Taps - Taper - Metric

Using taps

• Firstly a taper tap is used. This tap has a pronounced taper to the cutting edges, ensuring that the first cut is less aggressive.
• After the taper tap comes a second tap. This also has a tapered edge, but not as pronounced as the taper tap. This slight taper helps align the tap when it is first introduced to the hole.
• The third and final stage is carried out with a bottoming tap, often referred to as plug tap. Bottoming taps have hardly any taper and a continuous cutting edge.

When cutting shallow female threads, it may be possible to skip the third stage and just use the taper or second taps.

If tapping into a soft material it is possible to cut the thread with only a second tap.