about other size join pin?

[Michael Webb]

If either of you ever need one of those funky taps let me know, I have most of them, Arnot, Sheldon, Cuesmith etc. etc. etc.

 

[DaveK]

Tap Tap Tap Sheldon. The screws are not really the problem. The real problem is the Tap. It is not economically feasible to have a special tap made to do just a couple of cues.

Again I disagree, if you can cut the threads you can likely also cut the flutes. One trick is to use the lathe carriage like a shaper (metal shaper that is). It is easier (and way faster) to use a mill. If you have a heat-treating oven they may even last a fair while, ie more than a couple of cues. Where there is a will there's a way. Home built taps are not that difficult really. I do appreciate that making one to perform a low dollar repair is often not a reasonable thing to do from a business perspective. I'm just discussing the ability to make the things.

I concede that if the lathe does not have gearing for a specific pitch then you are snookered, but some/most of the tpi numbers seemed common enough.

According to the threading chart from a South Bend lathe, one of the most common beasts around North America, it cuts all the pitches mentioned in this thread, including 7 1/2 tpi.

see http://www.lathes.co.uk/southbend9-inch/page6.html

Dave, who often makes his own tools ...