Tapping using a drill press?

[Wallace]

Try a cordless, I was suprised, honest, I've spent years, one turn, half a turn back, I'm 45, did that, life is short. @Wallace

I have done if the thread does not need any great degree of accuracy, the reason for starting in the pillar drill is to get the thread square. Old habits die hard!

 

[Barking Mat]

I do beakdowns, where things need fixing fast, degrees of accuracy come second.

That's me in a nutshell.

 

[Gragson]

On the OP, I don't do a lot but, good decent taps (right type for the job/material) are a revelation not clogging and chomping through by hand with some cutting fluid, I like the feel by hand when you know its binding beyond the point of "snap" to back off. I've got Presto & Clarke garbage sets and when I need to do something more challenging the boy gets me the expensive stuff from work to borrow

 

[jsf55]

The tool maker in our tool room gave me a demonstration on how easy it was to use a tapping head and promptly snapped the tap in the hole..... not for me i'll stick with old school !

 

[Barking Mat]

The tool maker in our tool room gave me a demonstration on how easy it was to use a tapping head and promptly snapped the tap in the hole..... not for me i'll stick with old school !

Ooh I quoted again! How exciting, only 12 years on the forum...

Ooh, you don't want to snap your tool in a hole.....

I read an article in the mainstream press of how a man has done this.

Sorry I digress... (Again).

Coat, door

 

[Gragson]

You are Barking, Mat

 

[Barking Mat]

@Gragson , it's my shocking wrongness, but some times, something chimes in and I just can't help myself.

I try to censor myself, but it does doesn't work.

 

[Guzrik]

cheap damaged drills and slipping drillchucks often put me off, its a vicious circle I try to stay away from.
The Fein has a lockring and a full metal chuck oriented at serious metal work, with gearreduction it is the only brand that states a max tap diam in their folder.

 

[James1979]

I used a cordless for tapping for years with varying results. Was only recently through this forum that i found out how to 'lock' the keyless chucks

 

[8ob]

I did have one of those tapping bells, they keep the tap true to the surface.

I don't think I could be without my old clunker of a Burgmaster for tapping bar, or the tapping head in the tailstock of the lathe.

These gadgets are good for dies on the lathe

 

[James1979]

You can use those axial tapping heads in a mill. In a lathe I push the tap in with the sprung centre from the tailstock, then start it in low rpm holding the tap wrench. When you feel it start to get tight, just let go, stop and reverse. Saw it on YT somewhere I think but I saw it done in real life first! Loving that Burgmaster

 

[roofman]

If it's not a blind hole I would go with the drill/tap combo`s, one op.

they look handy

 

[daleyd]

they look handy

They are superb for drilling/tapping back plates in electrical panels for din rail etc

 

[James1979]

Where did you buy them? I looked at a set in Cromwell ages ago but they were mega money

 

[Gritineye]

Having fun and games at the moment,
Tapping some 1/4" NPT threads in 14mm plate.
Suggested drill size is 7/16" which is 11.11mm - I used 11.5mm - still stupidly tight. Next size I have up is 12mm which is way bigger - just worried it will be too slack.

Funny thing I've been doing the same today, rummaged in my drill pile and started with a bit biggish drill then deeper with a tiny bit smaller one, sort of stepped it.

Worked fine but can't give you drill sizes cos I was winging it by eye.

 

[DAPPH]

As Yellow Ardwark, just hand pressure on the lever until 2 or 3 threads established & then remove from drill press to finish off with tap wrench. What would be nice would be a way to turn the drill chuck by hand without having to use the chuck key, anybody an suggestions?
RonA

Get a small gym weight bore or file out the middle to chuck size , make up a collar that fits the chuck and put a locking screw in it so it locks into one of the chuck key holes . marry the collar & the weight up fit it to the chuck and you'll have a nice hand wheel to turn back & forth whilst threading . You can either use the chuck on it's own to tap or get hold of one of the four jaw hand tap holders similar to this one :-

Lots of model makers have used a dead or dedicated drill press and mounted the hand wheel on the top pulley end it gives a right angle tapping every time . They use the handles to bring he drill down usually after resetting the tension spring to make it as light as possible so one the thread is started you can use both hands to operate the hand wheel

I saw one guy who had a six inch steel platform that was clamped to the bench and the drill press bolted to that with the actual drill & motor turned round away from the base table place to give a good foot of clearance under the drill bit ..it enabled him to accurately drill out a broken studs in a cylinder head

 

[DAPPH]

My Clarke pillar drill has a hefty coil spring to return the spindle, it would be nice if it could be temporarily disconnected so the weight would give you a free hand to rotate the pulley with a socket.

A tapping head is another option.

Loosen the nut on the spring cover and firmly , gently ease the cover & spring out till you can back off the tension whilst holding the cover firmly , push it back in place then tighten it back up on the nut to where it was before .

 

[willie.macleod]

I'm sure u can get a powerd feed holder for tap that fits in the drill press......has a clutch and can be reversed out...
aint cheap tho even used........
only think about it when I'm doing the job.....
to many grey moments now........hahaha......

Yes you do get powered tapping heads to fit pillar drills starting at around £100 - http://www.rotagriponline.com/index...tegory_id=385&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29

Set up our one in the pillar drill at work the other day only to find I needed to tap a M10 thread and it only goes up to M8 :-(

 

[graffian]

I used to start taps in a pillar drill.
I held the tap in the chunk, plunged the tap into the hole to center it. Then back it out, switch
the drill on and off to get it rotating, when I judged the speed was right I stuff the tap into the job.
Then use a tap wrench to tap to depth.

I power tap in the mill, even M3 will pull the quill down OK.
I hit reverse when the tap is to depth.
I power tap the same in the lathe, leave the tailstock loose and the tap will pull it along.

 

[Wallace]

The quill on my mill has a return spring! At least I can stop start that and reverse it, has a bit of feel for the tap there too. Back gear with the lathe on occasions using bigger taps.