I need to buy some watch taps and miniture drill bits ...where is the best place to get a good quality set..

i need them for the american watches such as hamilton and illinois ,elgin,,i am going to try and bulid a watch plate and need to drill and tap some holes for the jewel setting,s..

Hi Samie,
You can buy pivot drills new from a supplier, but buy good ones. The ones I use were from Hamilton when they closed. An ex employee and NAWCC member who worked at Hamilton until it closed in Lancaster sells them for $2 a piece. My set runs from .33 to 1.85 and they are real sharp and real high quality. You can email him at joeheisey@hotmail.com. I bought mine when he visited the School of Horology. Taps are a more difficult thing to get right. Elgin and Waltham used their own special sizes. Other U.S. companies probably did the same. Used ones can be found on Ebay or at marts. A good set of taps and dies from Bergeon are out of sight expensive but can be bought new from suppliers. Screw plates are another product that can be bought used or new, but make sure your buying good ones.