I recently bought a Disston Compass saw that is complete but cosmetically worn,
including a wavy blade with the requisite rust and white paint.
I took it apart as a first step towards starting work on it in preparation for
putting it aside for month's (Years?)  before getting back to it. 😊
While apart I though "Lets make a quill to screw the saw nuts into for cleaning
on my drill."
My eyeball gauge indicated an anomaly in front of me and after doing some
measuring and checking with a thread gage I now believe that I am looking at a
#12-20 thread.
I  guess it was foolish of me to believe that this affliction was reserved only
for Stanley tools.
Where I live used to have many tradesmen, toolmakers, machinists and I often buy
stuff and sometimes find odd sizes of tooling in my collection.
Not this size though.

Does anyone have any recommendation for Taps and Die sizes that are used most
often in tool restoration efforts?
It most likely won't be worth the expense at this time in my life, but I  need
to at least check on it.
Thanks.

I occasionally run into 12-24, and some small sizes like 5-40 4-36 on
dividers and calipers, the choices are endless on old stuff.  I just buy
every old tap and die set I find.

I got my pair of 12-20  at $40, but now more availability

You can get your die here
https://www.victornet.com/detail/RD-12-20-B.html

And choices on taps
https://www.victornet.com/searchresults.html?q=12-20+tap

Kirk in Half Moon Bay, CA, looking for a lost pressure regulator for a
grill last night.

On Tue, Sep 20, 2022 at 7:57 AM Ray S.  wrote:

>
> I recently bought a Disston Compass saw that is complete but cosmetically
> worn, including a wavy blade with the requisite rust and white paint.
> I took it apart as a first step towards starting work on it in preparation
> for putting it aside for month's (Years?)  before getting back to it. 😊
> While apart I though "Lets make a quill to screw the saw nuts into for
> cleaning on my drill."
> My eyeball gauge indicated an anomaly in front of me and after doing some
> measuring and checking with a thread gage I now believe that I am looking
> at a #12-20 thread.
> I  guess it was foolish of me to believe that this affliction was reserved
> only for Stanley tools.
> Where I live used to have many tradesmen, toolmakers, machinists and I
> often buy stuff and sometimes find odd sizes of tooling in my collection.
> Not this size though.
>
> Does anyone have any recommendation for Taps and Die sizes that are used
> most often in tool restoration efforts?
> It most likely won't be worth the expense at this time in my life, but I
> need to at least check on it.
> Thanks.
>
>


-- 
Kirk Eppler in Half Moon Bay, CA 

I also buy up taps, dies, decent drill bits, files, that I find and like you,
have a collection of obsolete sizes, just not the right one.
Thanks for the info, much appreciated.


-----Original Message-----
From: oldtools@g...  On Behalf Of Kirk Eppler via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2022 11:23 AM
To: Ray S. 
Cc: porch 
Subject: Re: [oldtools] Obsolete thread sizes

I occasionally run into 12-24, and some small sizes like 5-40 4-36 on dividers
and calipers, the choices are endless on old stuff.  I just buy every old tap
and die set I find.

I got my pair of 12-20  at $40, but now more availability

You can get your die here
https://www.victornet.com/detail/RD-12-20-B.html

And choices on taps
https://www.victornet.com/searchresults.html?q=12-20+tap

Kirk in Half Moon Bay, CA, looking for a lost pressure regulator for a grill
last night.

On Tue, Sep 20, 2022 at 7:57 AM Ray S.  wrote:

>
> I recently bought a Disston Compass saw that is complete but 
> cosmetically worn, including a wavy blade with the requisite rust and white
paint.
> I took it apart as a first step towards starting work on it in 
> preparation for putting it aside for month's (Years?)  before getting 
> back to it. 😊
> While apart I though "Lets make a quill to screw the saw nuts into for 
> cleaning on my drill."
> My eyeball gauge indicated an anomaly in front of me and after doing 
> some measuring and checking with a thread gage I now believe that I am 
> looking at a #12-20 thread.
> I  guess it was foolish of me to believe that this affliction was 
> reserved only for Stanley tools.
> Where I live used to have many tradesmen, toolmakers, machinists and I 
> often buy stuff and sometimes find odd sizes of tooling in my collection.
> Not this size though.
>
> Does anyone have any recommendation for Taps and Die sizes that are 
> used most often in tool restoration efforts?
> It most likely won't be worth the expense at this time in my life, but 
> I need to at least check on it.
> Thanks.
>
>


--
Kirk Eppler in Half Moon Bay, CA 

Brownell's a gunsmith supply outfit has odd size taps. If there was
every and industry that used weird thread sizes more than tool makers it
would be firearms manufacturers.

They are online of course but if your travel take you across I-80 in
Iowa they are well worth the stop. Then go see John Wayne's birthplace
down the road.

12-20s plus all the weird Stanley taps and dies such as left-handed adjuster
hardware are available here:

https://aplanelife.us/products-for-sale

Kevin in Chantilly