tips for tapping the MakerSlide

[gmfoster]

I started with a hand tap. Converted to battery drill and it went much better. With a good variable speed battery drill I feel you actually have more control. And motor oil isn't tapping fluid.
Not sure where all the fear of power tapping comes from. But one has to do what they feel safe with. I know that fron now on I will always power tap. Might have to back out and clean the chips once per hole if going full depth of tap...

Garry

[will1384]

I started with a hand tap. Converted to battery drill and it went much better. With a good variable speed battery drill I feel you actually have more control. And motor oil isn't tapping fluid.
Not sure where all the fear of power tapping comes from. But one has to do what they feel safe with. I know that fron now on I will always power tap. Might have to back out and clean the chips once per hole if going full depth of tap...

Garry

I have broken good taps in soft metal, going slow, and using lots of oil, so I am a tad bit scared when I use a tap, I used a Metric hand tap guide, and used a piloted tap wrench, its a tap wrench that can be used with a drill press or by hand, and has grub screws holding it together letting you change the layout of the tool as you need, BTW I mostly use a thick sticky oil for drilling, cutting, and tapping because it stays were you put it, but not for high speed use.

[fishtoprecords]

Not sure where all the fear of power tapping comes from.

Its a simple fear. Once you've broken a tap, you don't want to do it again. When a hardened tap breaks in soft metal (aka aluminum) it can be impossible to get the tap out so you have to throw away the part and get a new one. And a new tap. No fun there.

[Ing Chao]

Not sure where all the fear of power tapping comes from.

Its a simple fear. Once you've broken a tap, you don't want to do it again. When a hardened tap breaks in soft metal (aka aluminum) it can be impossible to get the tap out so you have to throw away the part and get a new one. And a new tap. No fun there.

Testify, Brother! I broke off a few taps in aluminum, too! I did gain some new knowledge out of it though. It's amazing how much you can improvise in the world of the Makers.....

[gmfoster]

Well I don't really want to be argumentative but that's the point! I have broken taps in aluminum but always when hand tapping. I have never broken one with a hand drill. It is actually so much easier I just wish I would have taken some video. There are ways to get broken taps out of aluminum but at the price of maker slide may not be worth the effort..

[Ing Chao]

Well I don't really want to be argumentative but that's the point! I have broken taps in aluminum but always when hand tapping. I have never broken one with a hand drill. It is actually so much easier I just wish I would have taken some video. There are ways to get broken taps out of aluminum but at the price of maker slide may not be worth the effort..

I'm not trying to argue either, I was just thinking of the aftermath of a broken tap in makerslide, too. But at the rate I'm going through taps, I'm going to take a closer look at powertapping! I think my main problem is using a 1/8th bit instead of a #29. I've got it stuck in my mind that the smaller the pilot hole, the deeper the threads will be. I don't like how easy it is to tap a #29 pilot hole!

[criznach]

I broke one M5 tap in the makerslide when assembling my machine. I had a feeling I was rushing it. And apparently I was!

Luckily I was able to get it out by threading three pieces of music wire (as thick as would fit) through the flutes of the broken tap, then turning those with vise grips until I could grab the broken part. I got a new tap and away I went...

[Ing Chao]

I broke one M5 tap in the makerslide when assembling my machine. I had a feeling I was rushing it. And apparently I was!

Luckily I was able to get it out by threading three pieces of music wire (as thick as would fit) through the flutes of the broken tap, then turning those with vise grips until I could grab the broken part. I got a new tap and away I went...

NICE! I've filed that trick under "useful tips for later use"!

Thanks for posting that!

[Gadgetman!]

Filed under 'must try' with me, too.
I need to get the broken remains out of a 1000mm Makerslide myself, before I can do the 'final' assembly of my ShapeOko.

A 1000mm Makerslide may not be all that expensive, but... Try shipping it to Norway...

[gmfoster]

there are some acids that will attack steel but not Aluminum....
dremal
There are also tap removers that are very similar in theory to the 3 music wire trick above.


The biggest name in tap extractors over here is
http://www.waltontools.com/products/remvtap.htm

Safety glasses essential!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
for below..

Also with a steady hand and some diamond points you can get tap this size out by grinding out the web of the tap with a dremal tool witk diamond point tools. Slow but pretty sure depending on the depth it is broke off..