Aluminum Meat Mallet

[tredding]

I agree. No way are the head threads that crooked. You tapped in the mill, right? Do you have a thread relief next to the flange on the handle?

Thread relief? When I screw the handle to the head I can see a gap on one side indicating the handle is not square to the head. When I screw the handle into the first mallet head I made, it is completely flush. This is what set me on the trail of the mill being out of tram.

 

[tredding]

I agree. No way are the head threads that crooked. You tapped in the mill, right? Do you have a thread relief next to the flange on the handle?

I agree with both of you. The error seems to be much larger than the error in the tram. It is likely a combination of things. I drilled the hole to be tapped with the mill. It should be verticle. But I actually tapped by hand. Could that be the problem? Should I be using a tap-follower on the mill?

 

[WobblyHand]

Should I be using a tap-follower on the mill?

Yes. Or at least if you want it straight! This could easily be the issue.

 

[jwmelvin]

Thread relief? When I screw the handle to the head I can see a gap on one side indicating the handle is not square to the head. When I screw the handle into the first mallet head I made, it is completely flush. This is what set me on the trail of the mill being out of tram.

I mean a groove so that the threads end in the groove, not right against the handle's shoulder.

Oh - no tap follower? yes, there's the likely culprit. You can tap with the mill, or at least use the tap follower. If you are worried about going too deep with the mill, you can rotate the spindle by hand or just a short time under power, to get the first few threads started straight. For a blind hole, I'd probably use the tap follower.

 

[homebrewed]

I agree with both of you. The error seems to be much larger than the error in the tram. It is likely a combination of things. I drilled the hole to be tapped with the mill. It should be verticle. But I actually tapped by hand. Could that be the problem? Should I be using a tap-follower on the mill?

Whenever possilble I use a tap follower when tapping. I've had far too many poor to just failed results when attempting to tap entirely by hand. In my experience, as the size of the tap goes down the problem gets worse and worse. Softer materials like aluminum and plastic are particularly bad in this regard, too easy to get a crooked start, or messed-up threads at the top of the hole.

 

[tq60]

Whenever we are doing work in the mill we hand tap right after hole drilled.

Swapp drill bit with tap and go.

Seldom power tap as we usually not in a hurry and less snapping when by hand compared to power.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[tredding]

Very good. That is the plan. Center, drill, then tap. I have also trammed the mill tonight. Once I got the hang of it, it was easy. Pictures attached. I now have a proper tramming tool with two indicators. However, given the spread of this tool and the fact that I could have the dial face to the front when measuring, this seemed the more accurate approach.

 

[tredding]

Thanks, everybody. The help, suggestions, and guidance have paid off. I am now producing meat mallet heads with perfectly perpendicular threads for the handles. At least, I am unable to detect an error. I am very pleased.

 

[tredding]

I am getting ready to make the meat mallet heads. You may recall I drilled out several head blanks while trying to make the holes to be taped perpendicular. I would like to correct the holes. Currently they are 8mm. I can drill them out to 10mm. I am hoping when I do that they will now come out perpendicular. I wonder if I should use something other than a drill to make the 10mm hole. Maybe a "plunge" 10mm bit would be better than a drill bit?

 

[jwmelvin]

Do you have a boring head?

An end mill would work if the desired size.