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Tapping Tuesday – Tap Chamfer

Some time ago we published a blog entitled, "CUTTING TAP CHAMFER 101”.  It described what the chamfer’s purpose is, and what standard lengths are offered on off the shelf taps. They are Bottoming, Plug, and Taper. This blog builds on that information and goes into more depth so you can optimize the chamfer based on your application. Although we stock many common special taps with standard chamfer lengths, we can design and manufacture a special tap for your application. Optimizing the chamfer results in, longer tap life, reduced tapping torque, better finish, and make the difference

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Categories: Blog, Taps

Tap Drill Size for NPT & NPTF Taper Threads

Tap Drill Size for NPT and NPTF Taper Threads

You got the job. You ordered and received material. You ordered and received taps and gages from North American Tool. The job is now out in the shop to be manufactured and the first operation is to produce a hole before tapping. How do you determine what tooling to do that with?

Holes before tapping pipe threads are produced either straight or tapered. The choice of method is

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Categories: Blog, Taps, Uncategorized

EnGAGE Yourself with Gages & Gaging

Now that you successfully produced a threaded part, how do you know if it’s too large, or too small? Just because the bolt screws into a threaded hole or a nut screws on to a threaded stud, doesn’t mean it’s in the specification. What confidence do you have that when your customer receives your part that their part will assemble with it?

This is where gages come into play. Gages determine if what was produced is somewhere between the required maximum and minimum size envelope. The use of limit type gages is the simplest way to accomplish

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Categories: Blog, Gages, Uncategorized

National Pipe Taper vs. National Pipe Taper Fuel


Ever wonder what the difference is between an NPT (National Pipe Taper) and NPTF (National Pipe Taper Fuel) threads are? It’s not just the spelling.



They are both the same in many ways,

- both are used to carry fluids and gasses

- both have the same diameter, thread per inch combination, sizes, 1/16-27, 1/8-27, ¼-18, etc.

- both have an included thread angle of 60 degrees.

- both have a thread that tapers 3/4 per inch per foot or 1/16 per inch.

- both have flatted crest and roots

- both have the same pitch

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Categories: Blog, Uncategorized

GWS Tool Group Announces Acquisition of North American Tool Corporation

The acquisition of North American Tool Corporation extends custom product capability into the threading space, a new offering for GWS that adds a powerful dimension to the already robust product and service portfolio.

Tavares, FL February 4th, 2020 – GWS Tool Group is pleased to announce it has acquired North American Tool Corporation (NATC). They represent the second add-on acquisition in 2020 for GWS.

Located in Northern Illinois, North American Tool is a world-class supplier of special taps, dies, and gages. From solid carbide thread mills to high-speed steel taps and thread gages, North American Tool delivers high-quality specialized threading

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Categories: Blog, Company News, News

North American Tool Corporation Appoints Steve Mayse as Director of Manufacturing

North American Tool Corporation, South Beloit, IL, has announced the appointment of Steve Mayse as Director of Manufacturing.

Mayse will be responsible for developing and implementing operational strategies to strengthen and grow the manufacturing performance at North American Tool Corporation, a leading provider of special taps, thread mills, dies and gages to industrial markets, and Allen Benjamin Inc., a manufacturer of carbide and premium HSSE taps.

Steve brings a wealth of relevant manufacturing experience to his new position, with more than 35 years of senior management expertise, implementing strategic development and growth execution plans at various leading-edge manufacturers.

“Steve

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Categories: Blog, Company News, Uncategorized

How Do You Spell Relief?

Have you ever had a tapping job that was so troublesome that it caused heartburn or acid indigestion due to broken taps, bad finish, short tap life, over or undersized threads, ETC.?

One way of avoiding or alleviating such a condition is accomplished with the use of a tap feature called “relief”. The definition of “relief” according to Marian Webster, is removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing. For a tap, “relief” is the reducing of surface contact between the tap/tap feature and the part being tapped. Surface contact generates unwanted heat causing the

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Categories: Blog, Taps, Uncategorized

Controlled Root Tap

First things first, what is the root of a tap?

The root of a tap is the surface at the bottom of the thread-form that connects adjacent thread flanks and is expressed as width or as a diameter. The term root diameter is also called minor diameter, it’s one of those things, you say rain and I say precipitation, meaning the same thing.

The root of a tap, unless designed as a controlled root tap, normally does nothing, it is a

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Categories: Blog, Taps, Uncategorized
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