Can I use a tap and die set to change screw threads? I'm having difficulty finding the right size of screws for my project, and wish to manufacture my own. Can any type of screws / bolts be used with a tap and die kit in this manner, or do they have to be made of a specific material?
Use a tap and die kit to change the thread pitch on an existing machine screw
fastenerscrews
Related Solutions
Typically you would need to drill a pilot hole and then thread with a thread cutting tool such as this:
however, since you are only using 2mm aluminium it should be soft enough for you to cut your own thread. Note: this will never be as clean as using the proper threading tool:
your problem is that you used a self tapping screw, I would recommend that you drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than your intended hole, then use a machine screw to create the thread (basically by tightening the screw into the pilot hole)
A bonus, is that you can also look out for Thread cutting machine screws. In this case your pilot hole must be just big enough to fit the tip of the point (as you can see it tapers at the end)
Sounds like Sebo?
The M4 diameter relates to the diameter of the thread not the head though. A M4 thread will typically have a 7mm wide head.
Googling "Sebo M 4 x 10K" seems to find a few references to that screw size.
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Best Answer
If you're trying to completely change the treading on a nut or bolt with a tap and die, I don't think that's going to work very well. You may be able to get a new thread pitch, but it will be interleaved with the existing one, and all you'd be doing is weakening the thread material.
If you need to simply fix some mangled threads, then have at.
If you're looking to cut your own bolt threads, you will probably want to start with unthreaded rod. Although, as Cathode mentioned in the comments, if you have hardened steel rods, you're in for a lot of frustration and not much success.
I suppose you could chuck the bolt into a lathe and carefully (very carefully) slice the existing threads off to give you an unthreaded rod with with a nice bolt head, but then you'd have to grab a box of nuts of sufficiently small size that once you ground the threads out of the inside the resulting diameter would match up with your newly "skinified" bolt stock & you could rethread those.
All in all, I'd head to the local big-box and grab a box of what you need for your current project. You'll have some spares for the next project, and will, eventually have a few dozen of everything lying around that you can't find.