Tapping straight

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

It works for external threads with a tails stock die holder too. Infact the tap chuck in the video above is held in a die holder, part of a set ARC sent my to try out but for various reasons it was decided not to stock it even though it was very nicely made.

This is my old imperial tailstock die holder, I made a holder for metric OD die sthat has a shallow knurl but the smooth one works OK too, just make sure the grub screws at the other end are not sticking out and there is good clearance between it and the toolpost so no risk of catching your thumb.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

There have been designs for mandrel handles with a dog clutch and a spring so they disengage unless you apply a little force to keep them connected when winding.

N.

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

With tapping holes straight and concentric, starting with a 1st taper tap and the 2nd and then the plug is about as good as you can get. The use of tap blocks etc are also a good idea , but only if they are square themselves. With a lathe situation, if you leave the tap in the part and everything is correct, when you spin the workpiece with the tap in place, it will run true for the length of the tap. As for a tapping fluid, I have been using for the last about 18 months Blaser cutting oil from Switzerland. Work has been using it for about the same amount of time with very pleasing results. The main advantages from it seems it does not smell to most people ,and is very clean. It works on a large variety of materials as well.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

The Masonmaster Despeeder is a good tool to convert for tapping in the lathe or mill (Past article in mag) as it just idles round at spindle speed until gripped by the operator. I have one which I have converted and have made several interchangeable tap drivers that fit onto it. Mostly used for taps under 8mm. And of course works in reverse.

[John ReeseParticipant @johnreese12848]

One can make something similar to this:

**LINK**

[lyricParticipant @lyric]

Myfordboy has a good idea on his YouTube channel under the heading "No more broken taps.

[Wal WerbelParticipant @walwerbel59154]

I made myself this tiny tapping block for small diameter work:

When I first started planning to build my little CNC mini mill I figured that I'd need a way to drill and to tap into the edges of alu plate in a somewhat accurate and perpendicular manner, so had this made – those top hats have proved very useful time and time again:

 

Wal.

 

Edited By Wal Werbel on 27/03/2022 23:26:53

[Jon LawesParticipant @jonlawes51698]

I did laugh at the Kase slice! It has a lovely finish for a workshop tool, I seldom have the patience.

Edited By Jon Lawes on 28/03/2022 00:50:42

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

A problem with many of the freehand tapping guides I've seen is that you need two good arms to operate them: one to hold down the guide and another to turn the tap.

On iron and steel a guide like the Gator that had a very strong on/off magnet that left the actual work area unmagnetised might be a solution, but on brass and aluminium I'd still have to faff about with clamps of various kinds.

Because a magnetisable Gator-type guide doesn't exist, afaik, when tapping freehand on flat surfaces I nearly always have to resort to just eyeballing it.

 

Edited By Bill Phinn on 28/03/2022 02:18:21

[Peter Ellis 5Participant @peterellis5]

I´ve been considering a 3D print of the Gator design. Incorporating magnets seems a good idea.The variations in shank diameters would probably mean making several.

Cheers

Peter

[Peter Ellis 5Participant @peterellis5]

I liked the Mason Master idea. I had been wondering what to do with the one that I have. A mag ref would be interesting.

Cheers

Peter

[Wal WerbelParticipant @walwerbel59154]

Posted by Jon Lawes on 28/03/2022 00:50:04:

I did laugh at the Kase slice! It has a lovely finish for a workshop tool, I seldom have the patience.

Edited By Jon Lawes on 28/03/2022 00:50:42

Hehe – yep, it was literally a bit of scrap that I was simply going to drill some holes in – then it turned into an 'evening project'…

Wal.

[Dr. MC BlackParticipant @dr-mcblack73214]

Posted by Clive Brown 1 on 24/03/2022 09:00:24:

The "ultimate" solution is a universal pillar tool, designed by George Thomas and available as a kit from Hemingway.

Has anybody designed something like GT’s Pillar Tool but NOT using Castings.

Article in an old magazine perhaps?

MC

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Hardly needs a different design, Base and table can be cut from a couple of bits of round bar and the two arms from square or rectangular stock. Up to the builder how much shaping they want to put into the "castings"

Though it still means moving the work away from the position it was drilled in so may need setting up again under the pillar tool's spindle which could be a pain if its a casting that has been shimmed up true for drilling or set at an angle so may a swell just tap where it was drilled.

[Peter Ellis 5Participant @peterellis5]

Bruno Mueller has done one without castings.

.http://www.mueller-bruno.de/saeulenwerkzeug-pillar-tool.html

Cheers

Peter

[Dr. MC BlackParticipant @dr-mcblack73214]

Posted by Peter Ellis 5 on 28/03/2022 17:42:02:

Bruno Mueller has done one without castings.

.http://www.mueller-bruno.de/saeulenwerkzeug-pillar-tool.html

Cheers

Peter

Thank you

Unfortunately, Herr Mueller has described what he built in German – which is a closed book to me.

The photographs showed what looked like castings to me!

With best wishes and thanks again.

MC

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by Dr. MC Black on 28/03/2022 21:46:31:

Posted by Peter Ellis 5 on 28/03/2022 17:42:02:

Bruno Mueller has done one without castings.

.http://www.mueller-bruno.de/saeulenwerkzeug-pillar-tool.html

Cheers

Peter

Thank you

Unfortunately, Herr Mueller has described what he built in German – which is a closed book to me.

The photographs showed what looked like castings to me!

With best wishes and thanks again.

The pictures show a lot of work making stock look like castings. Which is an odd thing to do on a tool.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

The Mason Master article is in 292 page 15

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

For another pillar tool made without castings have a look at the following document:-

**LINK** ( https://www.haythornthwaite.com/149 Pillar Tool.pdf )

That was made larger than the GHT design but the same type of construction could be used at pretty much any sensible scale, you just need to work around pipe fitting sizes.

Edited By Keith Long on 28/03/2022 23:51:42

[Peter Ellis 5Participant @peterellis5]

Posted by bernard towers on 28/03/2022 22:26:46:

The Mason Master article is in 292 page 15

Thank you. Drat ! Haven´t got it.

Cheers

Peter

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Nice looking barstock one at the bottom of this thread

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Over the years have made various ntapping aids.

The ones most used are:

The spring loaded centre type, in the Mill

A pillar type tool made from an old drill stand and a piece of box section with two sleeves welded in and reamed afterwards, to carry a spindle with a small drill chuck on the lower ens, and short T bar on the upper.

The box section can be clamped up and down the pillar, and swung around it to align with the work, (Usually held in a cheap drill vice )

At one time such devices were available commercially.

For the lathe, I made up an arbor for the Tailstock, so that a home made ER25 collet holder could slide along it.

This was inspired by a sliding Die holder set up

The holder is slightly loose fit on the arbor, so that the tap can not only slide, but float to ensure that it follows the drilled hole.

Howard

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

I used to use a spring centre, either in the tailstock, mill or pillar drill, but this didn't work for small taps where the diameter of the rod was larger than that of the tap. One of these from Warco proved to be the solution.

Spindle Tap Wrench

I assume the link will be OK with mods as I can see their ad on the right.

Brian G

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Posted by Nick Welburn on 24/03/2022 08:48:13:

I’m progressing slowly with my machining. Generally now I get the holes where they are meant to be and straight… dimensions are good.
but I struggle with getting a tap in straight. Leading to wonky studs and such like.
I use a little tapping fluid. But there must be a knack or a trick to getting a tap to thread in straight.
I have a tap handle. I have taps.
what should i do or watch?

If machining (and not using hand-held drills), tapping with the same machine setting is possible every time. Just change the drill for the tap. Only when away from the mill, lathe or pillar drill, does any alignment problem need to raise its head.

You would need a spring-loaded tap-guide if there is no quill on your machine. Otherwise, no problem – either power tapping (if appropriate) or turning the machine chuck by hand to at least to start the thread in proper alignment.

I’ve never got round to making a spring loaded tapping guide. Just starting the thread is usually perfectly adequate for finishing the thread by hand.

[Peter Ellis 5Participant @peterellis5]

WIP

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