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Shop hints: TAP HOLDER

To: shop-talk@autox.team.net
Subject: Shop hints: TAP HOLDER
From: walter@roadster.sps.mot.com (thomas walter x5955)
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 96 14:43:26 CST
List has been real quite lately... or did I get dropped off? ;-)

TAP Holder:

Good idea's from Strictly IC (a magazine devoted to small "home
built" internal combustion engines) somone had a good idea of
keeping your taps seperated.

Simply a hunk of 0.6" thick alumimun: 1.5" x 3" drilled to 
hold 24 taps:  #0 to #8 taps (3 deep for tapered,standard,bottoming).
[all, but the #8 taps were the same size hole]

I Also made up two more: 2.5" x 4". One to hold the normal NC & NF
of #10, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8" (once again three deep in each section).
(F,P,W drill sizes were used).

Couldn't stop while I was at it: made up another one for my commonly
used metric taps: 6mm, 8mm (1.00 and 1.25), and 10mm (1.00 1.25 and 1.50).
[F & P drills were used, but SOME of my 8mm taps were larger than
others... so I made my holder to suit what I had]

Nice thing is this keeps the taps from rolling into each other (dulling
the cutting edge) and I KNOW when I am missing one. Much quicker than
searching a bench drawer each time.

[No reason wood couldn't be used... still you get the idea].

OTHER TAP THOUGHTS: I've found a new tap to sometimes make an
hold slightly oversized. Guy Lataurd (who puts out the "machinist
bedside reader" books) recommended tapping a hole into some scrap
aluminum, then coating the tap with some jewelers rough. Run the
tap in and out of the hole a few times, to remove any mfg burrs... 
then it seems to cut a "normal" size hole for a better fit.

THREAD chaser for bolts: Tap a hole near an corner of a steel block. 
Then cut 1/4 of the hole away - nearest the corner (hackaw will work 
but I like using the milling machine for this). Clean the edge with
a file. Run the bolt in two or three times will nicely clean the
threads, leaving the "junk" to be easily brushed away. 

Cheers,

Tom Walter    13" Lebond Lathe  #555 Index Milling machine
Austin, TX.   '67 Datsun 2000; '68 Datsun 2000 (both of which
                          use enough odd sized SAE and metric bolts to explain 
                          why I eneded up with so many odd ball sized tap/dies)
                          Sigh... why couldn't they have kept Whitworth ;-) ;-)

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