Tool How to drive taps

[140mower]

40 posts on driving taps, and no one has mentioned the use of a very small steering wheel and pedals....... So I guess I will....

 

[Susquatch]

I think its a matter of perspective, you removing a broken tap or me removing a broken tap is the same job, we just see it differently

I accept that.

You also get lots of practice and practice makes perfect.

 

[Stuart Samuel]

I'll answer my own question here.

Tapping Feed and Speed | Viking Drill and Tool

Calculations use the desired tool diameter, number of teeth, cutting speed, and cutting feed, which should be chosen based on the specific cutting conditions

www.vikingdrill.com

As usual the commercial numbers come out with much higher speeds than I would dare try.

Yes, I was going to have a look at the drill presses at work, before answering, but not especially fast. The idea of running it at those speeds does give me the willies, a bit.

 

[Stuart Samuel]

The magic in these units is purpose designed clutch systems in between the motor & the tap. They have calibrated slip settings corresponding to specific tap sizes & indirectly, tune-able for material types. You could have a 25HP motor connected but still tap delicate M1 blind threads all day long because the clutch will slip on that setting &the motor shaft just spins. You still have to pay attention to cutting edge condition, swarf packing, lubrication & all that good stuff but generally those are all torque inducing conditions so hopefully work to reduce tap breakage. But that's another amazing attribute of tapping heads - re-entering a partial threaded hole. No cross threading, no fuss, it just works. They can be spendy but they sure work well.

Yep. If anyone ends up with a tapping head, it’s worth at least having a look at the exploded diagram, if not disassembling and servicing it, just so you’re clear on what’s going on inside.

When I started at my current job, they had two Tapmatic 50x heads, but I was told one ‘didn’t work’. A year or two later, we had a slow day or two, so I took it apart.

Friction clutch systems don’t work very well when someone fills them with oil.

Worked fine since.

 

[jcdammeyer]

I did break a 3mm tap into aluminum when I was making one of the parts for the AR3 robot arm but that turned out to be my fault not the machine.
Seems if you don't drill a deep enough hole and then try to tap to a depth shorter than the hole something has to give.\

This was generated automatically by the CAM software.

%
N1 G17 G20 G40 G90
( BEGIN TOOL LIST )
( TOOL 6 - Tap3mm - DESC: 0.1180 DIA, 2 FLUTE,  HSS MAT )
( ENDOF TOOL LIST )
(HoldDown3mm Tap)
N2 T6 M06 G43
N3 S75 M3
N4 G0 Z3.
N5 X-0. Y0.7283
N6 G33.1 X-0. Y0.7283 Z-0.7 K0.0492
N7 G80
N8 G0 Z0.099
N9 X-0.7283 Y0.
N10 G33.1 X-0.7283 Y0. Z-0.7 K0.0492
N11 G80
N12 G0 Z0.099
N13 X0. Y-0.7283
N14 G33.1 X0. Y-0.7283 Z-0.7 K0.0492
N15 G80
N16 G0 Z0.099
N17 X0.7283 Y-0.
N18 G33.1 X0.7283 Y-0. Z-0.7 K0.0492
N19 G80
N20 G0 Z3.
N21 T0 M06 G49
N22 M30
%

 

[Ironman]

Here is a good write up on taps and types of taps

 

[Stuart Samuel]

Here is a good write up on taps and types of taps

I’m such a boring person. I look at that and think ‘oh yeah, I keep meaning to read up on forming taps!’

 

[Greywynd]

What is that app called exactly John? I'd like to look for. an iOS equivalent.

Good thread gents, interesting. More pictures of things like M36 holes being worked on / threaded would be nice. What equipment has a M36 tapped hole? When do you need to tap 500 holes?

This is large mining equipment, and the M36 tapped holes were threads that were stripped, welded up, and I then recut. These particular bolts hold the swing motors and transmissions that swing the entire upper assembly on top of the undercarriage.

Access is limited, I had just enough room to use two combination wrenches at 90* apart, instead of 180*.

Buying multiple taps to have on hand isn’t really in the cards, often we have to work with what we already have on hand as time is limited. We do well to find a decent hand tap, and sometimes two.