POTD- PROJECT OF THE DAY: What Did You Make In Your Shop Today?

[woodchucker]

Space ! I made much needed space !

 

[savarin]

I used a length of #12 copper wire for the pull handle on my original swarf picker. Formed a ~1" loop in the upper end, and used a dab of solder to hold the loop closed.

.By using ~3/8" tubing for mine, it can be used inside the T-slots of a mill table. Yours definitely has a much greater capacity than mine. Nice adaptation!

PS - I've found that the swarf picker can easily be stored ( and kept visible) by sticking the magnet end onto the cast iron housing of the machine tool where I use it most often.

Still using mine John, thanks

 

[pontiac428]

Today, I broke an obviously brittle 6-32 tap, not once, but twice. I only broke 1/3rd of the tap off in the hole, so I chucked the tap up in the Sheckel and re-ground the tip. I was on my last pass, and too much stickout bit me in the azz, the tap went ping! How ya like your tap in three pieces, John? The Kromedge steel was as fragile as an ice cube, so I cracked the broken off piece still stuck in the hole with a few whacks on a pin punch. Nothing but HSS dust poured out. Threads intact, good news. I finished chasing the threads with a less rigid tap and moved on.

 

[rwm]

Today, I broke an obviously brittle 6-32 tap, not once, but twice. I only broke 1/3rd of the tap off in the hole, so I chucked the tap up in the Sheckel and re-ground the tip. I was on my last pass, and too much stickout bit me in the azz, the tap went ping! How ya like your tap in three pieces, John? The Kromedge steel was as fragile as an ice cube, so I cracked the broken off piece still stuck in the hole with a few whacks on a pin punch. Nothing but HSS dust poured out. Threads intact, good news. I finished chasing the threads with a less rigid tap and moved on.

#6 is the worst. You are a lucky man! Buy a lottery ticket!

 

[Eyerelief]

Today, I broke an obviously brittle 6-32 tap, not once, but twice. I only broke 1/3rd of the tap off in the hole, so I chucked the tap up in the Sheckel and re-ground the tip. I was on my last pass, and too much stickout bit me in the azz, the tap went ping! How ya like your tap in three pieces, John? The Kromedge steel was as fragile as an ice cube, so I cracked the broken off piece still stuck in the hole with a few whacks on a pin punch. Nothing but HSS dust poured out. Threads intact, good news. I finished chasing the threads with a less rigid tap and moved on.

Another walk in the park for Mr.Newman. Magically making chicken salad out of chicken sheet since 1970. Had that been me the tap would have fragged my eye and bonded in the hole so tight that the ordinance disposal unit would have been dispatched on fear of momentary thrust in all directions.

 

[pontiac428]

Another walk in the park for Mr.Newman. Magically making chicken salad out of chicken sheet since 1970. Had that been me the tap would have fragged my eye and bonded in the hole so tight that the ordinance disposal unit would have been dispatched on fear of momentary thrust in all directions.

The clench that accompanies a breaking tap can best be described as a catastrophic implosion.

If I'd used a different tap, it wouldn't have happened. This thing was made of glass. I knew it was way to small to use my Walton broken tap extractors, and it was dug in a bit too much anyway. Flashback to some point in my distant past, I remembered shattering out another broken tap with a punch, for the life of me I don't remember the context. I think it was a cylinder head. But it sure worked, even on this delicate little thread.

 

[extropic]

Yes, I think 6-32 is the most fragile UNC thread tap. IIRC, it has the worst ratio of thread depth (high) to minor diameter (low) of any other unified thread form. I avoid 6-32 whenever possible.

Good save John.

For the rest of us mere mortals, use the largest tap drill your customer will let you get away with.

 

[Provincial]

I've always had more trouble with a 1/4-20 tap. Almost no material left after the flutes are cut.

Perhaps I am just very careful with a #6 tap, since it is so small. I always use a very small tap handle for #10 or smaller taps.

 

[BGHansen]

I used a length of #12 copper wire for the pull handle on my original swarf picker. Formed a ~1" loop in the upper end, and used a dab of solder to hold the loop closed.

.By using ~3/8" tubing for mine, it can be used inside the T-slots of a mill table. Yours definitely has a much greater capacity than mine. Nice adaptation!

PS - I've found that the swarf picker can easily be stored ( and kept visible) by sticking the magnet end onto the cast iron housing of the machine tool where I use it most often.

Good day in the shop, found my @hman swarf picker upper.

Bruce

 

[Eyerelief]

Trying to save what’s left of my back. Really like this bandsaw but with wheels only in the rear means lifting it to get it off the leveling feet to move it. Welded some legs on it and put some HF casters on front so now I can roll it instead of lift. Wheels are set so it is just below level so if I need level I can drop the feet down.

Mounted up
Will most likely change cheesy rear wheels with next HF coupon.