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Author Topic: Tool Gloat! Darex tap grinder  (Read 8720 times)

Offline DICKEYBIRD

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Tool Gloat! Darex tap grinder
« on: December 17, 2009, 08:21:48 AM »
Finally found a good deal on the local Craigslist and picked it up yesterday during lunch break.  It's a Darex TR-70 tap/countersink/reamer grinder in great shape for $80!  I got it from a local machine shop that's selling off a few things.  Not only did I get a good deal on a quality American-made tool, I now have a friendly contact at a great machine shop not too far from me.  I bought a chunk of steel from him for an upcoming project while I was there for a fair price and I got to look around & drool on some really great machines.  His metal stock & drops storage racks were the best organized I've ever seen and all his machines were clean & tidy.

When I first saw the Darex, I thought I'd try to convert it into a drill or endmill grinder but after reading the manual I found online, I'm first going to try to fix all those boogered up (buggered for you Brits) taps & countersinks I got stashed away. :D

A happy Milton today!

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Milton in Tennesee

"Accuracy is the sum total of your compensating mistakes."

Offline Darren

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Re: Tool Gloat! Darex tap grinder
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2009, 08:27:44 AM »
Well that was indeed a good score ... a very useful tool indeed ....

Now i know where to send all my blunt taps ....  :)
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Offline jim

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Re: Tool Gloat! Darex tap grinder
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2009, 09:58:00 AM »
thats sounds like a useful tool and a good contact :thumbup:
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Offline dsquire

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Re: Tool Gloat! Darex tap grinder
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2009, 03:50:04 PM »
DICKEYBIRD

Looks like a good deal for $80.00 for the grinder but the contact with the machine shop may well turn out to be worth that much as well over time. Next time you drop around to see him take one of your engines along to show him. :ddb: :ddb:

Cheers  :beer:

Don
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Tool Gloat! Darex tap grinder
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2009, 04:44:29 PM »
That looks like the start of a nice tool and cutter grinder if you do decide to modify it. Nice find for $80. I think it was more of a steel than find for that price.  :lol:

Bernd
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Offline DICKEYBIRD

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Re: Tool Gloat! Darex tap grinder
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2009, 10:07:22 AM »
I cleaned & lubed it up yesterday and gave it a try.  Works great!  I cut the broken end off a 1/4-28 tap and reground it into a "plug" tap.  The machine will do taper, plug or bottoming.  I'm very happy with the results:



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Milton in Tennesee

"Accuracy is the sum total of your compensating mistakes."

Offline usn ret

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Re: Tool Gloat! Darex tap grinder
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2009, 01:54:55 PM »
Dickeybird,  the up-side to making contact with a commercial shop is that there are some jobs too small to fool with and are farmed out  to hobbyist and home shops that produce quality work.  This helps me support my hobby and keeps SWMBO happy and off my case over the new tool that just happened to showup.  Happy farmin :D
Clilff :beer:
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