Walton tap extractor

THAT is of course the *real* solution (though it doesn't help those with an already busted tap). A couple of decades ago I went through a rash of breaking taps. In large part because I was still using garbage taps from Irwin and Vermont American. I got fed up with it and made a real study of not breaking taps. That culminated in my acquisition of a number of tapping devices to get taps started perfectly straight, better tapping fluids depending on material, and most importantly quality taps. I can count on one hand the number of taps that I've broken since then. One, perhaps 7 years ago when I got careless power tapping over 100 1/4"-20 holes to make a tooling plate and two or three a year or so ago that were #2 taps in 17-4PH. On that one I eventually switched material to 4140 because I just couldn't make it work.

GsT
Sometimes it really is the tap.

 
I checked my stock and in the sizes 3/8" and under I have very few 4 flute taps.....but what does the Amish farmer next door have?

I don't break many taps but if it's my tap it will be a 2 or 3 flute.

I found a questionable 8-32 and 10-32 4 flute taps and promptly tossed them in the garbage. Lol
 
I bent the fingers on one or two of those Waltons. If the tap was bottomed in the hole, all bets are off.
 
One trick I use if a broken tap is bottomed out in the abyss is to pick out a Slayer album, turn the volume up, and watch the tap back out on its own. It doesn't matter which album, unlike other bands of their tenure they've never released a bad one.
 
I ordered the 13 pcs 4 flute set. Most of the broken taps walking into my shop will be crappy 4 flute carbon Hanson or Vermont from the local hardware that an Amish guy busted off with a Cresent wrench while trying to fix a threaded hole.

I'll eventually buy 3 flute in #10, 1/4, 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2. I have the 5/16" already.

Two flute is more common at 1/4 and under.
 
One trick I use if a broken tap is bottomed out in the abyss is to pick out a Slayer album, turn the volume up, and watch the tap back out on its own. It doesn't matter which album, unlike other bands of their tenure they've never released a bad one.
I tried this, and clearly my stereo is defective. I shall invest in better speakers and a more powerful amplifier...

GST
 
I ordered the 13 pcs 4 flute set. Most of the broken taps walking into my shop will be crappy 4 flute carbon Hanson or Vermont from the local hardware that an Amish guy busted off with a Cresent wrench while trying to fix a threaded hole.

I'll eventually buy 3 flute in #10, 1/4, 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2. I have the 5/16" already.

Two flute is more common at 1/4 and under.
 
This will take care of what the tap extractors will not.

Now that is an arrow in your quiver! Your Amish friends are going to need to bring more than fresh baked bread to cover your services when you save an expensive part without damage. And the Waltons might be the ticket to finishing the job after you erode enough gap to back the tap out.
 
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