Buy Imperial Spiral Point Taps Online in Australia
Imperial spiral point taps — also called "gun taps" — are designed for machine tapping of through-holes. The angled cutting face on the lead pushes chips forwards out the bottom of the hole instead of back up the flutes. That keeps the flutes clear, the tap stays cool, and tapping speed can be doubled compared with straight flute taps.
The trade-off: spiral point taps only work in through-holes. In a blind hole, the forward-ejected chips have nowhere to go and the tap jams. For blind holes, use a spiral flute tap instead.
When to Use a Spiral Point Tap
- Production tapping in CNC mills, CNC lathes and tapping heads where speed matters.
- Through-holes in steel, brass, aluminium, cast iron and most engineering materials.
- Where straight flute taps are clogging or breaking under machine feeds.
Thread Forms Stocked
BSW (Whitworth coarse), BSF (Whitworth fine), UNC (Unified coarse), UNF (Unified fine), and selected UNEF sizes. Sutton T-series (Australian-made) and Goliath HSS. For thread identification: Metric vs Imperial Fasteners Guide.
Tapping Speeds, Fluid and Drill Sizes
Spiral point taps tolerate higher cutting speeds than straight flute (often 2x). Use plenty of cutting fluid — flood or through-tool coolant where the machine supports it. Tapping drill sizes are identical to straight flute taps of the same thread; check the Tap Size Chart for the size you need. For fluid selection: Cutting Fluids Guide.
Sister Tap Collections
Imperial Straight Flute Taps, Imperial Hand Taps, Imperial Spiral Flute Taps (blind holes), Imperial Thread Forming Taps, Imperial Machine Nut Taps. Parent: Threading.
Common Questions
Can I use a spiral point tap by hand? Technically yes, but it's overkill. The angled cutting face is designed for machine speeds. For hand tapping, use a hand tap instead.
Will a spiral point tap work in a blind hole? No — chips pushed forward have nowhere to go. Use a spiral flute tap for blind holes.
What's the difference between gun tap and spiral point tap? Same tap — "gun tap" is the older Australian and British workshop name; "spiral point" is the modern technical term.
Why does my spiral point tap squeal in stainless? Speed too high, feed too aggressive, or the wrong cutting fluid. Stainless work-hardens fast — drop the surface speed to ~50% of what you'd run in mild steel and use a sulphurised or chlorinated tapping fluid.
Sizes or thread forms not online? Call (02) 9773 0122 — we source non-stock Sutton and Goliath direct.