Model Engine Maker
Supporting => Tooling & Machines => Topic started by: bent on June 22, 2017, 04:39:49 PM
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MrPete222 on his YouTube channel posted a series of videos recently about making the subject tap wrench from scratch.
Having broken a tap recently trying to use a cheap hardware store tap wrench, I was interested enough to try building one myself. But, not having knurling tooling or a #12 tap, I decided to tweak the design a bit to use a #10-32 socket head cap screw. I used a bar of questionable steel laying in the junk pile at work, looks like cheap hardware store 1/2" rod, heavily cold rolled. And...it machined like crap, tearing and smearing at any speed/feed combo with fresh carbide cutters...grr! But it polished up pretty nice - a spark test on the grinder showed it clearly has a bit of chrome in it, so maybe not such a crappy choice. My working drawing and a couple of pictures of the final product are shown below.
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Nice job on the tap wrench , you will find it very use full.
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Link to videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7IBPqOHHZk
This is on my list, near the top. Recently I broke a t handle Starrett tap wrench.
Gerrit
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Although I have one of those, I only use it with my piloted tap extension...
http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/tap-holders-26298
The reason I don't use it in the expected fashion is that it's just too easy to unknowingly loosen the screw and have the tap fall out onto the concrete floor. A few broken taps convinced me to make a miniature of this style...
(http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/mklotz/tools/TAP%20WRENCH_zpsr7qemo1d.jpg) (http://s81.photobucket.com/user/mklotz/media/tools/TAP%20WRENCH_zpsr7qemo1d.jpg.html)
which locks securely onto the tap.
The arms are made from 9/32" square stainless stock turned down to 1/4". I don't like knurling on tap wrench handles so they were left plain.
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Jeff/Gerrit, thanks - it was a fun build, even if my mini lathe is pretty lousy at cutting smooth tapers.
mk, That is a good idea on the tap followers.
FWIW - the two grooves on my tap handle were not planned, but a result of a hacksaw slip when cutting off the part; cut the two grooves to cover up the nicks. Only later did I notice that it makes the handle somewhat resemble my Dynacraft ratchet handle :embarassed: