| Gallery, Projects and General > How do I?? |
| Broken Tap Removal??? |
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| flutedchamber:
If a standard tap extractor won't work, I've always had luck with Kroil, then jewelers pliers and patience. There are needle nosed ring making jewelers pliers that will grip a 4-40 tap broke below the surface and let you turn it out. The pliers aren't cheap (being boxed jaw design and made from good grade of steel) but the last for years and ARE actually worth the cost. Look online under "jewelery repair tools" and other such headings. |
| philf:
Have you got a Dremel or high speed micro air grinder? A very small abrasive point or diamond burr might do the trick - even if only to weaken the tap enough to break it. Phil. |
| unc1esteve:
Dmiom, I was responding mostly to Mr. Omore's post based solely upon my own experience. Jonny, Thanks. It seems I have not tried the correct needle point tool. |
| picclock:
I found myself in a similar situation and was able to make a crude spark erosion machine with very little effort. It lacks anything sophisticated, just being a rewound mains solenoid (if you have a 12v one use as is) and a car battery charger. I have only broken two taps, normally by using them when they are past the end of their life. http://s917.photobucket.com/user/picclock/library/Spark%20erosion%20machine?sort=3&page=1 One end of the solenoid is connected to the battery charger, the other end of the charger to the work, the other end of the solenoid to the erosion tip. I used silver steel cos I had some lying around and paraffin for the liquid. See pictures. The reason it works and is simple is because the height of the electrode is self adjusting. As the electrode makes contact with the work a current flows in the winding which causes the solenoid to pull in. when the contact is broken the magnetic energy stored in the coil collapses, and that causes an arc to occur between the electrode and the work. After the field collapses gravity causes the electrode to fall and make contact repeating the cycle. Its not very quick but you can leave it unattended - took about 2-3 hours. I chose an electrode size that would erode the core of the tap which it did without affecting the cut threads. Despite the 'design' it appeared to produce mimimal RF interferance, possibly because the spark is shielded by the work. Hope this helps best regards picclock |
| mosey:
I once broke a 2-56 tap in an aluminum head. Tried all of the usual extraction methods to no avail., including that dissolve it with alum, extractors, etc. Went down the street to the professional machinist and he put it in the Bridgeport and milled it out slightly oversize with a carbide mill. Then I put in an aluminum plug and drilled and threaded a new thread. Can barely see the plug. Problem solved low tech. Mosey |
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