Tap Socket Set

pontiac428 said:
Bilz/Emudge tap holders are cheap to buy used and made for the job. Or collets. Drill chucks, not so much.

Yeah, I know you said you weren't looking for alternatives, but this is H-M after all. Ask ten of us how to skin a cat and you'll get thirty different answers.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I know, just trying to keep this somewhat focused. It is, however, like herding cats.
 
MrWhoopee said:
I'm tired of trying to get a chuck tight enough to drive a tap and equally tired of cranking the knee up and down to use my spindle tapper.
I ordered this set

View attachment 481570

but what I really want is a set of these.
View attachment 481571
I can only find them in metric, I need inch/imperial/SAE/US Customary.
Anyone know where I can find them?
Click to expand...
I bought the set like the adjustable ones and adapted it to my tapping machine for the sizes that I don’t have in the adapters I got with my tapping machine.

Not used them a lot but they get a puuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrr…….
 
MrWhoopee said:
Basically, I'm looking for the shortest possible positive drive for taps. Picture drilling and tapping without have to move the knee.
And no, the combo drill and taps won't work, mostly working in blind holes
Click to expand...
So, might you weld up the tap shank, and grind it to a suitable Jacobs or Jarno taper?
Or, easier to make a dozen or two of the tapers, and custom-shrink taps into 'em at need.
Sounds like sneaking up on the solutions that CNC uses.

There's always the four-jaw socket approach; I recall a Home Shop Machinist article on
building one.... but cannot find my notes on the date (maybe Sep-Oct 2022 p. 54?)

OK, found it; John Lindo, "An Arbor-Mounted Universal Tap Holder " Sep-Oct 2017, p. 28.square chuck tap holder_2.jpg
 
Last edited:
For immediate purposes, the tap I am most interested in getting a driver for is 10-32. On a hunch I went out and measured some shanks. The 10-32 measured .151. Then I checked an M5. It measured .149, so I grabbed another M5. It measured .155. Then I checked an M4, it measured .151. Ordering a metric set. Thanks to all of you who played.
 
MrWhoopee said:
but what I really want is a set of these.
1709912239722.png
Click to expand...
I have those. I actually just got them a month or two ago from aliexpress for work. They were like $5 or something for set shipped. So far my team mate has used them more than me. We use them with a cordless drill. Although they do list metric sizes, I don't think the sizes listed is the actual square size, I could be wrong though & have not actually checked. I think the size is for the recommended tap size but tap square drives vary anyway.

But aren't tap square drive sizes a shared standard no matter if metric or imperial?

Which ever ones fit is what we use, we don't look at the sizes they say on them. I know he's used them for some imperial taps, he didn't mention anything about them fitting loose. Probably wouldn't have cared anyway as long as it got the job done and they have been. I never noticed either & I have used one with a 1/4-20 tap. I bought them for work & that's where they live so I can't check right now. I gotta work tomorrow, if I remember I'll check.

I originally wanted to buy the Lisle ones years ago for home use but I never got around to buying them & the price has gone way up. I don't actually need them though so not really on my radar anymore. The Lisle ones are listed for use with metric & imperial taps so again leads me to believe tap square sizes are a standard (somewhat)?

71bEvsu5plL._AC_SX679_.jpg
 
Speaking of a tap chuck, other than a tapping head, I've got this. I forgot when & where I got it but it's morse taper & could be used in a mill with an adapter. I bought it for use in the lathe but I never do, I think I've only tried it once or twice.

It's a rigid chuck so there's no give, if something happens, something is going to break & at the worst hopefuy it's only the tap.

20230607_191929.jpg20230607_192104.jpg20230607_192034.jpg
 
I believe, according to an ANSI standard, that both US standard and Metric standard taps have the same square drives, obviously depending on screw thread diameter. I'm sure there are deviates out there, but I don't know any reason not to use taps conforming to the ANSI standard.

If you look at the chart I've linked, reading from left to right, you'll see that all ANSI taps with Machine Screw Size #0 through #6 and metric sizes 1.5mm through 3.5mm have the same shank diameter and same square drive size. And so on.
Apparently this has been a closely held secret . . . NOT.

My suggestion is to buy the set you're looking at and measure the square recesses. I think it will cover sizes #8 through 5/8" (except for 7/16", depending on how sloppy the sockets are).

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top