NORMALLY I WOULD BUY ONE FROM TRACY TOOLS IN THE UK BUT THIS TAKES SEVERAL DAYS TO ARRIVE. I ONLY BUY HSS CUTTING TOOLS AS CARBON STEEL IS JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH IN MY OPINION AND QUICKLY GETS BLUNT WHEN CUTTING STEEL. I WAS PASSING THE BILTEMA STORE NEAR STRØMMEN YESTERDAY SO WENT IN AND BOUGHT A SIMPLE SET OF CARBON STEEL TAPS AND DIES FOR 209 NOK BUT WHEN I GOT BACK TO MY WORKSHOP AND TRIED TO CUT THE M12 THREADS ON THE BOLTS THE DIE JUST WOULD NOT CUT!
FRANKLY I WAS APPALLED, THIS WAS JUST A WASTE OF MY TIME AND MONEY, I CAN GET A REFUND FOR THE TAP AND DIE SET BUT THE TIME AND INCONVENIENCE I CANNOT GET REFUNDED. IT`S NOT JUST NORWAY THAT HAS THESE PROBLEMS, THERE ARE SUPPLIERS IN THE UK THAT SUPPLY RUBBISH TO THEIR CUSTOMERS AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT IF ONE COMPLAINS THEN THEY JUST SAY "SEND IT BACK AND WE WILL EXCHANGE IT" RDG TOOLS IS ONE OF THE WORST CULPRITS.
RECENTLY I BOUGHT SOME M8 TAPS TO TAP SOME HOLES IN A 10mm THICK STEEL PLATE. THESE WERE CARBON STEEL BOUGHT FROM CLAAS OHLSEN, AFTER TAPPING THREE HOLES USING PROPER LUBRICANT THE TAPS WERE ALREADY NOT CUTTING PROPERLY!
THE ANSWER IS TO GO TO A COMPANY THAT SUPPLIES TOOLS TO INDUSTRY LIKE "TOOLS" BUT THE PRICE OF HSS TAPS AND DIES ARE JUST TOO MUCH FOR A POOR PENSIONER AND IT`S DIFFICULT TO GET A DISCOUNT IF ONE IS A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL THAT DOES`NT HAVE AN ACCOUNT WITH THEM.
I`M MOVING MY WORKSHOP TO FROGNER IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS SO WILL BE VERY BUSY HAULING ALL THAT STUFF THERE.
ALAN