Considerations when having taps resharpened
Resharpening dull taps by hand is probably not a good idea when you could be making parts. Plus, a thorough reconditioning requires a grinder designed for grinding the actual tap form. So resharpening dull taps is one job best left to the experts.
YouTube videos to the contrary, it’s probably not a good idea to sharpen dull taps by hand, especially using a Dremel tool or bench grinder. A high-quality tool and cutter grinder might do the trick. However, these are limited to touching up the chamfers and possibly the flute faces.
A grinder designed for grinding the actual tap form is required for more thorough reconditioning. Regardless, why spend time sharpening taps (or any other cutting tool) when you could be making parts? This is one job best left to the experts.
Those experts include Tap Saver LLC, Commerce Township, Mich.; Tapco Cutting Tools Inc., Loves Park, Ill.; and Cheboygan (Mich.) Tap & Tool Co. They promise to quickly return worn taps to like-new condition. They also can modify taps to improve threading performance.
Properly resharpened taps often perform as well as new, at a fraction of the cost.
When reconditioning taps, the first consideration is tap size. Taps that are 1⁄4-20 and smaller cost less than a double latte at Starbucks. Most industry experts will tell you it’s best to recycle them at the first sign of flank wear.
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