If the plate on the pin is the keeper, then the bolt and nut on the plate must be my keeper's keeper ;-)
Paul
Paul Made a Thing
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Paul
And instantly I realize I will wind up with a collection of these with different spring forces depending on how big a tap I'm using. I've used it now on some small grub scew holes, and testing up to 1/4", and it works, but it's marginal on pressure at that range.
paul
When it's yours, you don't beat it to death. It's about 20 years old. I bought it new from a dealer that went backrupt in Ohio and sold their inventory on eBay. They had 20 of them or so. I did a crap load of research and found that it was best to win the very first one in the bidding. So I hammered it and scooped it while everyone else sat there watching to see what they would go for. I paid less than half what the rest went for and the last one went for 4 times what I paid.
It was only lightly used for the first 10 years I owned it. But I have laid field tile, repaired field tile, dug ditches, and pulled out big rocks and tree stumps with it for the last 10 years and it got some good use - but not like an excavating company or anything like that.
But ya, I do look after my stuff. The loader tractor I use it with is a beast with strong legs and great lungs.
It is linear, but the force is not constant - it goes up with compression. So it's best to preload them just below the required force and have them long enough so the fully compressed force isn't much more. That requires a long spring.
Fortunately, the highest force is required at the beginning to get the tap going. After the tap is going, it feeds its own way into the drilled hole and the spring force is only required to keep the tap engaged in the follower. So that is all working in our favour.
All the retail ones I've seen are short and stubby. But if I were making one, I'd prolly make it longer to accommodate a long spring and a long stroke.
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The plate on the pin style keeper is great- until shyte gets bent and the plate shears off. Then the pin will walk out and the cylinder drops out of the loader frame. (Not quite the same on a bucket pin, I know). The last one I “fixed” I took a hunk of 1/2” flat bar, drilled another hole on the opposite side of the factory bolt hole, then tightened the bolts to make the plate a horseshoe holding the pin in. I’m 95% sure I didn’t bother drilling a hole to acces the grease zerk, with 1/2-3/4” of play in the joint what’s the point.
I was “fixing” to stop the pin falling out, nothing more nothing less
I used two compression springs from a kit like that, for my tap follower. They nested together. Seems to work but all I had at the time.
The plate on the pin style keeper is great- until shyte gets bent and the plate shears off. Then the pin will walk out and the cylinder drops out of the loader frame. (Not quite the same on a bucket pin, I know). The last one I “fixed” I took a hunk of 1/2” flat bar, drilled another hole on the opposite side of the factory bolt hole, then tightened the bolts to make the plate a horseshoe holding the pin in. I’m 95% sure I didn’t bother drilling a hole to acces the grease zerk, with 1/2-3/4” of play in the joint what’s the point.
I was “fixing” to stop the pin falling out, nothing more nothing less
Well, that's one end of the spectrum of what can happen when that plate shears off.
A similar thing happened on my big disc harrow. The SOB who owned it before me didn't grease it regularly. As a result the pin seized and then galled which caused the plate to shear off. It took me three weeks to get the old pin out.
Here is a link to that story!
Post in thread 'Bridgeport Project' https://canadianhobbymetalworkers.com/threads/bridgeport-project.3521/post-48491
Following up on my backhoe bucket keeper. Another fine object of distinction:
At this magnification I see that my chamfers on the knurling are rather inconsistent.
I'm hoping the 1.5" diameter knob is enough to get a hold on to lock the M10x1.5 nut on the backside. Probably not, but it won't hurt to try.
New skills on this one: turning up to a squarish shoulder, tapping with a die on the lathe. The setup for that one wasn't bad. I don't have a nifty die holder like Dusty, so I used the one from my cheap tap and die set and pushed on it with the Jacob's chuck in my tailstock.
I also pulled the handle out of my chuck key so I could hold it as a lever on the chuck (hmm, thinking about it now - is this contra-indicated?), pulling it as I pushed the die holder. After a couple of turns it got into a nice rhythm of pull/push, tighten tailstock quill.
I'll know mid-next week when I next get out to the cabin how well it goes on the bucket.
At this magnification I see that my chamfers on the knurling are rather inconsistent.
I'm hoping the 1.5" diameter knob is enough to get a hold on to lock the M10x1.5 nut on the backside. Probably not, but it won't hurt to try.
New skills on this one: turning up to a squarish shoulder, tapping with a die on the lathe. The setup for that one wasn't bad. I don't have a nifty die holder like Dusty, so I used the one from my cheap tap and die set and pushed on it with the Jacob's chuck in my tailstock.
I also pulled the handle out of my chuck key so I could hold it as a lever on the chuck (hmm, thinking about it now - is this contra-indicated?), pulling it as I pushed the die holder. After a couple of turns it got into a nice rhythm of pull/push, tighten tailstock quill.
I'll know mid-next week when I next get out to the cabin how well it goes on the bucket.
Your knurling looks great.
I use my chuck key the same way but with the handle attached still.
While I now have a tailstock die holder, I used that same "butt-up-to" method with the tailstock chuck also quite successfully before my my die holder.
A lot of my smaller taps don't have a hole for the spring loaded follower to fit in.
This is why the pin should be reversable. One end has an outside 60° point, and the other end has an inside 60° cone. The cone fits over the end of the small taps to align them.
If not reversable, then at least interchangeable.
On the other hand, they are so easy to make and take up so little space that I think I'd rather just have a separate one for the smaller taps. The travel is usually shorter and the spring force can be less.
I don't disagree. If you re-read my ideal tap follower wish list you will see that I want several. One for each given range of tap sizes. I don't know what those ranges should be just yet though - prolly similar to what the tap companies already specify.
That said, each of those should still be either reversible or interchangeable too.
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Can you just copy tap socket sizing?
That would work. But I don't think I'd want that many. Maybe every 3 sizes? I dunno. I have not really studied it much yet. Right now I just know I am not happy with what is out there.
While not quite the same thing, I borrowed a set of these from @ThirtyOneDriver . I loved them enough to buy my own set. They have an inside square drive for the tap and a rubber O-ring holds it in place. The small ones are 1/4 inch drive, and the bigger ones are 3/8 drive.
They worked really well. I started them with a 1/4 screw driver and then switched to a t-handle. Infinitely better than the T-handle tap wrenches I used to use.
They have no centering feature though so I will have to make a driver adapter of some kind to fit my mill / drill press / lathe.
They worked really well. I started them with a 1/4 screw driver and then switched to a t-handle. Infinitely better than the T-handle tap wrenches I used to use.
They have no centering feature though so I will have to make a driver adapter of some kind to fit my mill / drill press / lathe.
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Those are handy in tight spots where a regular tap handle won’t fit, and kick arse for EZ outs too. Once you have a set you kick yourself for not having them.
Last time I used them was on an engine block, tapping motor mount bolts. Had an extra long 3/8” drive ratchet to get extra leverage to cut the threads. No way would a tap handle have cut the mustard. (pun unintentional)