[Peter M. Eick]

I was thinking of getting a 7/8" x 14 tap and die set to clean up a few threads that got buggered up over the years by the lock screw. Nothing bad yet, but I like my stuff to work well and this was before I learned the trick of a piece of lead shot beneath the set screw.

So I do few searches and I find that 7/8"x14 is pretty vague. Any one with a bit of machinist background can give a more detailed description of what I should get?

[ants]

To clean up minor glitches on the body of a die, I use a small triangular file.

I've never needed a tap to clean up the threads in a press.

[rcmodel]

7/8" x 14 TPI UNF is the proper name for it.

I would get a small three-corner file or needle file and do it one ding at a time.

Or a cheap Universal Thread Chasing file.
http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2003/12/18/arh510_4a_al.jpg

A good tap & die set that big will cost you as much as a fairly decent reloading press!
And it will remove the plating from plated reloading dies, while ruining the threading die..

BTW: Sizing dies are almost as hard as a threading die and will ruin it too.

rc

[rfwobbly]

Ants is correct. There are any number of ways a threading die set could really mess up a reloading die. You can use a simple triangular file, or if you can locate a professional tool seller you can buy a thread file for 14 tpi.

[rcmodel]

I got a universal thread chasing file at Westlake Hardware for little of nothing.

But a small triangle file will do a better job on a hardened die.

rc

[rfwobbly]

RC -
I hate it when we're thinking the same thing, but you write faster !!

[jcwit]

Get the thread chasing file, its cheap and one of the handiest things you can have in you tool chest, when you need it.

[Jesse Heywood]

If you can find one, a knife file works far better than a triangular file. The knife pattern cross-section looks about like a knife blade and lets you work on individual threads. The standard triangular file also cuts the thread on the other side.

What will work best are thread chasing or rethreading taps and dies. They are designed for this work, and can't be beat.

[MMCSRET]

I keep a set of "jewelers files" on my bench. 12 files, all different shapes and all small, sometimes called "needle files", sometimes called "Swiss files". Full range price spectrum available, they work well for those little burrs that crop up on all things metal.

[EddieNFL]

A quality tap and die set of that size would be expensive. I have a set of the thread chasers RC pictured. They work well.

[Randy1911]

If it is only one or two dies, it might just be cheaper to buy new dies. You can get them indiviually at www.midwayusa.com

[Peter M. Eick]

Universal thread chaser file it is then.

I was just finding that some dies don't go in as smoothly as I would like when I change the lock rings. It is a pet peeve of mine that things should work they way they were meant to.

Thanks for the education on taps and dies. I learned a bunch.

[Walkalong]

some dies don't go in as smoothly as I would like There for awhile RCBS was giving pistol dies a sandblasted type finish. I hated them because they wanted to chatter when being screwed in. Glad to see when they went back to a nice smooth finish.

Without a "wad" of something under them (lead shot, spitwad, whatever), the steel set screws damaged threads, the brass ones sheared and neither held very well.

[BFE]

All the above would work with a little ellbo greese on the male threads. If you want a tap & dies set that's a good quality tool click MSC Supply link's and you will never have to purchase a second set. Little costly but worth the cost.
Die
http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=2250862&PMT4NO=77638497

Tap
http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=2067466&PMT4NO=77638497

[jcwit]

MSC also has a less expensive set for those that would not use them much.

Die (round) part #03756608--------------------$31.03
Tap--------part #04488144--------------------$28.80

And using a lead shot will work wonders to save your threads.