So I broke off a M3 tap in a block of 0.5" aluminum.

Its tip is barely emerging on the far side, and broken below
flush on the feed side.


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

"David Lesher" wrote in message
...

So I broke off a M3 tap in a block of 0.5" aluminum.

Its tip is barely emerging on the far side, and broken below
flush on the feed side.



I feel for you.

Did you manage to wiggle it back out or did you go for the brutal pin punch
solution?

On Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:23:28 +0000 (UTC), David Lesher
wrote:


So I broke off a M3 tap in a block of 0.5" aluminum.

Its tip is barely emerging on the far side, and broken below
flush on the feed side.

If you got lots o' time, nitric acid will disolve the tap and not hurt
the AL

Karl

On Apr 15, 5:29*am, BQ340 wrote:
On 4/15/2012 5:23 AM, David Lesher wrote:

So I broke off a M3 tap in a block of 0.5" aluminum.

Its tip is barely emerging on the far side, and broken below
flush on the feed side.

Do you have a mill? A carbide end mill will remove it. Lots of air &
lock the quill & raise the knee slowly.

MikeB

--
Email is valid but not checked often

Drill from the back side and there's a decent chance that the drill
will unscrew the tap.

On Apr 15, 5:23*am, David Lesher wrote:
So I broke off a M3 tap in a block of 0.5" aluminum.

Its tip is barely emerging on the far side, and broken below
flush on the feed side.

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433



I've read in several places that alum works wonders for disolvin taps
in non-ferrous metals. Haven't tried it yet, but here's some reading:
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist....hp?topic=270.0

On Apr 15, 10:37*am, rangerssuck wrote:


I've read in several places that alum works wonders for disolvin taps
in non-ferrous metals. Haven't tried it yet, but here's some reading:http://www.homemodelenginemachinist....hp?topic=270.0

I have read that aluminum sulphate also works. You can get the
aluminum sulphate at garden centers. It is used to make soil more
acid.

Dan

On 4/15/2012 1:18 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:23:28 +0000 (UTC), David Lesher
wrote:


So I broke off a M3 tap in a block of 0.5" aluminum.

Its tip is barely emerging on the far side, and broken below
flush on the feed side.

Got a hammer and a good solid punch?

Gunner


I've broken a few numba 6s trying to tap 1/4" 316 stainless.

But each time I got lucky and got them out using a very small punch
and using it to tap the little bit of exposed tip so that it unscrews
a little bit. Once it lets go it can be worked out fairly easily.

On Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:58:13 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Apr 15, 10:37*am, rangerssuck wrote:


I've read in several places that alum works wonders for disolvin taps
in non-ferrous metals. Haven't tried it yet, but here's some reading:http://www.homemodelenginemachinist....hp?topic=270.0

I have read that aluminum sulphate also works. You can get the
aluminum sulphate at garden centers. It is used to make soil more
acid.

Dan

I've used it. A cold solution didn't seem to do anything. Even when
kept near boiling it's still a slow process (hours); but it got the job
done without damaging the part I was working on.

Bill
--
Email address is a Spam trap.

On 4/15/2012 5:23 AM, David Lesher wrote:
So I broke off a M3 tap in a block of 0.5" aluminum.

Its tip is barely emerging on the far side, and broken below
flush on the feed side.



I've often had luck by grinding a O-1 drill rod of the right diameter to
fit into the flutes of a 2,3 or four flute tap. Harden the rod and draw
it back to dark straw. Then, carefully unscrew the tap.

Oh, man, that is tragic. That's a real miserable moment.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"David Lesher" wrote in message
...

So I broke off a M3 tap in a block of 0.5" aluminum.

Its tip is barely emerging on the far side, and broken below
flush on the feed side.


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

Gunner Asch writes:


Got a hammer and a good solid punch?


Yes, and a mill, and a 20 ton press, but...

So one approach is the end mill from the back. Would have to be small as the tap, or smaller.
Which is better first attempt; mill or hammer?

Once it's out [HA!] is there such a thing as a helicoil? Or do we drill & set a
alumimum dowel in from the back?

Of course, if someone in Laurel MD has an EDM tap remover......


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

"David Lesher" wrote in message
...
Gunner Asch writes:


Got a hammer and a good solid punch?


Yes, and a mill, and a 20 ton press, but...

So one approach is the end mill from the back. Would have to be small as
the tap, or smaller.
Which is better first attempt; mill or hammer?

Once it's out [HA!] is there such a thing as a helicoil? Or do we drill &
set a
alumimum dowel in from the back?

Of course, if someone in Laurel MD has an EDM tap remover......


Basically, I earn my living fixing this kind of ****, err or mostly by
making sure that it never happened in the first place...

Got any money ?