Tap Handle

[JimN]

I think the best 18.00 dollars I have spent is this tap handle. It chucks in the drill press and helps me make sure tap's are runing true. That is canadian so you good folks in the US would on pay,,,hmmm alot less. LOL

 

[Krown Kustoms]

It looks kind of like a pin vice, I got one pretty cheap and turned the handle down to fit in the press I didnt think of using it for taps.
I just used it for small drill bits.
-B-

 

[JimN]

Pretty close to a pin vise, except the blue handle slides up and down on the shaft that is chucked in the drill press. Has about 2.5 inches of travel.

 

[Mainer]

I agree on the benefits of a piloted tap wrench. On that one, do you turn it by gripping the knurled surface? I have a couple of piloted Walton tap wrenches that I love, but they have the usual T-handle arrangement and for really small taps I think the knurled grip might be more convenient.

 

[Krown Kustoms]

Oh ok
so as to let it draw the tap in.
-B-

 

[tmuir]

Similar concept but much more fancy that the one I made.
I agree they make life so much more simple.
Mine only has a small surface to grip, just enough for a thumb and a finger to make it extra hard to apply too much pressure and snap a tap.

 

[Krown Kustoms]

so let me get this straight, its not powered by the drill just held by it to keep it square? scratch.gif :shrug:
-B-
sometimes simple things are the hardest to grasp.

 

[JimN]

No power other than your fingers. Its chucked in the drill to keep it straight for the tap. You use your fingers to turn it as you tap and let it pull down into the material.

Its nothing more than a tap handle except you don't have to look to see if it is going in straight, that is done by the shaft that is chucked in the drill. The blue handle slides freely up and down on that shaft.

And you are right, sometimes the simple thing is the hardest to see what is going on.

 

[Krown Kustoms]

Sweet, now I will have to get one.
-B-
thanks for the explination everybody.

 

[JimN]

I got the one I have from KBC tools online.

 

[tmuir]

Not to hyjack this thread but if you want to make one look here.
http://modelsteam.myfreeforum.org/sutra372140.php#372140

This is in a thread I have on another forum where I'm restoring a toy live steam roller and I made a tap holder similar to this one to tap some small parts.
It doesn't give dimensions but does show how I made it and will give enough info to copy it.
Shouldn't take more than an evening to make it.

Now I've got it I don't know how I did without it.

 

[bentprop]

This does assume that the bearings in your drill press are not of Chinese parentage(although I have grave doubts mine actually had a father ).
All the same,a handy dandy gadget,to be added to the project list.I've started on my second toilet roll :big:.

 

[tmuir]

I actually don't mind my Chinese drill press.
I've not put a DTI to it but by eye I can see no wobble and as I proved last night playing with my lathe chuck I can see wobbles as small as 0.1mm by eye.

Now I'm going to have to check it to see if my eyesight is as good as I think it is. :big: