Thread: Tapping question

Originally Posted by rsser

Prob a naive question but I acquired a set of taps a while back and each size comes in three 'tapers'.

Is the deal that you start with the most tapered and work out?
Yes, the one with the most taper is that, a taper, in between is intermediate and last one is bottoming

And with a blind hole just use the one with the most cut?
Same as above, work your way through, always start with a taper, never with a bottoming, it could shear the thread off

I've cut a few threads and some are easy to run a bolt into and others tight. Any tips?
Have you cleaned the swarf out, try running a clean tap through to clean out swarf and blow out with compressed air if possible

Thanks in advance.

Get yourself some cutting compound trefelex or similar and use when tapping , gives a far better result.

Thanks guys.

Don't do much of it Ashore; would light machine oil do?

I'd drill slightly larger pilot holes than recommended as well. Easier to tap them..less wear to the taps...while still leaving plenty of thread to hold bolt. And I think its worth while buying a pro drill lubricant for drilling the pilot as well as cutting the thread.

Ern, I had a heap of Trefolex here that you can have some of. At the rate that I use it. I have enough to last 5 lifetimes

Will bring some to Scooters do tomorrow for you

Originally Posted by apricotripper

And I think its worth while buying a pro drill lubricant for drilling the pilot as well as cutting the thread.

Trefelex works well for both of these applications - good ol' elephant snot.

I use the foam filter oil that I get from unifilter, to service the air filter in my truck. It works as well as the tap magic I have, and costs a lot less.

Originally Posted by djstimber

Ern, I had a heap of Trefolex here that you can have some of. At the rate that I use it. I have enough to last 5 lifetimes

Will bring some to Scooters do tomorrow for you

Cool; thanks DJ.