Manual Tapping Machine

[newtoid1986]

Hi all,
Does anyone know where i can buy a new manual tapping machine?
Thanks,
James

[Swarfing]

Get down to Aldi and buy the drill stand, then make one :-)

[Swarfing]

It might be Lidl?

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/pillar-tool.html

[Lee Roberts]

I Just do them by hand, you could toy with a drill press / pillar drill but its tricky on your own.

[i2i]

drill press and a cheap inline battery screwdriver. Remove the battery and use a power supply with a footswitch.

[black5f]

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/6-14-mm-Auto-Reverse-Tapping-Attachment.html

+ drill press and some machine taps.

Tom

[Jonathan]

I Just do them by hand

Same... not difficult to get the tap orthogonal, unless I suppose you're drunk or something.
Lately (past few months) I've taken to using the battery drill (dewalt something) on the low speed range. I now use it just for aluminium and M5 to M8. The chuck doesn't appear to be able to hole the tap tightly enough to break the tap. Not broken a tap, though they do sometimes get warm, with it yet and it's so much quicker!

[Swarfing]

Mmmm! i wonder how may taps you have snapped Jonathan? Yes it works but not a good practice because when the tap bogs down you get kick in the drill and they snap. I will admit i do use the same practice but make sure i use all three taps in its range, but i still would not condone the practice.

[Jonathan]

Mmmm! i wonder how may taps you have snapped Jonathan?

None with the drill, but yes I've broken a few by hand. It happens.


make sure i use all three taps in its range, but i still would not condone the practice.

Forgot to mention that yes, it does help to use all the taps whereas by hand you can often get away with one. If it's important that the thread is good I'll do it by hand.

[russell]

I made one similar to that described at mikesworkshop from an old Dremel drill stand about seven or eight years ago and haven't broken a tap (down to 12 BA or 1.3 mm in new money) since then.

Russell.

[Tenson]

I'd like to do some M5 thread tapping with my cordless drill. It has the option to gear-down for slower, high torque applications so seem suitable.

In this case do you think it is better to use a spiral tap bit typical for automated tapping, or just go with the usual hand-tapping bits?

If someone is kind enough to send me a little block of steel (see classifieds), I plan to make a guide to start the thread at a nice right-angle.