Considering a reversing tapping head attachment and am wondering if standard hand taps will work or should I invest in some spiral taps was well? What type of taps work best on a reversing head on the Tormach?
Ken
Considering a reversing tapping head attachment and am wondering if standard hand taps will work or should I invest in some spiral taps was well? What type of taps work best on a reversing head on the Tormach?
Ken
Hand taps aren't a good idea. Somewhere in their documentation Tormach recommends against them. In aluminum, form taps are probably your best bet.
bob
Cool... thanks! Will have to order some new taps.
Actually I read Tormachs documents last night and did not get the impression they recommended non-standard taps. However, the first time I read it I did get that impression and bought all spiral taps...(Maybe reading a third time should break the tie?).
Anyway, I think it goes to what type material and tapping head you have. I switched from spiral to standard on my 4-40 and 3MM taps and have had better success, less breakage. Not sure why, my thinking is there doesn't appear to be much core left on a spiral tap on the smaller sizes.
Am reading the tech doc myself... it mentioned for reversing tap... tread forming taps are not recommended. I'll look into some spiral taps.
What are the differences between a hand tap,Spiral Flute Tap and Spiral POint tab. Looking through Enco as well as googling and can't find the answer.
Ken
It would help if you specify what material is to be tapped and if the tapped holes are thru holes or blind holes. Also the tap sizes and if you are using flood coolant or tapping fluid.
Don
I have tapped tens of thousands of blind 4-40 holes in aluminum with a reversing tap head using a balax forming tap and Relton A9 tapping fluid. YMMV
Ken, a spiral point tap will push the chip ahead of the tap, and is best for through-tapped holes. A spiral flute tap will push the chip back up the flutes, and is best for blind holes. I've used both by handbut I think a hand tap is just a generic straight-flute, straight-point, "three steps forward, one step back" kinda tap...at least to the best of my knowledge...
Randy
Yes, the reason that hand taps exist is for hand tapping. Hand Taps have 4 opposing lands that provide a degree of self allignment to the hole. Hand taps do not manage the chips that are produced. Consequently when using a hand tap, the chips bind the tap. As everyone knows, the solution is to periodically back the hand tap to grind up the chips and reduce the binding. If a hand tap were used for machine tapping (no periodic backing), the resulting binding due to the chip interference will break the tap. You therefor would never want to use a hand tap in the Tormach.
Machine taps (spiral point and spiral flute) do manage the chips -- either by pushing them forward or back. Machine taps rely on the spindle to provide accurate allignment so there is not the need for the four opposing lands that are used on the hand tap. Instead, the machine tap, using only two or three lands, will have enough flute space to provides the chip management function thereby allowing continuous forward tapping.
Forming taps produce no chips. That's why I prefer forming taps when used on blind holes in material such as aluminum. In addition the threads are forged and stronger than a cutting tap.
Don
I use all balax form taps as recommend from Don with a TC head. They have lasted a very long time and work great for thru holes. I've tapped over 200 products easy.
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Nice!! I guess I'll have to buy a few taps to experiment and see which works best for me. Already bought a few spiral points from a member here and will look into form taps.
Thanks!!
Ken
Here is a tormach video where they use a roll form tap with the T/C head.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6fKpdeFvIM]‪Roll Form Tapping with Tormach PCNC 1100‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]
Christian
Here is a video showing tapping 2-56 blind holes using a reversing tapping head with a Balax form tap on my Tormach. Tapping 2-56 on Tormach video by miltons_stuff - Photobucket
Don
I tried forming taps on Delrin but found cutting taps work better on Delrin material. Also use cutting taps on Turcite X & Turcite A. The taps work best if really sharp so only use that particular cutting tap on plastic only. For thru holes a HSS 3 flute spiral point gun tap works best for me on Delrin and Turcite. Gun taps have plenty of clearance for stringy plasic chips.
Don
I am using spiral flute tapes with the compression/tension head from Tormach. They work very well (unless you forget to set the tool offset, in which case you end up with a 2-3 piece tap! )
I ordered from Enco
319-7084 which is a 1/4-20 Spiral Flute Bottoming tap
314-6001 which is a 1/4-20 Spiral Flute Plug tap
The Plug tap has a taper for the first several threads and seems to do a better job on the first couple of threads. The bottoming tap is used for blind holes. Both did an adequate job making threads, but the bottoming tap doesn't have as much of a starting taper.
If you haven't ordered them, there are various tolerances. I selected H3 taps.
BTW: I did do some research on the subject:
Tap and die - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Threading (manufacturing) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is about thread forming and rolling.