Question 12

The Correct Answer is D 1. **Why option D ("stock and die") is correct:** The combination of a *stock* (the handle and frame that holds the cutting tool) and a *die* (the hardened tool steel cutter used to form the threads) is the traditional hand tool used specifically for cutting external pipe threads. The entire assembly is often referred to simply as a *die* or, more accurately, a *stock and die set*. 2. **Why the other options are incorrect:** * **A) ratchet cutter:** A ratchet cutter is a tool used for cutting pipe (or conduit, or cable) by tightening a blade via a ratcheting mechanism; it cuts the material but does not form threads. * **B) cutter:** While a die is a type of cutter, the term "cutter" usually refers to a pipe cutter—a tool used to sever the pipe, not thread it. * **C) threader:** "Threader" is a generic term that describes the *function* of the tool, but in the context of specific tool nomenclature, it is often incomplete or used for power-operated machines. The specific name for the manual hand tool required by the fill-in-the-blank structure is the *stock and die*. (e.g., pipe **stock and die**).