# Cheap piloted tap wrenches



## dgjessing (Mar 11, 2011)

Have been meaning to do this for a while, finally got around to it this evening:







Harbor Freight sells a set of three tap wrenches for seven bucks. I took the tommy bars out and drilled a 3/16" hole down through the body. I then cut the bars in half and brazed them back in place, and cleaned out the 3/16" holes. A new piece of 3/16" steel rod slides in and out of the hole, and can be held in a chuck (drill press or lathe tail stock), holding the wrench nice and straight. 

Haven't used them yet, but see no reason they won't work pretty well! Still gotta do the biggest one.. ;D


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## Twmaster (Mar 11, 2011)

Nice project.


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## Tin Falcon (Mar 12, 2011)

Most tap wrenches have a center hole in the rear
I just use one of theses to keep the tap centered .
Just chuck up the guide in the lathe or mill chuck




from enco for $10.00 on sale
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INSRAR2&PMAKA=325-5179&PMPXNO=5810267
this is an open forum so all safe ideas welcome.
Tin


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## TuxMan (Mar 16, 2011)

I did something similar as shown in the photo below. I took the tommy bars out, drilled and tapped the body 1/4-20 and reassembled with a cut down 1/4-20 bolt. I also made a sleeve with a hole sized for a slip fit on the bolts. It works well for me






Eric


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## bambuko (Mar 16, 2011)

The one difference between yours (Eric) and original poster's is that as far as I can ascertain you didn't cut tommy bars in half?
I would be concerned about the integrity of brazed bar halves - I guess the proof of the pudding is in eating.
I await an update on practical tests (particularly for the biggest one, yet to be completed) from dgjessing with interest...
If I were doing it and wanted to braze something, I would braze an extension to the body to allow sliding rod to be added to the back, rather than cut tommy bars in half?

Chris


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## milotrain (Mar 16, 2011)

Brazed rod into a round hole? Can't get any better for a brazed joint, and I doubt that you'll want to be hitting your tap wrench with a hammer.


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## dgjessing (Mar 16, 2011)

On the big one I smartened up and brazed the full bar in, then drilled through it. But I doubt any of them are going to break


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## TuxMan (Mar 16, 2011)

With my modified tab wrenches, the tommy bars are still free to be moved to the side, not that I have had to do that recently.

Eric


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## kwoodhands (Mar 19, 2011)

I made a few tap wrenches for the small taps,0-80 2-56  etc. My store bought tap wrenches would not hold the little taps securely. Several tap wrenches had no center hole.
I center drilled and bored for the tap . Then bored and tapped one hole, 5-44 for a set screw to secure the tap. Bored cross hole for handle . Center drilled and bored .125 x.5
for the pilot holder.The tap holder is 3/8" x 2" stock turned down to .123 x .5 on one end.Looks just like the pics Tin Falcon posted on his Enco page, I cross drilled and added a handle.
I usually use scraps of square or hex stock for the tap body.Only because I seem to have a lot of it.This works well in either the mill or the lathe.
mike


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