Tapping solution/fluid/paste/etc

[DDoug]

It sounds like the OP has a 'Real Job" to get out the door.
Playing around with makeshift concoctions until one "Get's it right" is false economy.
How many broken taps & defective parts does one allow for, while trying to get a job completed ?

 

[Skubeesnak]

Tap Magic extra thick is fantastic and sticks to the tool. Unlike the Pro which is too thin. Its about 15 bucks a quart

 

[EPAIII]

Two and a half pages of discussion on the tapping fluid but no one questions any of the other factors.

The tap itself? The depth of the hole? Is it filling up with chips? The tap extension? What do you mean by bending them? Is that to make them straighter? Is there any angular or linear misalignment in the process? IMHO, sideways forces are one of the biggest reasons for broken taps. Even a small misalignment can start the tap crooked and then it can break after cutting a number of threads. Is the extender bumping into anything? Are the taps gripped straight and true in the extender?

Seems to me there are an awful lot of other factors that could be causing this problem.

PS: For what it is worth, I like TapMagic.

I've been fighting this process where I have to drill and tap fourteen 1/4-20 on this 4140PH shaft shoulder that I have to reach in about 6 inches but doesn't give me enough clearance around the shaft to get a proper tap extension. My best solution is using a hand tap extension. I bent the extensions to turn as true as possible since it does wobble a bit. I'm rigid tapping.

In the beginning it was tough, then I got it dialed in and ran great, then suddenly it's breaking taps again. I tested the material and it's on the low end of the spec. I'm drilling using a 5.3mm (0.2086). Tapping using OSG HSS and carbide with no difference in performance. Seems to only break on the slow down as it comes to the end. Tapped fast and slow and the sweet spot is around 400.

I bypassed the door so I can clean and lube each hole and then blow off the tap after teach tap.

I've been using Crisco and it did well. Then I bought some general cutting/tapping aerosol I use for broaching and see no difference. I had a guy suggest Emuge tapping fluid. Said he watched where people were amping out the spindle tapping huge holes but with some Emuge, it cut it down to 20% load.

Any other magical lubes out there? Emuge is like $130 for a small bottle but if people can vouch for it, then that's an easy buy since we won't have to rework these shafts.

Thanks

 

[rbmgf7]

Problem has been resolved.

Engineering was wanting holes 0.75 deep but I convinced them to make it 0.55 after I had numerous good runs at a shallower depth. Obviously going deeper with a hand tap causes a lot of binding.

Before tapping, the operator has to blow out each hole. Then I use Crisco in a thick ejecting syringe to get a little shortening in the hole; not too much though. The program runs to stop after each hole so the operator can clean the tap to prevent double cutting. Haven't broke a tap in over 140 taps whereas I was breaking one after another beforehand.

When I get a chance, I'll get a bottle of actual tapping fluid since cleaning shortening is a bit cumbersome.

 

[redlee]

Jokisch

Jokisch Econo 897 Tapping Paste 26.9 oz. Tin

www.intercon1978.com

Best we used, also good for Taper Pin Reaming.

 

[John Garner]

So shortening worked for you, in two different senses of the word. I find that amusing.