Grainger.

 

Fastenal, or a good hardware store, local machine shop.

 

You already ruled out Fastenal which would have been my guess locally. Grainger would have been my #2 guess. I used to have a branch of MSC right next door to Graingers that stocked some items, but they closed a while back.


I've seen sets of taps and dies that came with matching drill bits, buts that's about it. I know Irwin sells basic drill and tap sets. I have a full set of letter, number and fractional drills thru 1/2" that I got thru Enco or MSC a few years ago. I still need to pick up a metric set at some point, just "because". I have duplicates of common "odd" drills like #7's for drilling out holes for 1/4"-20. It can also help to have a full chart of drill sizes so if you don't have the right size, you can choose the next closest one from the chart.

Keep in mind that drill sizes are based on thread fit. My Machinery Handbook will list several different bit sizes based on how tight or loose the thread fit needs to be for the same tap size.

I'm guessing based om my wall chart that you are trying to locate a drill to match a 10-32 tap. You should be able to find drills that size with taps fairly easily. Most of the Irwin taps I've seen that size come with the bit included. Looks like both Home Depot and Lowes should have the tap and drill together.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_63249-281-1...281-1765536_0__?productId=3732995&Ntt=taps&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=taps&facetInfo=

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Irwin-PTS-Drill-and-Tap-Set-2-Piece-1765536/202214127#

 

Sears has a pretty good chance of having a full set of fractional/letter/number drills. Good luck keeping the set complete. Bits get up in the middle of the night and hide on you.

 

Like Sputter mentioned, Sears may be your best bet, or Ace hardware, or some independent hardware. I don't know why you want to just shop on Saturday though, is it a religious thing? (sorry, joking and couldn't resist).

Regarding bits for tapping though, you'll save money buying "machine length" bits and not "jobber" bits, plus they're easier to use/less breakage in the smaller dia's.

 

Harbor frate sells them.

 

Any electrical supply house will stock them also as 10-32 is a common electrical thread.

Ron

 

I just waited until yesterday, Monday, to get what I wanted. I got a temporary fix from my local Fastenal and will be order some other things through Enco. I need to spend some money to have a more complete armamentarium of taps, dies, etc. I've tried to force things into an open time on my schedule and ended up costing me more time. This was not an emergency, go to get it done, project. So, I set it aside to get more things to do it right.

Thanks for the help and replies. Very helpful!

 

McMaster-Carr. Where I live, if I order something online before 5pm it is as my house the next day before noon and that is regular UPS shipping charges. The local guys have no clue near me.
T.J.

 

I spend the moderate money and bought the HF numbered & lettered set.

They stay in the case, inside the cardboard box until and unless one of them is ABSOLUTELY required. The one bit is used to finish the hole(s) and is returned to the case, the case is put in the box and the box gets put back on the shelf.

There are enough semi-complete drill indexes in the shop to do 99% of the holes.

Spend the bucks for a complete set in HS steel and treat that set like gold. You'll always have the perfect size when close enough is not good enough.