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Available hand thread chasing tools

Ric Williams

Ric Williams

Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
329
Likes
432
Location
Highland, MI
I watched a hand thread chasing demo today at a local symposium and would like to give it a try. The only tools mentioned were the Sorby set and the Carter & Son Mahoney thread chaser. Are there others available I should look into? Do you have any recommendations for the Sorby, C&S or other brands? I know it's going to take a lot of practice and choice of woods to get consistent results, but I'd like to start out with whatever tools will make the learning curve as gentle as possible.
 
Mark St Leger may still sell them. Havent talked to him in a while. I wrote an article on making your own but you need some some skills with a file and a huge amount of patience. Mark's and Mahoneys are nice because both tools are the same shaft so you never lose the mate. I bought 14 antique chasing tools from a tool dealer at a flea mkt. But only got 3 matching sets. Someday I will make the mate.
 
Thanks Emiliano, but it looks like they're no longer available from them. Google didn't list any dealers for them.
 
I use this, its a 3 in 1 type with 17 tpi, double sided, does both internal and external, hollow ground, front edge is sharp for any final clean ups.
 

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Mike Novak said:
Hughie, is that a regular bottom tap with 2 sides ground off?
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Mike
No , its screw cut 20mm dia 17tpi made out of 1040 steel hardened and tempered, hollow ground and works just fine. I would have used HSS but really dont have any way to heat-treat it.
Plus I didnt like the idea of having multiple tools for the same task ,I suppose it makes sense if you're selling tools. But for me it was an added expense and not necessary. I have made a few for others since this and it has proved to be a good tool. I am putting all these sort of ideas in a e-book or similar, hopefully it will be found useful in the woody community.
 
hughie said:
Mike
No , its screw cut 20mm dia 17tpi made out of 1040 steel hardened and tempered, hollow ground and works just fine. I would have used HSS but really dont have any way to heat-treat it.
Plus I didnt like the idea of having multiple tools for the same task ,I suppose it makes sense if you're selling tools. But for me it was an added expense and not necessary. I have made a few for others since this and it has proved to be a good tool. I am putting all these sort of ideas in a e-book or similar, hopefully it will be found useful in the woody community.
Click to expand...
Hey so I love ideas like this. I'm still in the beginning stages of woodturning tool making. PVC with aluminum inserts for handles is my current project.
I've been looking at buying some thread chasers but they're all so expensive. I doubt I have the machinery capable of making one of these but I'm wondering if you ever created your ebook?
 
Andrew Hobbs said:
I've been looking at buying some thread chasers but they're all so expensive. I doubt I have the machinery capable of making one of these
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Well, in theory you could make your own thread chasers from an ordinary thread tap (1/4-20 to make 20 TPI threads, 38-16 to make 16 TPI threads, and so on) Only trick I think would be modifying the trailing side of the tap (ruining it for any other use) to cut your external threads (or you'd have to do them with lathe in reverse) but I'd imagine it'd be entirely do-able. (Hint for less grinding and stuff, you might look for a bottoming tap - they are to "finish off" a blind threaded hole where the regular plain taps can't get to the bottom (because of the taper and point to the threads to get threads started) Have not tried it myself (I bought a C&S 16 TPI chaser double ended, but I might try it to make a 12,10, or 8 TPI chaser if I get around to finding a decent deal on a bottoming tap)
 
Brian Gustin said:
Well, in theory you could make your own thread chasers from an ordinary thread tap (1/4-20 to make 20 TPI threads, 38-16 to make 16 TPI threads, and so on) Only trick I think would be modifying the trailing side of the tap (ruining it for any other use) to cut your external threads (or you'd have to do them with lathe in reverse) but I'd imagine it'd be entirely do-able. (Hint for less grinding and stuff, you might look for a bottoming tap - they are to "finish off" a blind threaded hole where the regular plain taps can't get to the bottom (because of the taper and point to the threads to get threads started) Have not tried it myself (I bought a C&S 16 TPI chaser double ended, but I might try it to make a 12,10, or 8 TPI chaser if I get around to finding a decent deal on a bottoming tap)
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This is why I love forums haha. Thank you! I'm going to do a deep dive later. Thank you again.
 
Brian Gustin said:
Well, in theory you could make your own thread chasers from an ordinary thread tap (1/4-20 to make 20 TPI threads, 38-16 to make 16 TPI threads, and so on) Only trick I think would be modifying the trailing side of the tap (ruining it for any other use) to cut your external threads (or you'd have to do them with lathe in reverse) but I'd imagine it'd be entirely do-able. (Hint for less grinding and stuff, you might look for a bottoming tap - they are to "finish off" a blind threaded hole where the regular plain taps can't get to the bottom (because of the taper and point to the threads to get threads started) Have not tried it myself (I bought a C&S 16 TPI chaser double ended, but I might try it to make a 12,10, or 8 TPI chaser if I get around to finding a decent deal on a bottoming tap)
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Brian, could you explain what you mean about needing to run the lathe in reverse? Not sure i understand. Thanks!
 
I learned how to chase threads some years ago with standard Sorby tools. After learning, I wanted to try coarser threads than what I could make with Sorby tools so I went down this rabbit hole.

Old machine shops had something call a "screw machine" which made threads with different size cutter bits. I found the bits work great for chasing threads. The bits can often be found on eBay for 10-20 dollars in a package of four or five. Do a search on eBay for "Cleveland Thread Chasers".

After getting the bits get a piece of cold rolled at the hardware store and file a seat for the chaser. Drill and tap a hole to hold the chaser in place. File a flat on the other side so it sits on the toolrest. (full disclosure, I use a Bridgeport milling machine instead of a file)

Pictured is a 8 TPI set along with a test piece. I have several different sizes of the chasers that I swap around up to 16 TPI.
IMG_E7060.JPGIMG_E6191.JPG
 
Ric Williams said:
I watched a hand thread chasing demo today at a local symposium and would like to give it a try. The only tools mentioned were the Sorby set and the Carter & Son Mahoney thread chaser. Are there others available I should look into? Do you have any recommendations for the Sorby, C&S or other brands? I know it's going to take a lot of practice and choice of woods to get consistent results, but I'd like to start out with whatever tools will make the learning curve as gentle as possible.
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Ric,
It's very simple and inexpensive to make chasing tools. I have been doing so for over 40 years and they all still work as well as the big named tools. Supplies needed; a piece of high carbon steel, a torch, a tap, hard maple, saw, clamp, and quenching liquid. If you're interested you can send a direct message. This could be a club / group project.
 
James McCall said:
Brian, could you explain what you mean about needing to run the lathe in reverse? Not sure i understand. Thanks!
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Direction of the cutting edge of a standard tap - if you have one chucked into a handle (straight line in) then the cutting edge of the tap's "teeth" closest to you will be facing up and thus would work fine for internal threads (the female) but to cut the external threads, you're applying the trailing (non-cutting) edge of the tap's teeth to the wood , thus to get the cutting edge of the tap's teeth into the wood for external (male) threads, you either have to spin the work piece in reverse, or you'll have to modify the tap to put a cutting edge (as in like a scraper, which threading tools are) on the trailing side of the "teeth"

If you're familiar with a standard threading tap, and think on it a bit, it'll come to ya... (Edit: Or, use a left handed tap for the external threads but then threads may be going the wrong way?)
 
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