Plexiglass hole filler??

rv9av8tr · #1 11-06-2007, 01:44 PM

On my -9 T/U rear canopy, I drilled the pilot holes in the rollover bar, match drilled the canopy to the rollover bar, then went to work tapping threads. THEN... the dang tap snapped off flush in one of the rollover bar holes, making it impossible to get the remains of the tap out!!!

Now I have a hole in the rear canopy that can't be used!! Anyone have a suggestion as to what to fill the plexiglass hole with??

I went to Lowes aircraft tool supply and bought a new tap and it worked like drilling butter!!!
Moral of the story... don't use a cheap Harbor Freight tap set!!!!!!!!!!!

DavidBurton · #2 11-06-2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rv9av8tr

On my -9 T/U rear canopy, I drilled the pilot holes in the rollover bar, match drilled the canopy to the rollover bar, then went to work tapping threads. THEN... the dang tap snapped off flush in one of the rollover bar holes, making it impossible to get the remains of the tap out!!!

They do make tools to get the broken tap out. Just depends on how badly you want it out. If the flutes are showing which is usually the case (the body of the tap came out of the hole leaving the threaded portion) you can find a tool that will insert along the sides of the flutes and you may be able to remove the broken tap. The instructions with the removal tool probably will suggest that you take a center punch and whack the broken tap a couple of times to try and loosen it up in the threads. Personally I would be inclined to take a pin punch and just pound it through the hole in the roll bar, and then drill and tap the roll bar to the next larger size. If you want to keep the same screw size you can put a threaded plug in the larger hole. There is an electrical process for removing broken taps called EDM but it would only be appropriate if the part the tap was broken off in was valuable and the tap had to come out.

If you decide to patch the hole in the plex be sure that you understand what you can and can't use on this material. Some chemicals may seem benign but aren't. Some will seem OK and then damage the canopy over time.

Good Luck!

Dave_Boxall · #3 11-07-2007, 04:52 AM

Why not cut off the head from a screw and epoxy it into the hole - then at least it'd look like all your other holes.

Dave

664781 · #4 11-07-2007, 10:55 AM

Cheap Harbor Freight tap and die sets are used to clean threads, not cut new ones!

thallock · #5 11-07-2007, 11:13 AM

I buy a lot of Harbor Freight stuff. Sometimes the tools are the same as what other vendors are selling for twice the price, but sometimes the tools are just plain junk. I have to agree that the tap and die set from HF is worthless. I am not even sure if I would use it to clean threads.

Tracy.