Cleveland C54506 Hand Tap 5/16-18 Unc Bottoming Hss

Product Description

The CLEVELAND C54506 is a 5/16-18 UNC bottoming hand tap machined from high speed steel (HSS) with a bright uncoated finish. It is designed for cutting internal threads in blind holes and through-holes where threads must extend close to the bottom of the bore. The tap features a 4-flute straight flute geometry, a right-hand thread direction, and a Class 3B fit with an H3 thread limit, making it suitable for applications that demand tight tolerance thread forms. Overall length is 2.719 inches with a thread length of 0.69 inches. Machinists and maintenance technicians install this tap by hand using a standard tap wrench.

The C54506 is used in general machining, toolroom, and maintenance-repair-operations (MRO) work on a range of metallic workpiece materials. It is well suited for blind hole threading and through-hole threading operations in alloy steel, carbon steel, aluminum, and free-machining stainless steel. The bottoming chamfer style allows threads to be cut to within a few pitches of a blind hole bottom, making it the correct choice when thread engagement depth is critical to the finished assembly.

Key Features

• Bottoming chamfer for threading close to the bottom of blind holes
• 4-flute straight flute design provides chip control in a range of workpiece materials
• High speed steel construction for durability in hand tapping applications
• Bright uncoated finish — no coating to affect dimensional tolerance
• Class 3B fit, H3 thread limit for tight tolerance thread forms
• Right-hand thread direction, 5/16-18 UNC thread form

Compatibility

Designed as an OEM-style replacement or direct-use hand tap for 5/16-18 UNC bottoming tap applications in general machining and MRO environments. Compatible with standard tap wrenches sized for a 0.318-inch shank diameter.

Installation Notes

This tap is installed by hand using a tap wrench — power tapping is not the intended use for a hand tap of this type. Secure the workpiece before starting and ensure the tap is started square to the hole to avoid thread misalignment or tap breakage. Apply cutting fluid appropriate for the workpiece material to extend tap life and improve thread quality. When tapping blind holes, clear chips periodically by reversing the tap to prevent packing and breakage.