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DIY Hand Tap for Lathes

HFS

Well Known Member
Here is a hand tap handle I modified to use a lathe tailstock as a centering device. Very helpful when trying to tap threads along the centerline of anything that may be chucked in a lathe.

My tailstock happens to have an MT2 taper, which is what the alignment "sleeve" is welded to - I have also used a 1/2" bolt or rod in a drill chuck in the tailstock. Either way works.

I know these are available commercially, but if you already have a tap handle, it can be modified at almost no cost.

HFS
 

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  • EZ-TAP Lathe.jpg
    EZ-TAP Lathe.jpg
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I start the tap on the lathe by putting the tap in a drill chuck in the tail stock and running the tap in on the lead pitch, shutting the power off just as the tap touches. It runs the tap in "on center" for 3-4 threads, then you can back off the tail stock and use the tap handle to finish to full tap depth.

FWIW
 
Great idea. I live on the edge and just chuck the tap in the tail-stock chuck and hand turn the lathe chuck letting the tap draw itself in. Haven't broke one yet, but sooner or later it will probably happen!
 
Great idea. I live on the edge and just chuck the tap in the tail-stock chuck and hand turn the lathe chuck letting the tap draw itself in. Haven't broke one yet, but sooner or later it will probably happen!

For any tap other than 6-32 I do this too. 6-32 is probably the weakest tap, and for those, I just start it in the lathe, then take it out and turn it carefully by hand.

Back in the day, we had a portable EDM machine that could be used to burn broken taps out, and I'm pretty sure the only taps I ever broke were 6-32 taps going into 17-4 PH H900.

Now that I don't have access to that portable EDM machine, I am extra careful.
 
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