Threads may be put on a part with a button die. This is a round piece of steel with thread cutting grooves. The diameters of small button-dies are 13/16 and 1.00 inches. In this size, threads may be cut from 0-80 to 1/2 inch. The purpose of a die holder is to align and allow the button-die to cut a true and untapered thread.

To use the die holder, the operator screws on a 1/2 inch shaft onto the tailstock point. The main body of the die holder then slides and rotates on this shaft while the thread is being cut. When screwing the button-die on the workpiece always have a 45 degree chamfer on the end of the workpiece to be threaded.