"Peter Grey" wrote in message
news
I've also been thinking about how much I need a tapping head, too. The
tapping fixture's a bit cheaper, however.

Before buying a tapping head, you should try tapping with a drill press
(directly) under power (or a mill with a quill). I've tapped dozens of holes
in tool steel without breaking a tap.

Obviously it's not so great for small taps, but for anything larger than a
#8 or so, there's really no reason (IMO) to do it by hand.

Regards,

Robin