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DIY tapping fixture

I read a few posts here in the last month or so, complaining about broken taps or tapped holes that weren't square so I thought I'd post this link.. it's ho to build a 'do it yourself' tapping fixture that I wrote several years ago for ou r Live Steam web site.. This is a direct link to the article since the site uses 'frames' and there is no other easy was to get there.

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The is another article I wrote that would be appropriate for some of you about using DC power for variable speed on your machine tools that you can get to if you go in the front door
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then go to Tips Tricks and Plans, it's pretty obvious. This is a brute force 'Varic and Diode' approch and I honestly don't need to be told about better ways to do this. I specificaly stayed away from fancy SCR/Triac or PWM stuff, I wanted this to be brain dead simple and surpluss store easy so any average Joe could do it.

FWIW there are some cool pictures of us and our engines in the pictures area.

Dave

Reply to
Dave August
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Thanks, Dave. I, for one, appreciate that!

Dave August wrote:

Reply to
WoofWoof

My pleasure Woffie,

Like I said in the article, it really makes tapping a pleasure and not a chore.

2-56 dosen't worry me now and I've done some 0-80 work with no problems. I've gotten e-mail from people who said they had been thinking for a while of building a clone of the ones you see advertised , you know fancy adjustible head etcetra, and when they saw this the just hacked one out in a few hours... I honestly enjoy using my tools to make tools :-)

Happy tapping -)

Dave

Reply to
Dave August

I like it, nice and simple.

Reply to
tomcas

Thanks for this. I've been thinking how much I need to make a tapping fixture. I've also been thinking about how much I need a tapping head, too. The tapping fixture's a bit cheaper, however.

I know what you mean about making tools. I just completed a 12" by 12" vacuum table for my mill and it works a treat. I was SO excited the first time I used it.

Peter

Reply to
Peter Grey

Before buying a tapping head, you should try tapping with a drill press (directly) under power (or a mill with a quill). I've tapped dozens of holes in tool steel without breaking a tap.

Obviously it's not so great for small taps, but for anything larger than a #8 or so, there's really no reason (IMO) to do it by hand.

Regards,

Robin

Reply to
Robin S.

That vacuum table sounds cool, you should post a few pictures somewhere and give us all a few ideas :-)

--.- Dave

Reply to
Dave August

"Dave August" wrote in message news:REKXd.15476$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com... | I read a few posts here in the last month or so, complaining about broken | taps or tapped holes that weren't square so I thought I'd post this link.. | it's ho to build a 'do it yourself' tapping fixture that I wrote several | years ago for ou r Live Steam web site.. This is a direct link to the | article since the site uses 'frames' and there is no other easy was to get | there. |

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Very cool. At work lately I've been using a pneumatic hand drill looking tool that runs taps. Push it in the tap goes forward. Pull it back, it goes backwards. Pretty fast if you pull the trigger all the way. Very cool. It's big and heavy, which makes it far more stable. Doesn't mean I haven't broken a tap, but it certainly makes quick work of dozens of holes! Lubricant a necessity here. Otherwise I'd be using a cordless drill.

Reply to
carl mciver

What about chucking the tap in a drill press, checking for center, and then running the tap in by hand?

--RC (who doesn't do much tapping)

Reply to
Rick Cook

I have done that often, but it is very difficult with a small tap because you have to deal with the drill press return spring wanting to pull the tap out of the work. I often start a tap that way then finish it by hand. Works better if you drop the drive belt off -- always do that by hand or you will be experimenting with how to remove a broken tap.

mikey

Reply to
Mike Fields

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