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A long shot I know but does anyone have or know were I can source a M8.5 x 1 intermediate tap. Or any tap in M8.5 x 1

Thanks
hmm whats next. Finish current orders then start machining mandrels for the next project.

Are you confident it is a metric thread and not 13/32" x 26tpi.

Dependant on how many times you need to use it and for what material I would be inclined to just make it myself which is what I have done in the past. Use a piece of silver steel, screwcut it to your desired thread, then cut three relief flutes, you can do this carefully on your mill if you have a small indexing table, or even grind them by hand which I do if it is a one off use. Grind a taper on the nose and job done.

It will not need hardening for soft metals and plastics and is very easily hardened in the shed with MAP gas or similar and some oil if you need to tap something a bit tougher. I did a 1-1/8" x32tpi just like this for steel and it worked the three times I needed (Motorbike Flywheel nuts) It will probably keep going a lot longer if needed.

Its definatelly a metric thread. Its the thread used on German Bock nib holders. Im currently tooling up so I can make quality custom made pens using acyrlics and exotic woods. The plan is to make the whole of the pens by hand the only bought bit will be the nib section. I will use a wood lathe and gouges for the body and cap of course. The die and a intermediate tap for the cap and body came to £149. Just trying to save some money

No replies but I'm not surprised.
I bit the bullet and shelled out to a German company that specializes in this kind of stuff.
Cost me £470 for taps and dies. So my first completely hand made pen is going to cost me well over £500. It's just as well I have orders for at least ten.

At that price I would have made my own first, especially as it is so coarse and screwcutting is so much neater than using a die, so that would have been my course of action.

Interestingly, I have been machining barrels for Rotring technical pens recently for myself, the thread is 10mm X 0.75mm so a tad finer. I machine mine from offcuts of 7075T6 and bore them full length to keep the weight down as the originals were plastic.

The M8.5x10mm cost £29.50 for an intermediate tap.
The ones for the cap and body are the expensive ones they are triple lead a die plus an intermediate tap are £167.50
The thread to attach the nib housing is 6.79x0.6mm a set of three taps is £66.15.
Once I have them I can make a start I do two sizes of fountain pen the taps and dies are different sizes so double these prices and then Im good to go.
Obviously the finished pens are not cheap. But you have to do some thing to stem the boredom.