Shop Made Tools

[ref-mj]

Thanks for the feedback folks.

Galaxie: Had to look it up---but yeah. Looks the same.
rcaffin: That piston was the only thing in the dimensions I had. The biggest acetyl I had only went to 1.5" which didn't quite cut it, but yes I think that may be a better material. Next time I look for plastics I will probably get some in 2-2.5".
MattiJ and BCRider: I had this lying around. So if it works, cool. If not, well no more keyless for me lol. I think I said it was a cheapo and just to try. I also have a 5/8 jacobs keyed laying around with one of those chuck specific tapers (I believe) but looks like it had been chewed on a bit. That's a future option, anyhow.
flathead4: Thats a good idea. I have been floating similar ideas around but if I rigged/built something it would have to be floating (personal preference). I have several tap handles and I think something like what you did could be used in a similar manner such as to prevent having to manually move the tail-stock in (at least less often). I don't recall doing anything as large as 1/2" tapping yet. I think the biggest I have done was 10mm or 12mm.

If nothing else for this, I could always buy an er25 MT2 set. Been wanting to try that out.

[wbc]

Nothing original, but to me, two new virus-born QCTP tools:

OD-measuring and END-measuring attachment: DTI mounted in snug nylon bushing so DTI can be
rotated 180 and the holder can be flipped over to change from OD to END config.

ID-measuring attachment. Probe pivots on 3 hard disk drive bearings.

[MattiJ]

MattiJ and BCRider: I had this lying around. So if it works, cool. If not, well no more keyless for me lol. I think I said it was a cheapo and just to try. I also have a 5/8 jacobs keyed laying around with one of those chuck specific tapers (I believe) but looks like it had been chewed on a bit. That's a future option, anyhow.

Since the cheapo keyless was lying around and if you don't mind too much how long it last you can improve the results quite a bit with hook spanner.

Taps seem to also make huge difference in needed torque, good brand name spiral/gun point taps cut ordinary 1018 like butter and dulled or cheapo taps need so much more torque that keyless chucks tend to spin on them.

[MattiJ]

I know you can get specific tap holders/chucks/collets and that they're eye-wateringly expensive. Would these be a suitable workaround for your tap holding issues?
Abom tap holders: https://youtu.be/y1UFxZ59UnI

Also, it's comforting to know I wasn't the only one with that exact issue on a 1/2-13!

Tap sockets are not too expensive albeit more suited to something like cordless drill:
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale...default&page=1

Even US made Lisle sockets are not too expensive but shipping to Europe is killing the deal.

[rcaffin]

I know you can get specific tap holders/chucks/collets and that they're eye-wateringly expensive.
Forget standard drill chucks for tapping: they are the wrong tool.

You can get a 4-jaw tap wrench covering M3 to M6 from ebay for under $5. Nothing 'eye-watering' there.
These hold the tap via the four flats, which is how you are meant to do it.
The good ones have a centre hole at the back of the handle so you can use them with a centre on the lathe.

However, a caution. Some of the 4-jaw ones are designed with a round hole, and they are not really suitable for taps. Same problem as with a chuck. If the ad shows drill bits as well as taps - danger. That said, you can use them by catching the corners of the tap in the gaps between the round jaws. Barbarous, but effective.

Then there are the cheap ratcheting ones from China. They are a bit of a gamble. If the ratchets catch, they are good, but some fettling might be needed.

Alternately there are the tap wrenches featuring an inside sliding jaw and two bar handles. Ones able to handle M2 to M8 can be had for under $6 each. They too are excellent, with enough power to easily snap a tap in hardened material. (This I know.) You can't go wrong with one of these, but you might need a centre hole at the back end of the tap for use on a lathe. Anyhow, they do not (can not) slip.

You can also buy a bar handle tap wrench which has one fixed jaw with a right-angle notch and a screw on the other side, instead of a sliding jaw. Some of these come from the UK, and may be more $$. The advantage of this design is that you can grind a small flat on the shank of the tap (such horror!) and lock the screw onto that, leaving the round end of the tap sticking out. The round end can then be held in the chuck on the tailstock - don't lock it down, just let it slide.

Hard to find on ebay unless you search for 'eclipse tap wrench': that string does work. And they are not all that expensive either.


Cheers
Roger

[Cenedd]

Tap sockets are not too expensive albeit more suited to something like cordless drill:
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale...default&page=1

Even US made Lisle sockets are not too expensive but shipping to Europe is killing the deal.

I suspect - perhaps cynically - that those would work acceptably in a hand-held drill but probably aren't concentric enough to be held rigidly. I was thinking more of something like these when I said eye-wateringly expensive...given that you need one per tap size:
ER20 floating tap collet

[Dave C]

[QUOTE=wbc;n1870515]Nothing original, but to me, two new virus-born QCTP tools:

Nice work.

[rcaffin]

The idea of driving a 12 mm (1/2") tap into steel with a hand-held electric drill leaves me slightly bemused.
Really?

Cheers
Roger

[MattiJ]

The idea of driving a 12 mm (1/2") tap into steel with a hand-held electric drill leaves me slightly bemused.
Really?

Cheers
Roger

Why not? But you probably want side handle unless your arms are like Popeye's

If I have plenty of holes to tap I'd rather do it with anything else than manual twisting.

[Tim The Grim]

Manual twisting is my exercise. That and raising and lowering the Z axis on my mill.
16 months after my quadruple bypass, my sternum is pretty much separated. I hold my chest together with multiple strips of K-Tape and can’t even think about dumbbells or my Total Gym.
I can do my stationary bike in the morning but after that it’s all the manual stuff I’m doing in the shop building a chopper.

I hand tapped 10 holes yesterday, 3/8 and 7/16, and loved every minute.

[RMinMN]

The idea of driving a 12 mm (1/2") tap into steel with a hand-held electric drill leaves me slightly bemused.
Really?

Cheers
Roger

I have the drill. It is hand held but it weighs a lot more than the drill you are thinking of. Use both side handles and grip them tight or it will break your arm.

[oldstarfire]

Manual twisting is my exercise. That and raising and lowering the Z axis on my mill.
16 months after my quadruple bypass, my sternum is pretty much separated. I hold my chest together with multiple strips of K-Tape and can’t even think about dumbbells or my Total Gym.
I can do my stationary bike in the morning but after that it’s all the manual stuff I’m doing in the shop building a chopper.

I hand tapped 10 holes yesterday, 3/8 and 7/16, and loved every minute.

Something seriously wrong there.
Mine stayed together, the wire ties are still in there.

[BCRider]

A buddy of mine had a bypass and his sternum didn't want to knit. Went back in and they scuffed off the joints to get down to bone tissue that would "take" and switched from the simple wires to a couple of claw style clamps. Quite possibly these ones. He's been fine since then but the clamps are still in him.




I keep telling him that I'm going to figure out where the release button is and poke him in the chest and watch him go off like the guy in Alien....

[Tim The Grim]

I had a great surgeon do the vessels, but who knows who closed me up. 7 weeks healing, 8+ weeks of excellent therapy.

I returned to work at the refinery just short of 4 months after the cut. 1st day back had to open and close two really sticky 12” fuel gas valves and that went ok. Next day was a 57 year old 24” cooling water valve. That took 2 of us 45 minutes with me doing most of the work with a 4 foot 35# cheater wrench. Then we lost a furnace and I had to swing blinds on a couple dozen 4 bolt flanges on three different decks.

After that my chest sounds like a bowling alley when I’m turning over in bed. It’s all good. I’m not volunteering to get cut open again.
I still bleed about once a month from a stretch of the incision. It lets me know how lucky I am to be alive and retired.

[Cenedd]

A buddy of mine had a bypass and his sternum didn't want to knit. Went back in and they scuffed off the joints to get down to bone tissue that would "take" and switched from the simple wires to a couple of claw style clamps. Quite possibly these ones. He's been fine since then but the clamps are still in him.

Those look like something Mitee Bite might make. Can you get those for milling vices?!