rake60
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2007
- Messages
- 4,756
- Reaction score
- 124
20 minutes before quiting time today I made a tool teaching error that caused a hole to be drilled too shallow for the programed tapping depth. The machine attempted to tap the hole with predictable results. The tap bottomed out and naturally broke off flush with the face of the part.
Telling the guy who will be following you, "There's a tap broken off in there, have a nice night.", will get you a nasty reputation real quickly! :-[
I happened to have a a broken solid carbide end mill in my tool box. It was quickly ground to a chisel point. In less than 10 minutes the spiral flute tap was drilled through leaving just the flutes that were easily popped out with a jewelers screwdriver. By the time the 2ed shift man's evening was to begin the broken tap was out, the holes were re-drilled to the proper depth and it was ready to restart the program at the tapping process.
If you ever break a solid carbide end mill, DON'T throw it away! It just might come in handy some day!
Rick
Telling the guy who will be following you, "There's a tap broken off in there, have a nice night.", will get you a nasty reputation real quickly! :-[
I happened to have a a broken solid carbide end mill in my tool box. It was quickly ground to a chisel point. In less than 10 minutes the spiral flute tap was drilled through leaving just the flutes that were easily popped out with a jewelers screwdriver. By the time the 2ed shift man's evening was to begin the broken tap was out, the holes were re-drilled to the proper depth and it was ready to restart the program at the tapping process.
If you ever break a solid carbide end mill, DON'T throw it away! It just might come in handy some day!
Rick