps cut into the workpiece with just 1-2 chamfered threads. This short chamfer lets them thread holes closer to the bottom than other taps, but they require more torque to start threads.

Also known as gun taps, the taps in these sets have spiral-point flutes that push chips ahead of the tap and out of through holes. Because they don't need to be reversed to prevent buildup, they produce threads more efficiently than standard taps and are suitable for production work. Taps have a square shank for compatibility with tap wrenches and tap holders for drill presses and milling machines. With a plug chamfer, they have 3-5 chamfered cutting threads, so they're suitable for start-to-finish tapping. All taps and drill bits are made of high-speed steel for use on most metal and plastic.