Hand Tools and Bench Work

Introduction
A machinist must be skilled in the use of the numerous hand tools, which have been
designed to make work easier. In addition to knowing how to use hand tools properly,
the machinist must also know the various types of tools available to do a particular
job, how to select the best type and type and size for a given job, and how to care for
and store tools when not in use.
Hand tools may be divided into two classes: non-cutting and cutting tool types. Non-
cutting tools are basically used for holding, assembling and dismantling parts while
Cutting type tools involve bench work such as sawing, filing, scraping, reaming, and
tapping.
Types of Non-Cutting Hand Tools
1. Bench vise - is used to hold small work securely for
sawing, chipping, filing, polishing, drilling, reaming, and
tapping operations. Vises are mounted close to the edge
of the bench; they permit long work to be held in a
vertical position. Vises may be made of a cast iron or cast
steel. The vise size is determined by the width of the jaw.
The machinist vise may be of the solid base of swivel base
type. The swivel base vise differs from the solid base type
by having a swivel plate added to the bottom of the vise.
This allows the vise to be swung in any circular positions.
When gripping finished work or soft materials, use jaw
caps made of brass, aluminum, or copper to protect the
work from being marred of damaged
Standard Parts of a Bench Vise
1. BASE
This is the part of a vise that holds it all together,
literally. The base of a vise is the part that is
secured to your bench. There are different types
of bases, however. Some bases are designed to
be clamped into place, while others are bolted
down. There are also vacuum and swivel bases
available for different purposes.
2. JAW
This is where the item you want to clamp is placed. When talking about the jaw
of a bench vise, we’re having a conversation about two different parts.
Depending on the scope of the job, the jaws can be made of wood, plastic, or
metal.
 The Sliding Jaw – This is the part of the jaw that moves when you turn the
handle. It puts the pressure on whatever you want to clamp. For any new folks,
you can easily tell which side of this component is the sliding/dynamic jaw. It’s
the part of the jaw with the handle sticking through it.

The Static Jaw – This part of the jaw doesn’t move. In fact, it provides the
“unmovable object” that the sliding jaw uses as a backstop for the pressure it
applies as you turn the handle. This static jaw includes the largest part of the vise,
including the base that’s attached to the bench or surface it’s resting on.

3. SLIDE
We mentioned the sliding jaw that applies the pressure when you turn the handle; this
is what that jaw is attached to. This is the part of the vise that moves when the handle
is turned, applying the pressure.
4. SCREW
This is where the magic of a bench vise happens. The force you apply to the handle is
converted to movement of the sliding jaw toward the static jaw. This screw can be
seen attached to the handle and it’s the part that extends into the vise.

The main screw of a vise is extremely important. If a vise has a main screw that
wasn’t manufactured to spec or has flaws that cause weaknesses, your vise won’t
hold well at all. You’ll still be able to apply pressure, but, with a bad main screw, it
won’t maintain the pressure you want.

5. HANDLE
There’s more engineering in the handle of a vise than you probably realize.
Archimedes said, “Give me a lever and a place to stand, and I will move the Earth.”

The principle of leverage allows you to transform a minimal force into an

unstoppable one. That’s exactly what the handle of a vise is a lever.
6. ANVIL
Part of the fixed body of an anvil (the part that is attached to your bench), this gives
you a place to do light shaping of materials. You can use it as a base to hammer
small objects like bent nails. This part is usually only found on metalworking vises.

7. JAWS
The sequel to the first part of your bench vise on this list, it is the serrated areas at
the top of both the sliding jaw and the static jaw.

This is the actual point where your vise meets whatever you’re securing. Of course,
if the item you’re clamping with the vise is easily damaged (in other words, if it’s
anything other than a hard metal), you may want to take some precautions.

Firstly, don’t exert too much pressure or you can destroy whatever you’re trying to
hold in place. Moreover, even if you don’t destroy it, you can scratch or crack the
item if you apply too much pressure.
2. Engineer’s Hammers
There are many types of hammers used by the
machinist, the most common being the ball-peen
hammer. The larger striking surface is called the face,
and the smaller, rounded end is the peen. Ball peen
hammers are made in variety of sizes, with the head
masses ranging from approximately 2 ounces to 3 lbs.
The smaller sizes are used for layout work and the
larger ones are for general work. The peen is generally Ball-peen hammer
used in riveting or peening operations.

For use with soft metal such as aluminum or with

finished components where the workpiece could be
damaged if struck by an engineer’s hammer, a range
of hammers is available with soft faces, usually hide,
copper or a tough plastic such as nylon. Soft face hammer
3. Screwdrivers
A screwdriver is a hand tool that is designed to turn screws. The shank is made of
steel set into a wooden or plastic handle. The blade is shaped or flattened to fit
recesses in the heads of screws or bolts. Screwdrivers are made in many sizes.
Always select the screwdriver to suit the size and type of head drive. Use of the
incorrect size or type results in damage to both the screwdriver and the screw head,
leading to a screw that is very difficult to loosen or tighten.
There are a number of different head drives. The four most common are slotted (flat),
Phillips (cross), Pozidriv and Torx
Common Types of Screwdrivers

• A Stubby screwdriver (Figure 6-4) helps to start screws

where space is limited.
Stubby Screwdriver
• A Heavy-duty screwdriver is of average length but is
made with a heavy blade and a square shank. The shape
of the shank permits the use of a wrench to assist in
tightening a screw. Heavy (thick) material is used so
that the blade and shank will resist being twisted when a Heavy-duty Screwdriver

wrench is used.
• A Philips screwdriver is specially designed to fit the heads
of Philips screws. It differs from the other screwdrivers in
that the end of the blade is fluted instead of flattened.

Philips Screwdriver
• A Double-ended offset screwdriver is used for turning
screws in awkward places where there is not enough
room to use a regular screwdriver.

• A Jeweler’s Screwdriver Precision screwdrivers

and jewelers screwdrivers are great for working on
Double-ended offset Screwdriver
small electronic devices. A great addition to any
electronic technicians toolbag

Jeweler’s Screwdriver
4. Wrenches
Many types of wrenches are used in machine shop work each being suited for a
specific purpose. The name of the wrench is derived from either its use, its shape or
its construction. The more common types of wrenches are as follows:
• Open-end wrenches may be single-ended or
double-ended. The openings on these
wrenches are usually offset at a 15° angle to
permit turning the nut or bolt head in limited
spaces by “flopping” the wrench. Open-end wrench

• Double-ended wrenches usually have a

different size opening at each end to
accommodate two different size bolt heads or
nuts. These wrenches are available in both
inch and metric sizes. Double-ended wrench
• Combination wrenches One side is a closed loop for
hexagonal or square nuts, while the other end is an open
U-shape. Used most often for difficult nuts, the closed
end loosens the nut so that the open end can be used to
quickly unscrew it. Combination wrench

• Box-ended 12 –point wrenches, completely surround the

nut and are useful in close quarters where only a small
rotation of the nut can be obtained at one time. The box
end has 12 precisely cut notches around the inside face
which fit closely over the points on the outside of the nut.
Because this wrench cannot slip when the proper size is
used, it is preferred over most other styles of wrenches.
The wrenches usually have a different size at each end Box-ended wrench
and are available in inch and metric sizes.
• Socket wrenches are similar to box wrenches in that they
are usually made with 12 points and surround the nut.
These sockets are also available in inch and metric sizes.
Several types of drives, including ratchet and torque
wrench handles, are available for the various sockets.
When nuts or bolts must be tightened to within certain
limits to prevent warping, socket wrenches are used in Socket wrench with a
ratchet and torque handle
conjunction with a torque-wrench handle.

• Adjustable wrenches may be adjusted with in a certain

range to fit several sizes of nuts or bolt heads. This
wrench is particularly useful for odd-size nuts or when
another wrench of the proper size is not available.
Unfortunately, this type of wrench can slip when not
properly adjusted to the floats of the nut. This may
Adjustable wrench
result in injury to the operator and damage to the
corners of the nut.
• Hex key or Allen setscrew wrenches, commonly called
socket head setscrews. They are made of tool steel and
are available in sets to suit the wide variety of screw
sizes. The indicated size of the wrench h is same as the
distance across the flats of the wrench. These
wrenches are available in both inch and metric sizes
Hex key / Allen wrench

• Crowfoot wrench , these curious open-ended wrenches

have no handle. Instead, the single head is designed to
attach to a ratchet handle and socket extension, allowing it
to fit into very tight spaces.
They work great for handling bolts located deeper on a
machine’s body when you don’t want to remove nearby Crowfoot wrench
parts first.
Other Wrench Types
• Lug Wrench - This aptly-named tool is either “L” shaped
with a single socket opening at the end or a large, “X”
shaped design (also called a spider wrench) with four
sockets of different sizes. They are used to tighten or
loosen lug nuts on cars, earning them the nickname of
“wheel brace”.
• Pipe Wrench - This is the big brother of adjustable
wrenches, with a sturdier, F-shaped design. Used
mainly by plumbers on metal pipes and fittings, the
serrated jaws of this hefty tool can easily leave
scratch marks behind.
• Bung Wrench - the drum bung wrench (also called a
drum plug wrench) is a socket-style wrench. It was
designed specifically to remove the plastic or metal
bung (cap) on drums or
• Cone Wrench - Imagine an open-ended wrench after an
elephant steps on it and you’ll have a cone wrench. These
wide, flat wrenches are used on the cone portion of a cup
and cone hub. It’s mostly used for bicycles or adjusting
the leveling feet of washing machines, but sometimes
employed on other gentle projects where a normal open-
ended wrench is too thick.
• Dog Bone Wrench - Named after its bone-shaped
appearance, this wrench is also sometimes referred to as a
dumb-bell wrench. Each side of the two box-shaped ends has
a different socket size. These are used almost exclusively for
bike maintenance, although their ability to fit into small
spaces has occasionally made them useful elsewhere.
• Drum key - A square-holed socket wrench, a drum key has a
T-shape with flattened handles. As the name implies, it is
used to tune various percussion instruments, such as drums.
• Flare Nut Wrench - Sometimes referred to as a line
wrench, these are another hybrid of box and open
ended designs, The opening is just wide enough to fit
around a tube, but it still grips nuts like a box end.
These wrenches are especially useful on softer metals
prone to damage from open-ended wrenches, such as
those used in plumbing.
• Alligator Wrench - Once the big daddy of wrenches,
the alligator wrench was named due to the way it
gripped nuts. The top of the jaw is serrated, while the
bottom is smooth.
• Basin Wrench - This peculiar wrench has a long, T-
shaped handle ending in a curved, serrated jaw. Its
primary function is to loosen or tighten the fixtures
under sinks and toilets, resulting in it also being
known as a faucet wrench.
• Torque Wrench - This socket wrench is designed to
deliver a specific amount of torque without over
tightening. This amount can be calibrated,
and different types are available (including manual,
digital, and other variations). It’s most commonly
used for automotive work such as tightening wheel
lug nuts. A torque wrench can also be used on
bicycles, farming equipment, or any instance where
tightening a nut or bolt to a specific torque
specification which is usually set by the
manufacturer.
• Bionic Wrench - It’s a specialty wrench that has a round
opening and two handles similar to those of pliers. When
placed around the target head, the two handles can be
squeezed, causing the hole to tighten and grip the head
firmly, making this an adjustable box-ended wrench.
5. Pliers
Pliers are useful for gripping and holding small parts for
certain machining operations (such as drilling small holes) or
when assembling parts. Pliers are made in many types and
sizes and are named by their shape, their function, or their
construction.
• Cutters – These surfaces are generally located close to the fulcrum
and are used for cutting wire and cables.
• Fulcrum (or Pivot Point) – Not only is this the place where the
handles and jaws connect, it also serves to create enough force for the
jaws to perform their duty.
• Handles – The part you hold. These can be straight or curved, and the
surface will wither be bare metal or plastic coated.
• Jaws (or Nose) – The working end of pliers are used primarily for
gripping. Combination pliers have jaws which also contain cutters
and/or pipe grips.
• Pipe Grips – A rounded opening in the jaws, pipe grips are designed
to do what the name implies, and are very useful for gripping round
objects. Parts of Pliers
Common Pliers
• Slip-joint pliers (known as water pump pliers) are
adjustable to grip both large and small work pieces.
They may be used to grip certain work when small
hoes must be drilled or for bending or twisting light,
thin materials Slip joint plier

• Needle-nose pliers (known as long nosed pliers) are

available in both straight and bent-nose types. They are
useful for holding very small parts, for positioning
them in hard-to-get-at places, and for bending or
Needle nose plier
forming wire
• Diagonal cutters (known as diagonal cutting pliers,
flush cut pliers, side cutting pliers, wire cutters) are used
solely for cutting wire and small pieces of soft metal.
The jaws of these pliers have an angled edge designed Diagonal cutter
to cut through thick wire.
• Combination Pliers is a multipurpose tools have three
separate sections in the jaws. From the tip, the first part
is a serrated gripping surface. A round serrated section
behind this makes gripping tubes and other thick round
objects easier. Finally, the section closest to the fulcrum
contains a cutting surface. Often mistaken for linesman Combination cutter
pliers, the latter lacks a rounded center section in the
jaws.

• Vise-grip pliers provide and extremely high gripping

power because of the adjustable lever action. The screw
in the hand provides adjustment for various sizes of
work. This type of pliers is available in several different
Vise grip plier
styles such as standard jaws, needle jaws, and C-clamp
jaws.
• Tongue and Groove Pliers (known as Channel
Locks) These are an adjustable type of pliers with a
toothed groove along the upper handle, allowing
the lower jaw to be locked into a number of
positions. The angled jaws make this tool useful for Tongue and groove plier
turning nuts and bolts.

• Snap Ring Pliers (known as: retaining ring pliers,

circlip pliers, C clip pliers, lock ring pliers) These
pliers have short, round jaws to aid in closing snap
rings. These rings are open-ended loops that fit into
grooves of a dowel or other round object. Once
Snap ring plier
closed, the ring can rotate freely, but is unable to
slide sideways. They are commonly used for the
gears on mountain bikes and similar vehicles.
Other Pliers
• Hose Clamp Pliers (known as: hose pliers, spring
clamp pliers, radiator hose pliers) These pliers are
designed to compress hose and spring clamps, making
the connection tighter. As a result, they come in a wide
range of designs. The most common models have a
peg-shaped tooth on each jaw, which is used to pinch
the clamp. Some models may also be used directly on
the hose.
• Bent Nose Pliers This variation of needle nose pliers has a
set of jaws that are bent at an angle at the midpoint (most
commonly 45 or 90 degrees). This allows them to grip
surfaces without getting in the way when multiple pliers are
needed or the angle is too difficult to reach with normal
needle nose pliers. As a result, they are useful in jewelry
making, electrical work, and other occupations which deal
with shaping wire.
 • Bail Making Pliers The jaws of this tool consist of
two dowels, one larger than the other. Used
primarily in jewelry making, wire is wrapped
around the jaws to form clasps, ear wires, and a
number of other shaped loop components.
• Battery Pliers Used primarily in the automotive
industry for maintaining the bolts on car batteries
and jumper cables, these pliers have short, angled
jaws. The lower jaw is slightly smaller, and both
jaws are thick to make them more durable.
• Brake Spring Pliers Another useful automotive tool, these
pliers are actually a multi-tool designed specifically for
handling the springs found in drum brakes. One jaw tip is
rounded for removing springs, while the other is curved
to put springs back in. Sometimes, one of the handles also
has a ratchet to remove the shoe hold-down pin.
• Crimping Pliers (known as crimping tools) These
pliers have the fulcrum at the far end and are used
similarly to a nutcracker. Wires are fed into the jack of
the jaw first, then the connector. Squeezing the handles
will break through the plastic coating and cause the two
sections to deform (or crimp) in such a way that they
stick together and allow data to pass through. Crimping
pliers are used heavily in networking and
telecommunications.
• Fencing Pliers This curious-looking multi-tool resembles
a hammer with two handles when looked at from above.
Notches in the fulcrum allow you to cut wires of different
gauges, while the side of the left jaw has a hammer surface
for driving in staples. The claw of the right jaw can be
used for removing staples, and the jaws themselves
contain a gripping surface and a rounded grip hole.
Types of Cutting Hand Tools
1. The Hand Hacksaw - the pistol-grip hand hacksaw is composed of three main parts:
the frame, the handle, and the blade. The frame can be of either the solid or adjustable
type. The solid frame is more rigid and will accommodate blades of only one specific
length. The adjustable frame is more commonly used and will take blades, which range
from 10 to 12 in. (250 to 300 mm) long. A wing nut at the back of the frame provides
adjustment for the blade tensioning
Hacksaw blades are made of high-speed molybdenum or tungsten-alloy steel that has
been hardened and tempered. There are two types: the solid, or all-hard, blade and the
flexible blade. Solid blades are hardened throughout and are very brittle. They break
easily if not used properly. Only the teeth of the flexible blade are hardened, while the
back of the blade is soft and flexible. Although this type of blade will stand more abuse
than the all-hard blade, it will not stand up as long for general use. Solid blades are
usually used on brass, tool steel, cast iron and larger sections of mild steel since they do
not run out of line when pressure is applied. Flexible blades may be used on channel
iron, tubing, copper and aluminum since they do not break as easily on material with
thin cross sections.

Hacksaw blade
Flexible hacksaw blade
Blades are manufactured in various pitches
(number of teeth per inch), such as 14, 18, 24, and
32. The pitch is the most important factor to
consider when selecting the proper blade for a job.
An 18-tooth blade (18 teeth per inch) is
recommended for general use. When selecting a
blade, choose as coarse a blade as possible in order
to provide plenty of chip clearance and to cut
through the work as quickly as possible. The blade
selected should have at least two teeth in contact
with the work at all times. This will prevent the
work from jamming between the teeth and stripping
the teeth from the blade
2. Files - A file is a hand cutting tool made of high-carbon steel, having a series of
teeth cut on the body by parallel chisel cuts. Files are used to remove surplus metal
and to produce finished surfaces. Files are manufactured in a variety of types and
shapes, each for a specific purpose. They may be divided into two classes: single
cut and double cut.

Single-cut files have a single row of parallel teeth running diagonally across the face.
They include mill, long-angle lathe and saw files. Single-cut files are used when a
smooth finish is desired or when hard materials are to be finished.
Double-cut files have two intersecting rows of teeth. The first row is usually coarser and is
called the overcut. The other row is called the upcut. These intersecting rows produce
hundreds of cutting teeth, which provide for fast removal of metal and clearing of chips.
Degrees of Coarseness
The grade of cut of a file refers to the spacing of the teeth and
determines the coarseness or smoothness of the file. Three standard
grades of cut in common use, from coarsest to smoothest, are bastard, Bastard
second cut and smooth.
Types of Files
Files are identified either by their general shape Second cut

1. Flat file - The flat file is also for general use, typically on flat
surfaces. It is rectangular in cross-section and tapers in both width
and thickness for approximately the last third of its length towards the Smooth
point. Both faces are double-cut and both edges single-cut. The tapers
in width and thickness enable this file to be used in slots which are
narrower than its full width and thickness and which require filing on
length and width.
2. Square file - The square file is of square cross-section, parallel for approximately
two-thirds of its length, then tapering towards the point. It is double-cut on all sides.
This file is used for filing keyways, slots and the smaller square or rectangular holes
with 90° sides.

3. Triangular file - The three-square or triangular file has a 60° triangle cross-section,
parallel for approximately two-thirds of its length, then tapering towards the point. The
three faces are double-cut and the edges sharp. This file is used for surfaces which meet
at less than 90°, angular holes and recesses.

4. Round file - The round file is of circular cross-section, parallel for approximately
two-thirds of its length and then tapering towards the point. This file is used for
enlarging round holes, elongating slots and finishing internal round corners.
5. Half-round file - The half-round file has one flat and one curved side. It is parallel for
approximately two-thirds of its length, then tapers in width and thickness towards the
point. The flat side is double-cut and the curved side is single-cut on second-cut and
smooth files. This is an extremely useful double-purpose file for flat surfaces and for
curved surfaces too large for the round file.

6. Needle files - Needle files are used for very fine work
in tool making and fitting, where very small amounts of
material have to be removed in intricate shapes or in a
confined space. This type of file is available from 120
mm to 180 mm long, of which approximately half is file-
shaped and cut, the remainder forming a slender circular
handle,
Needle files
7. Knife edge file - The knife file has a wedge-
shaped cross-section, the thin edge being straight
while the thick edge tapers to the point in
approximately the last third of its length. The sides
are double-cut. This file is used in filing acute Knife edge file
angles.
8. Dreadnought files - When soft material is being filed,
the material is more readily removed and the teeth of an
engineer’s file quickly become clogged. When this
happens, the file no longer cuts but skids over the surface.
This results in constant stoppages to clear the file so that it
again cuts properly. To overcome the problem of clogging,
files have been developed which have deep curved teeth
Dreadnought files
milled on their faces and these are known as dreadnought
files.
3. Cold Chisels
Cold chisels are used to cut and shape ‘cold’ metal,
although they are only occasionally used in a
modern workshop. They are manufactured (forged)
from octagonal section, cast tool steel and are a
manual cutting tool used by engineers. The highest
quality cold chisels are manufactured from nickel
chromium steel.

The cutting edge is ground and then hardened and

tempered, to lengthen the life of the sharp edge.
The shank is left ‘soft’, as it must be able to Parts of a cold chisel
withstand the shock of heavy blows from a ball
peen hammer.
Types of Cold Chisel
A. Flat Chisel – This is by far the most common type of cold
chisel you are likely to meet up with at a “Trash and
Treasure” market, second hand shop or your local hardware.
It is also the most versatile, being used for general metal
working duties. It is capable of being used to cut off rivet
heads or rusted nuts and bolts, cutting rods or bars to length,
cutting sheet metal such as a 200 liter drum or chipping back
thicker metals. The edge is usually ground straight but may
be given a convex cutting edge if particularly hard or soft
metals are being cut.
B. Crosscut or Cape Chisel – This chisel tapers back from the
cutting edge to prevent binding in a groove and is used to cut
keyways in shafts or pulleys or for cutting grooves in wider
surfaces.
C. Round Nose Chisel – This is used to cut oil grooves in bearings
etc. but can also be used cut a small groove to bring a drill bit back
into the center of a hole where it has drifted off while starting a
hole on thick metal.
D. Diamond Point Chisel – The diamond point chisel is used for
cutting vee-shaped grooves in metal such as in large diameter metal
pipe or metal plate to enable material to be broken off them. It is
also used to prepare metal parts for welding and chipping out welds
as well as squaring corners.
• When using a cold chisel, gently tapping the head
with your hammer allows the tool to make the
first cut into the metal.
• You may wish to secure the object you want to cut
in a vice. This may also allow you to use the vice as
a guide for cutting the metal.
• An anvil may also be useful when working with
certain objects.
4. Metal Scrapers
When a truer surface is required than can be produced by
machining, the surface may be finished by scraping. However,
this is a long and tedious process. Most bearing surfaces (flat
and curved) are now finished by grinding honing, or
broaching. Scraping is a process of removing small amounts
of metal from specific areas to produce an accurate bearing Metal scraper
surface. It is used to produce flat surfaces on cast-iron surface
plates or in fitting brass and Babbitt bearings to shafts.
Scrapers are made in various shapes, depending on the surface
to be scraped. They are generally made of high-grade tool
steel, hardened and tempered. Carbide tipped scrapers are
very popular because they maintain the cutting edge longer
than other types. Hand scraping
5. Hand Taps
Hand taps come in three basic configurations -Taper, Plug and
Bottoming.

• TAPER taps have the first 7 – 10 threads at the tip ground

flatter than the main body of the tap to enable easy starting
of the threads in the hole. Sometimes called a starter tap,
taper taps can be used to start the thread in a blind hole for
another tap to finish or used to cut threads all the way on a
through hole. A set of hand taps

• PLUG taps are like taper taps in that they have tapered threads at the starting end of
the tap, the difference is there are fewer of them, usually the first 3-5 threads, so you
get to cutting a full thread sooner. Although not as easy to start as a taper tap, they
can be used to start a thread. If you can only buy one type of tap, and you’re a patient
user, plug taps can be a good choice because they are still easy to start, but they can
also form complete threads deeper into a blind hole than a taper tap.
• BOTTOMING taps have no ground threads at the starting end and are generally
used after, and in conjunction with a taper or plug tap. Bottom taps can cut
threads to the bottom of blind holes although they do not do well at starting
threads.
Tapping is then started using the taper or first tap
securely held in a tap wrench. The long lead enables it
to follow the drilled hole and keep square. The tap is
rotated, applying downward pressure until cutting
starts. No further pressure is required, since the tap will
then screw itself into the hole. The tap should be turned
back quite often, to help clear chips from the flutes. Hand tapping

Bar type tap wrench

Chuck type tap wrench
Standard Thread Sizes for English/Imperial threads
Standard Thread Sizes for Metric threads
6. Threading Dies
Dies are used to cut external threads and are available in sizes
up to approximately 36 mm thread diameter. The common type,
for use by hand, is the circular split die, made from high speed
steel hardened and tempered and split at one side to enable
small adjustments of size to be made.

The die is held in a holder known as a die stock,

which has a central screw for adjusting the size and Threading die
two side locking screws which lock in dimples in
the outside diameter of the die. The die is inserted
in the holder with the split lined up with the central
screw. The central screw is then tightened so that
the die is expanded, and the two side locking Die Stock

screws are tightened to hold the die in position.

7. Hand Reamers
Where a more accurate-size hole with better surface
finish, than can be achieved by drilling, is required,
the hole can be finished using a reamer.
The hole is drilled undersize and the reamer, which
has a square at the end of the shank, to fit a tap A reamer
wrench, is carefully ‘wound’ into the hole, removing
the excess material. Hand reamers have a long lead to
assist with cutting and alignment. A suitable lubricant
should be used to prevent wear on the tool, improve
surface finish and prevent scratching, usually a light
oil or proprietary tapping compound. Always
withdraw the reamer to prevent the flutes becoming
blocked with swarf.
A reamer with a reamer
wrench / tap wrench