I just received my new tapper from an eBay purchase. It was about $100
delivered and has a #10-3/4" range. The fit/finish isn't great and we had
to replace the set screws in the tap holders and drill and tap the threads
to 10-24 from what ever ******* Metric size the were. But, I tapped twenty
five 1/4-20 holes in 1/2" AL in just a few minutes. I used to tap with a
handle that fit on a drill press quill and tightened the tap in the chuck.
But that would only go to 1/2" and it was awkward. All said, I should have
bought or built one of these 30 years ago! Highly recommended for any shop!
I doubt I could build one with tap holders for $100.

On Oct 19, 10:06 pm, "Tom Gardner" wrote:
I just received my new tapper from an eBay purchase. It was about $100
delivered and has a #10-3/4" range. The fit/finish isn't great and we had
to replace the set screws in the tap holders and drill and tap the threads
to 10-24 from what ever ******* Metric size the were. But, I tapped twenty
five 1/4-20 holes in 1/2" AL in just a few minutes. I used to tap with a
handle that fit on a drill press quill and tightened the tap in the chuck.
But that would only go to 1/2" and it was awkward. All said, I should have
bought or built one of these 30 years ago! Highly recommended for any shop!
I doubt I could build one with tap holders for $100.


Pics? I've been looking at the model that LittleMachineShop sells for
about $90. #6 - 5/8 adapters

Tom Gardner wrote:

I just received my new tapper from an eBay purchase. It was about $100
delivered and has a #10-3/4" range. The fit/finish isn't great and we had
to replace the set screws in the tap holders and drill and tap the threads
to 10-24 from what ever ******* Metric size the were. But, I tapped twenty
five 1/4-20 holes in 1/2" AL in just a few minutes. I used to tap with a
handle that fit on a drill press quill and tightened the tap in the chuck.
But that would only go to 1/2" and it was awkward. All said, I should have
bought or built one of these 30 years ago! Highly recommended for any shop!
I doubt I could build one with tap holders for $100.



Me too on everything, Tom. Only thing is, Enco sells these for $79 with
free shipping ..

GWE

"Tom Gardner" wrote:

I just received my new tapper from an eBay purchase. It was about $100
delivered and has a #10-3/4" range. All said, I should have
bought or built one of these 30 years ago! Highly recommended for any shop!
I doubt I could build one with tap holders for $100.

[snippage above]

I can see how one of those would be handy. I've used a BP too many times
with either the tap in collet or drill chuck or a spring loaded center
locating tap wrench. Don't like to do that with small taps.

Either way the above tends to be a bit slow compared to getting things close
enough and using a tapping fixture. Having the side loads that I have to
worry about using a tap wrench unsupported canceled by the fixture likely
speeds things up a lot.

When I first saw one of these things I thought why would I need that but
I've learned to appreciate simple fixtures as I progress.

I'd have one now but my play funds go only so far each week.

Wes

Grant Erwin wrote:
Tom Gardner wrote:

I just received my new tapper from an eBay purchase. It was about
$100 delivered and has a #10-3/4" range. The fit/finish isn't great
and we had to replace the set screws in the tap holders and drill and
tap the threads to 10-24 from what ever ******* Metric size the were.
But, I tapped twenty five 1/4-20 holes in 1/2" AL in just a few
minutes. I used to tap with a handle that fit on a drill press quill
and tightened the tap in the chuck. But that would only go to 1/2" and
it was awkward. All said, I should have bought or built one of these
30 years ago! Highly recommended for any shop! I doubt I could build
one with tap holders for $100.


Me too on everything, Tom. Only thing is, Enco sells these for $79 with
free shipping ..

GWE

And ... Enco sells sets of tap holders separately. A second set is handy
when you're tapping blind holes and finishing them up with bottom taps.

Tove

One of the regular posters a while back, posted a tapping fixture project he
made implementing mostly black pipe fittings and some nipples.

I've looked at some old tabletop jigsaws (real jigsaws with the fixed
overarm), and thought that they could be used as a tapping fixture.
Almost anything that resembles a big rigid C-clamp could be used as the
major part of a tapping fixture, providing that a small table can be
attached, and that a spindle can be fabricated for holding and turning the
tap.

My own improvised tapper is a modification I made to a small bench model
drill press. I machined a hub that adapts the spindle pulley to accept a
crank (holesaw made the opening in the top half of the belt cover). It seems
to work fine and doesn't require the additional space that a separate
machine would.

WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
...
I just received my new tapper from an eBay purchase. It was about $100
delivered and has a #10-3/4" range. The fit/finish isn't great and we had
to replace the set screws in the tap holders and drill and tap the threads
to 10-24 from what ever ******* Metric size the were. But, I tapped twenty
five 1/4-20 holes in 1/2" AL in just a few minutes. I used to tap with a
handle that fit on a drill press quill and tightened the tap in the chuck.
But that would only go to 1/2" and it was awkward. All said, I should have
bought or built one of these 30 years ago! Highly recommended for any
shop! I doubt I could build one with tap holders for $100.