I picked up a couple of thread files and through trial and error figured out the answer to the question I didn't know how to ask :)

The thread frequency/number/count/thingy seems to be 18 on the file. Not sure how that corresponds to metric/sae bolts/pipes/whatever but it appears to work. (you can see I am of the brute force school of hardware).

The male parts are slowly but surely beginning to fit without sticking. Thank you vortextwist for pointing me in the right direction.

Now onto the next question, is there a corresponding tool for female thread or a trick to using these inside the tube? The way the teeth are cut on these files they seem to be pretty much dedicated to the male side... I am looking at pipe tap sets, I suspect the 18 from the file corresponds to the 'NPT' rating on these, I guess the danger of just retapping these pieces is that they may or may not correspond to a standard plumbing interior diameter?

Yay tools!

(It is a wonder I have kept all my fingers)