Tapping fixture

[Glenn Brooks]

Saw a friends nice tapping fixture, so got inspired to make one for my shop. Plus, really tired of taping crooked holes in various things.

The job turned into milling some slots and clamps to hold down an old, antique, 3” vise, and some free hand sculpture on the lathe. A bit more work that I anticipated. But lots of fun... plus I get vertical threaded holes finally.

 

[Rootpass]

Nice!

 

[royesses]

I like it. Now I may have to make one.

Roy

 

[Tozguy]

Nice work Glenn, especially for a guy who drinks really weak coffee.

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

I made one from and old drill and the tube is an old shock tube and rod (it had the fine thread to mount chuck) and made a delrin bushing on the top. I sure like your dedicated tapper.

 

[rwm]

That's very nice! I recently restored a Lassy. I don't know how I lived without one of these. You will get a lot of use out of it and probably break fewer taps.
Robert

 

[SLK001]

I have been chucking a small steel dowel in my drill press and inserting it into the top hole in my tap handle when I tap things to keep everything vertical. The chuck cannot be trusted to hold a tap stationary, especially for the larger tap sizes.

 

[Old Mud]

Nice job Glenn, that will save you time and more importantly frustration.

 

[tghsmith]

I made one for small tapping in model steam engine work, used an "add a hand drill" drill press stand and a chuck, shaft and knob unit from micromark.. turned a large plastic spacer added a brass sleeve so the shaft turned smoothly.. lots of straight true threads, no broken taps..

 

[Glenn Brooks]

Nice work Glenn, especially for a guy who drinks really weak coffee.

Ahhh, yes. It’s proper tea. Fortified with iron filings and swarf. Man stuff.