I made myself a tap follower and die guide. I am slowly learning metal working.

[e_m_maker]

[DIYer]

Thanks e_m_maker! We've added your Tap Follower and Die Guide to our Tapping and Threading category,
as well as to your builder page: e_m_maker's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Tap Follower and Die Guide by e_m_maker

tags: guide, tap & die

[mklotz]

Very nice work. Thanks for posting.

We don't see too many die guides of your form because, on the larger lathes, the diameter of the tailstock tube is large enough that it can serve as a pusher directly.

Using a die stock on a lathe has never been one of my favorite entertainments. Much easier is a die holder that slides on a rod supported by the tailstock.
Jjr2001 provided us an excellent article on the one of this type he made for his Sherline; an attached pdf provides detailed plans...

Lathe Tap and Die holders for the Sherline Lathe MT0 tail stock

His plans indicate a convenient way to fabricate a hex-shaped depression to capture a hex die. Drill a small hole at the each vertex of the hex and mill straight line between these holes.

I wasn't clever enough to do that when starting out so I drilled and tapped holes every 120 degrees and put in setscrews to contact the hex flats. It worked well enough that I still use it today.