Which tapping head?

[MRA]

Hi folks. I hope the mods will indulge me - unlike some people on here who made things in their shed following a career as a machinist, I found a (very part-time) career as a machinist having first made things in my shed! As a result my knowledge of some types of industrial tool is a bit lacking.

So - I need to tap a lot of holes, and doing it by hand is a bit tiresome. I'd like to buy a tapping head and go up to about M16 and down to about M8. I could fit it to a Bridgeport (R8 ) or a Meddings drilling machine (MT2) or even a big radial arm drill (MT5). I'll probably buy something second hand.

Anyone got any recommendations, based on years of frustration / happy experience?

Thanks
Mark

 

[kvom]

For a Tapmatic, you'd need the 70x given the size range. Used ones on eBay are in the $500 range; new is $1k on Amazon. If you buy used, make sure it has all the collets needed for the range.

 

[ODgreenK5]

I second that. I've used Tapmatic heads in several shop. With a little care they will last for years.

 

[petertha]

The offshore knockoffs are less expensive. But the familiar 'what's under the hood & how long will it last & what if I need parts...' type questions.
http://www.shars.com/2-1-8-6jt-self-reversing-tapping-head

I have a Tapmatic, its a thing of beauty. I would be concerned about 'used' on Fleabay without knowing something of its history. There are 'wear' parts inside with the clutch & reversing mechanism. Half price doesn't mean anything if its clapped out.

 

[nautilus29]

Did you say you have a Bridgeport? We "power tap" on our Bridgeport at work all the time, and I haven't broken a tap doing it yet. All I do is put my tap in a keyless Chuck and turn the rpm to 60-100. I then use the quill to feed the tap into the part, and then reverse the spindle when I am happy with the depth. Something to think about if you're mill has enough torque.

 

[Blogwitch]

I have found that the Vertex tapping heads are not only cheap, but very good operationally. They come in a few sizes, small, medium and large, go down the page a little. They should be available in the US.

http://www.rotagriponline.com/index...rt&page=shop.browse&category_id=385&Itemid=29

I don't know if these are still available, the head alone is only about 1" long, but I use this one for tiny tapping (10 & 12BA), once the leather clutch is set up, never had a single breakage. Only used if there are more than say a dozen holes to be tapped, otherwise I use a tapping stand.

John

 

[petertha]

I've never seen so many Vertex accessories under one seller. EnvyDang! Most of that stuff is unobtanium here. In fact not that easy to find even in USA.

 

[Blogwitch]

I have the red one at the bottom, I don't know about the cheaper black Vertex ones above them.
You would need to ask if they auto reverse.

John

 

[Cogsy]

I have one of the red ones as well, it came with a heap of other tools. I've never been brave enough to use it, in fact I don't even know how it works.

 

[MRA]

Thanks for all those ideas, folks, and sorry I have not been here for a while to say so. I'd like to play with one of these first - I'll see what comes along. cheers!