As a start, make a tapping block. Adam Savage has a video here which covers the subject.

Rob

Links to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVEww6Ylw5c

Not to teach anyone how to suck eggs, but just in case: taps come in several different types, one of which is a tapered "first tap" which initially sits deeper in the hole making it easier to get it straight. You can start a thread without one of these but it's definitely more difficult!

The other trick that's handy is a spring-loaded tap follower, which holds the tap in your drilling machine and lines it up with the axis of the hole.

If I have a lot of holes to tap I use a reversing tapping head on the vertical mill, fast and accurate. Takes a few seconds per hole. For smaller numbers of holes I put the tap in the drill chuck, after drilling, and start the thread by rotating the chuck a few turns by hand. The thread is finished by hand on the bench. I normally use spiral flute taps for the majority of my tapping. If using hand taps, for freehand tapping, I start the taper tap a turn or so, and then fine adjust the tap to be perpendicular in two planes by eye. In all cases it's a lot quicker to do the operation than describe it.

Andrew

Use a tapping block as listed above for small diameters but as most taps come with a centre hole or tapered end, use a spring loaded tapping guide. (lots of examples on Youtube).

If you do not have a tapping guide use a piece of round bar with a pointed end (or hole to match taps with a taper) and hold it in the chuck of your mill or drill press.. Exert a light downward force with one hand while you turn the tap wrench with the other. If you do not have a DRO to position the hole. tap the hole after you drill the hole without moving the job.

If using a holder like the one above, instead of the tap guide shown, use a round bar with a point. (even a centre punch held in the chuck will work)

Edited By Paul Lousick on 24/03/2022 09:36:09

It's been said ! but make sure you are using a Taper or 1st tap to start with, then depending on the job a 2nd and finally a bottom tap. Make sure you have the right tapping size drill, if the hole is only a few thou small it will make it hard to start and dramaticly increase the force needed to drive the tap and potentially result in breakage ! Good Luck. Noel.

I have small block of steel with many holes drilled to match the range of taps I use. Simple to start the taps, a few turns to establish the initial important threads. Remove the block and continue. Most of my taps are spiral and I can tap almost without looking even down to M2.

Me too!

I use the tapping block method a lot, especially with small taps. For motorbike sized 1/4 and 5/16" etc diameter threads, it is a block of steel 1" thick with holes drilled in it at each tap size.

For the tiny stuff, like model engines using 1.5mm diameter threads etc for stud holes, I have cut a few small pieces of key steel about 10 or 12mm square and maybe 20 to 40mm long and drilled one hole in each to guide either 1mm, 1.5mm 0r 2mm etc taps. They work really well on the small model stuff.

On rufty tufty Harley Fergusson sized stuff using 5/16" and upward taps I will often drill the hole in the drill press than hold the tap in chuck and hit the start button, then the stop button and bring the quill down to "bury" the tap into the hole while it is still spinning. Usually goes in a couple of turns, which is enough to set it straight. I can then finish it off in the vice. (Drill press vice must be bolted down for this one of course!)

Another way, the official way apprentices used to be taught, is to hold the job flat and square in the vice and use a small try square to check progress from two directions as you go. Once you get started, a quick sight to line the tap up with a door frame or window frame etc in the distance behind it is a quick check.

Spring centre for the lathe and drill press as described by above posters is brilliant too.

Edited By Hopper on 24/03/2022 10:23:17

Edited By Hopper on 24/03/2022 10:24:00

Tap them while the work is still in position after drilling the hole thus making use if the spindle or tailstock to guide the back end of the tap.

I simply use a short bit of 6mm rod, pointed at one end and ctr drilled at the other so you can locate either a tap with ctr hole or pointed top end. Light quill pressure as you tap, release pressure if you need to back off the tap.

Tap wrench on the shank of the tap so it does not foul the guide and that also allows the wrench to slip before you apply too much force to the tap.

Don't use taper, second or plug much these days, a single spiral flute tap will do in 95% of cases

As you are using a wrench to stop the tap rotating why not also use it to turn the tap?

Hi, I agree yes you only leave the Mandel handle in once….!

Roderick, the George Thomas pillar tool and drill attachment is like mine. A fantastic bit of kit, normally used mainly for tapping but the sensitive drilling attachment is very useful.

A great project and well worthwhile in the time it takes to construct

Regards

Derek

I thought about making one with the spring that automatically disengages it when not in use. But, nah, I'll never need that, I said. Haha. Then, the VERY first time I used it…

Edited By Hopper on 25/03/2022 09:59:45

I like the handgrip idea for the smaller stuff. That's magic. Might be my next project!

Most of my taps are older than I am so spirals had not been invented yet!