[CNC] Self-reversing Tapping Head On Cnc, Experience?

[Jamespvill]

Hey Folks!

I was looking into getting a Shars self-reversing tapping head. I've got a project coming up that is going to demand quite a few 0-80 threaded holes.

I wanted to ask if anyone had any experience with the Shars brand one (or any of the generic ones) on a cnc mill, running a 0-80 thread forming tap into a blind hole? (Super broad question, right? )

I suppose I am just most concerned about it being a good fit with the 0-80 and the blind hole.

Thank all!
James

 

[Bob Korves]

0-8o power tapping? You are way out of my league with that. I would be lucky to get the holes drilled without breaking the 3/64" drills, much less power form tapping blind 0-80 holes. Hopefully you are using a forgiving grade of aluminum or similar for your part(s). No experience here, and I hope you are skilled or lucky. Do you have an EDM? 8^)

 

[jbolt]

BK - He is using a form tap which are much stronger than a fluted tap. A must for blind holes.

James - Try searching on the CNC Zone. I found a bunch of info on power tapping with CNC. Not sure about the Shars unit.

Jay

 

[Jamespvill]

0-8o power tapping? You are way out of my league with that. I would be lucky to get the holes drilled without breaking the 3/64" drills, much less power form tapping blind 0-80 holes. Hopefully you are using a forgiving grade of aluminum or similar for your part(s). No experience here, and I hope you are skilled or lucky. Do you have an EDM? 8^)

On a good day, what I lack in skill, I sometimes manage to make up the rest in luck! Materials are looking like Alu, Copper, and Titanium.

 

[Jamespvill]

BK - He is using a form tap which are much stronger than a fluted tap. A must for blind holes.

James - Try searching on the CNC Zone. I found a bunch of info on power tapping with CNC. Not sure about the Shars unit.

Jay

Jay, Thanks for the info, I'll go and see what I can dig up!

James

 

[Bob Korves]

BK - He is using a form tap which are much stronger than a fluted tap. A must for blind holes.
(snip)Jay

"Relatively" stronger... I could break those taking them out of the shipping packaging... 8^) I have enough issues with 4-40, not to mention 6-32, the ugliest. Actually, I very rarely break a tap. "A man has got to know his limitations." -Dirty Harry.

 

[TomS]

If your mill has rigid tapping capability you don't need a tapping head. Whether you go with rigid tapping or a tapping head a 0-80 tap is going to be a dicey undertaking.

Tom S.

 

[wrat]

On a good day, what I lack in skill, I sometimes manage to make up the rest in luck! Materials are looking like Alu, Copper, and Titanium.

Your luck sounds like mine. From good to bad.
0-80 in Ti?
Step 1: Buy a big wheelbarrow load of taps.
Step 2: make sure you have no blind holes or at least a way to those broken taps out.
Step 3: Remove all time constraints from the contract or P.O.

This i going to be a process.
In Al, it would be an undertaking. Not just because of the size, but because of the setup. The rigidity of your tooling and machine will matter. The accuracy of your motor will matter. You will probably want to "sneak up" on the holes from the same direction each time to preload the bearings (yes, it's a thing).
Then when you get to Ti, everything is amplified; every shortcoming comes up worse. And everything that took minutes to do now will seemingly take hours.
Don't count on this running automatically. This will need plenty of babysitting, IMO.


Wrat

 

[Country_Bubba]

Hi,
I got one of the generic ones when I was building my router. I had 50 3mm holes to tap in 1/2" aluminum.
I broke a tap in the third hole, but that was due to my not having the parameters set properly in my cam. Once I figured that part out,the rest went with absolutely no problems. I figure it did a much better job than I could have trying to hold the tap straight by hand:{)

I don't use it often, but sure is nice to have when I need it. IIRC it is a Taco brand made in India I think, not sure where I got it but it might have been from Enco.

 

[Bob Korves]

Hi,
I got one of the generic ones when I was building my router. I had 50 3mm holes to tap in 1/2" aluminum.
I broke a tap in the third hole, but that was due to my not having the parameters set properly in my cam. Once I figured that part out,the rest went with absolutely no problems. I figure it did a much better job than I could have trying to hold the tap straight by hand:{)

I don't use it often, but sure is nice to have when I need it. IIRC it is a Taco brand made in India I think, not sure where I got it but it might have been from Enco.

0-80 is .0600" major diameter, almost exactly half the diameter of your 3 mm threads. CNC in titanium?