Cleveland C64042 Pipe Tap 3/4"-14 NPT 5 Flutes

Cleveland C64042 NPT pipe tap

The Cleveland C64042 is a 3/4"-14 NPT pipe tap with five flutes and a semi-bottoming chamfer. It is made from high-speed steel with a bright uncoated finish for general-purpose threading. Right-hand cutting suits standard pipe and conduit work. The tool is intended for mechanics and fabricators who need to cut internal taper threads in metal.

NPT taper limits thread depth and engagement

The 14 threads-per-inch pitch and taper profile mean each turn advances the tap a fixed amount, so thread depth is tied directly to how far the tool enters the workpiece. A 75 percent thread drill size of .9063 in is required to produce the correct thread form. The semi-bottoming design allows threading closer to the bottom of a blind hole than a taper tap, but it cannot cut a full thread to the very bottom. Users must allow for the incomplete threads at the start and end of the cut.

High-speed steel body with five-flute chip clearance

The bright finish shows the bare high-speed steel surface without coating, which is typical for hand or low-speed machine tapping. Five flutes provide more cutting edges and smaller chip spaces than three- or four-flute taps, helping to break chips in ductile materials. The 3 1/4 in overall length and 1 3/8 in thread length give a compact reach for tight pipe assemblies. The shank fits standard tap wrenches or holders for manual or powered operation.