"Spehro Pefhany" wrote in message
...

Looking at using some relatively small screws tapped into (probably)
6061 aluminum. Through holes, maybe 0.08" of material. Is it insanity
to think about using a cordless hand drill and run them right through
without backing off (assuming a good quality coated tap and aluminum
cutting fluid)?


I occiasionally have to do a few hundred M2 threads into some small 2mm ally
plates for mounting some optical encoders onto.


The M2 is only a little bigger than what you have to tap.......


I have mounted the guts (motor & chuck) from an old battery drill to a piece
of wood.

In line with the axis I have a ball bearing drawer slide with a right angle
bracket attached.

The bracket has a hole in it for the tap to go through.

The drill motor is wired via a reversing toggle switch to a PSU.



I hold the part to be tapped against the bracket and use the draw slide to
feed it "on and off" the tap. I can tap a hole in probably 3 seconds. The
drill motor is probably dong a few hundred RPM. It works a treat.