Let's Make a TAP FOLLOWER!

This episode on Blondihacks, I make one of my most-requested tools, a spring-loaded tap follower! Exclusive videos, drawings, models & plans available on Patreon!
/ quinndunki
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(I earn small commissions on these links)
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[@47Edge]

Love your voice, very clear and easy to understand with no crazy music. Nice Job!

[@3bnjo3]

"....but in the Blondihacks shop that gets you promoted." Ha!

[@brianhaygood183]

Oh no! If you get promoted we won't get any videos because you'll be stuck behind a desk doing TPS reports all day and explaining to upper management why you had to spend $1,101.10 on a tap follower to get that new contract filled.

[@Sembazuru]

My thought was it would get you a beer. Not sure which I would take... 🤣

[@danashay]

Another top notch box-o-hints video. Loved the spring weave and the wet Emery cloth. And you consider yourself a hobbyist. Don't ever change. 😎

[@Blondihacks]

I’m definitely a hobbyist. What I don’t know about machining would fill a warehouse. 😁

[@johnjenkins2315]

Blondihacks somehow I know that feeling 🤭. Even though I’m in my mid seventies I still like to watch how others do things, you’re never to old to learn 🤗🤓

[@HiltownJoe]

"And that my friends, is a spring loaded tap follower" That sentence gave me "Die Sendung mit der Maus" feelings.

[@t.c.sbunch-o-stuff5907]

Yes! Yes! YESSSSS!!!!! Finally a KZbin machinist that cares if the tap goes in straight. I've been a professional machinist for almost 30 years and it annoys me to no end when I see someone "freehanding" a tap into a precision machined part. Thank you. :)

[@jimmya4217]

yeah but not sure what the dial indicator checking run-out is going to achieve. Can someone enlighten me.

[@ExtantFrodo2]

@@jimmya4217 If you are referring to 6:29 then what it achieves is giving a person a false sense of security that the part is running true. Even if it was off by a mile it would still say it was running true simply because all you are reading is how much variation the steady rest finger closest to the indicator has between degrees of rotation of your spindle. The only other way it would register any variation is if your part was a cam.

[@aladeenzweipunktnull]

Im not a native english speaker, so this wont be easy. But i have some questions about taps. I was at a company for some weeks that did work like this. Basically, when using a tap on a drillpress they first centered the workpiece by using a conical countersink or a drill of the size the hole had.(not to sure which of those options it was). after that they just put the tap in the drill chuck(i think its called), pressed the tap on the workpiece with the drillpress and turned the drill chuck by hand. For lathes they had an adapter for the tailstock where you could put drills and taps in. same thing as above with hand-turning and applying force. questions: Is the tap-follower obsolete because the task is achievable by the also needed tools anyways? Is there another way of using it? (not just limited to tap-following, just anything metal-working related)

[@t.c.sbunch-o-stuff5907]

Nothing is really obsolete if it has a useful purpose, using the tap follower allows you to use both hands to rotate the tap, this is definitely a good thing, especially when tapping with larger taps in tough materials or very small delicate taps. In the end, if you make a good tapped hole that's what matters.

[@t.c.sbunch-o-stuff5907]

As far as other uses, hand reaming short holes comes to mind, I also used one to make a poor-mans "Z" probe by attaching voltmeter leads to the part and putting the tap follower into a plastic sleeve to insulate it and attaching the other lead to the tap follower, I had to set part zero using the bottom of a hole in a casting. This method gave me better than .0005" repeatability.

[@leepoirier3823]

I love that u admitted you are human by misreading the print, we all have done that. Keep up the great work and content.

[@jimmunger8658]

This is a great tool. You’ve done a super job here and it’s so cool how you narrate when things go right and sometimes not so right. We all know there are always little surprises that come along to test us.Its nonsense to pretend it’s always perfect. You rock.

[@mutfish]

One of the most comforting voices I've ever heard.

[@effingeffwerd4353]

Check out Lofty Pursuits. He's a candy maker with a very soothing voice.

[@richardmeyer418]

@@effingeffwerd4353 Or BBQ Pit Boys - that voice is very soothing.

[@NoName-zn1sb]

@@richardmeyer418 try LPL (Lock Picking Lawyer); Ed Copeland of Sixty Symbols

[@leehaelters6182]

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response guys.

[@Alandaledaniel13]

Too smooth. She puts me to sleep watching the video.

[@chrisbryant5749]

After doing years of manual machining I still enjoy watching clips like this. It is nice to see good workmanship in use and I suppose it also makes me appreciate the CNC conversion a little more too.

[@WorksbySolo]

Oh, I’m so glad that I procrastinated on making my tap follower. These improvements are awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[@thenetwerx]

Cool! Love seeing how tools are made rather than just bought. Gives more understanding of how they work and why they are made the way they are. Nice work!

[@kevinsmg1]

Goswcizain

[@mitsukowalker5831]

You put on a good show. Easy to listen to. Like your informality and "easy words" You have good hands for these demos and a good presentation voice. Thanks for a job well done.

[@leehaelters6182]

OK, Quinn, I'm only ten minutes into this video, and you already have me as a subscriber. You are the Da Gal for density of information, dryness of wit, and speaking my language. Looking forward to viewing the rest of your offerings!

[@Blondihacks]

Awesome, thank you for the kind words and for subscribing! ☺️

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Being new to machining, the best part of watching these is that you find tools you didn't know you needed! Now that I know what a tap follower is, I certainly need one! I don't have a lathe so I guess I have to resort to buying one. ;-)

[@JohnReasons]

I love the level of detail and explanation provided in this video. Never thought there was so much to learn about such a simple tool. Well done and thank you for taking the time to make this video.

[@patw3980]

Seen lots of machining videos but comment on few myself. (retired machinist here) Your presentation style is "top shelf" so I must break my tradition and comment here. I'm compelled to add to the chorus of praise for your quality video and delivery style. I'm one very impressed old guy and that's not easy to do. ( the grandkids call me "Grumps" but I blame their parents for that lol)

[@Blondihacks]

Thank you! It’s the highest praise when real machinists like my videos. 😀

[@badvlad9861]

Quinn always does the best, I appreciate your letting us tag along.

[@chriscraven9572]

Excellent little project Quinn. The one criticism I make is with indicating the part whilst using the steady rest. If the steady rest is deflecting the part, say towards the tool, as the part rotates it gets deflected an equal amount so the indicator reads the same.

[@basher20]

Came up a thousandth short? Turn up the heat in the shop.

[@billyeast6819]

Excellent especially your narratives on the devices you create! Excellent!

[@RedDogForge]

Wonderful explaination of the logical steps of layout for the length before turning. You ma'am are definately my new morning coffee watch!!

[@OyvindSOyvindS]

Wow! I had no idea what a tap follower was, and don't know why I clicked the video. BUT, I find this one of the better instruction videos I have ever seen. Pleasent voice, excellent filming, excellent editing and commentary (including humour), (luckily no music), excellent design and skilled execution. Kudus for also including errors and remedy. I am now a fan.

[@Blondihacks]

Thank you for the kind words- I appreciate it! ☺️

[@brianmoore3659]

I’m a old guy new to machining and really love your videos. Very well presented and help tremendously

[@danielchapa2112]

Great job on the bearing pins, excellent!👍🏼 I like the emphasis on the coffee break to reset, coffee is our friend.☕️

[@owenclark7210]

Very nice. This is next on my list of things to make, after I get my Tailstock Die holder built.

[@brianrydzeski6108]

Nicely done, Quinn. I like your applied ingenuity for this project.

[@johnearley9816]

After watching this video I also made a tap follower. The main difference in mine was the use of a 3/8-16 set screw on the end instead of a threaded cap. Now I have two. One with a point and a smaller one with a center hole. They cover both large and small taps. Thanks for the interesting video.

[@TAWPTool]

Yet another great video! I love your story-telling style. Thanks for sharing!

[@johnapel2856]

Ooh, shiny new metal tool! Nicely done as usual. Thanks and Meow.

[@Billybobble1]

I stumbled onto this vid out of algorithms and curiosity and I have to say I am super impressed with the quality and quantity of info (and the humour!). I have little to no experience with machining, up until 23 minutes ago! Great work and no hesitation in subscribing and clicking the bell. I look forward to watching your back catalogue and future vids. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. 10/10

[@Blondihacks]

Awesome! Thanks for the kind words and the sub!

[@dougsather2939]

Quinn: gosh I feel as I just made one in my chair 💺 watching you. Very nice 😇🙏

[@Jajaho2]

I've really grown quite fond of your channel.I like your style.

[@danmoreton1788]

As always, an enjoyable project!

[@tylerkrug7719]

First video of yours I've watched, many more to come. Right on!

[@Mrjrich37055]

Love your videos, I always learn something new keep them coming

[@luckenbachmachineworks7000]

Nicely done! Good idea on combining two springs.

[@tooltimechris7217]

Really nice project! And great way of explaining!

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

I have always put a tap in a drill press and turned the chuck by hand first and then used the chuck key handle to turn the chuck. I learned something new today. Thanks!

[@martinedelius]

Nice work! This seems like a pretty good project to start with when I get a lathe. I won't get the precision or finish you do but the tool itself is easy to understand and it involves a number of different operations on the lathe.

[@randynovick7972]

Excellent and fun to watch... also oddly satisfying. Thanks!

[@HouseMadeUS]

I never knew these existed. And it makes a ton of sense! Thank you for sharing this, I learned a lot. Well done. (now I want one)

[@MrOgre1110]

Great job! I love the idea of such precision, then I remember I am such a slacker and would never spend the time getting it perfect lol.

[@jamesjacobs1909]

I turned my follower using my valve grinding machine - works great.

[@stancloyd]

The drill rod would allow me to explore the options for the Hot Shot 360 and the tool post grinder. Love the bluing detail.

[@TheGrainDoctor]

Loved the "God of machining" line.

[@TCB031]

Wow Quinn, I was going to congratulate you on hitting 30,000 subscribers, and lo and behold, you're already at 30.1 K! Looks like folks are realizing what an exceptionally great site this is.

[@Blondihacks]

Aww, thanks! 😁

[@andrewalters9272]

Hi Quinn, Very helpful video. Need to make me two of those tap followers. Will do it this week. Regarding the accuracy of your live center. You can dismantle it (very easy to do) and check where the play comes from. If it is between the center shaft and bearing there is nothing economical that you can do to fix it. However if it is dew to excessive clearance in the bearings you can replace them. it will have a needle bearing deep inside a thrust bearing and a ball bearing in front. Replace them with a zero clearance bearing. most cheap everyday bearings have a C3 clearance. This should solve your problem without having to spend a lot of money on a new center. I would start with just replacing the ball bearing first.

[@Willies_shop]

Thanks for the incentive to finally make one of these.

[@holton345]

My list of Beginner Projects continues to grow as I watch your videos, Quinn. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Yahtzee!

[@billy19461]

Always love your videos and always learn!

[@abilalpk]

Excellent work Quinn.

[@BrunoWiebelt]

you are a very good teacher, very clear to understand

[@mxcollin95]

Looks like a fun little project! I think I might give this one a shot.

[@MrAlexhasker]

Well done with the detailed explanation of every step

[@Gaark]

really like the way you made the cap fit right down to the shoulder, I'll have to remember that :)

[@markmonroe7330]

Great video. Love the updates.

[@alanreynolds5985]

Well blow be down. All these years of using taps and dies and I never realised that about the end of taps. I've used taps in a drill press to get them vertical but it's a bit of a faff, I also use a chuck if I'm tapping on the lathe. I shall make one of these. I'm also subscribing because I really enjoyed this video. Precise concise and no booming music. Top Marks, thank you.

[@johnburroughs8532]

Dont forget to double check the tap handles for Concentricity If you have tight tolerance threads. Great video.!!

[@amanofmanyparts9120]

You've made a tap follower and a Blondie follower - if not several thousands!

[@dmadere1]

Awesome little part!!!!

[@dcat4006]

Lady you blow me away!! Thanks for sharing.

[@bostedtap8399]

Excellent project and tutorial. Tip! If hardening thin or slim items, then ensure the item is held vertically along the long axis when quenching. Hope this helps. Thanks for sharing.

[@Blondihacks]

Indeed, I did that but it still warped, sadly

[@bostedtap8399]

@@Blondihacks Thanks for replying, for intricate components, stress relieving prior to heat treatment is highly recommended, but a simple pin shouldn't need it. Enjoying the vlogs.

[@4SafetyTraining]

stopped all work to get some great info. Thanks

[@terrinewman7390]

Quinn, well done !

[@greglaroche1753]

Great video. Keep them coming.

[@paulputnam2305]

That was awesome and magically satisfying.

[@apachesmokemachining6487]

Something nice to make, thanks for another great video 👍🏻

[@HawaiiGoesFishing]

I was wondering how a drill press is used to get a tap to track perfectly straight, and now I know. Nice to see someone at your level take the time to re-think how something is made and re-do the job to make it better. The Brownell's Ospho-Blue is excellent stuff. I used it to do some bluing on a couple of small projects and the results look like what comes from the factory.

[@volvovalor8051]

Kudos of rechecking runout after setting up the steadyrest. I actually nodded in agreement as my OCD was satisfied haha

[@phildcrow]

Excellent video. Very informative. Now it looks like I'll have to make one.

[@mikecurtin9831]

I've never heard of a tap follower before, but I may have to make one now. :-) Thumbs up to crush a troll.

[@mikecurtin9831]

@@zumbazumba1 Can I still say thumbs up to crush a troll?

[@MrCoffeypaul]

Of course you can!

[@leehaelters6182]

@zumbazumba1, think that for small tapped holes the sensitivity gained by twisting the tap by hand will out weigh the inconvenience of rotating, and reversing, all that mass and feeding the tailstock, or coordinating the handwheel feed.

[@ThomasBurns]

Well done! I've learned so much from your channel!

[@myharris]

Interesting tip on combining springs. At 9:28 on Joe Pieczynski's "Sequence is Everything for Small Parts" he talks about using different strength springs depending on tap size, so combining springs like you do kind've works for that because you can decombine them and just use one for smaller tap sizes.

[@gyrogearloose1345]

Oddly Satisfying indeed! Thank you very much for this Ms Blondi. I like the way you point out the range of run-out specs on the live centres. And the potential effect on the accuracy of the work. And the staggering $$s one has to pay for the really right stuff. For my home shop I just stay away from bottom-of-the-barrel prices and the poor stuff you generally find there.

[@stancloyd]

Bruce Witham urged me to get one after watching me struggle with the operation. I too had sticker shock at a good commercial equivalent.

[@blindsquirrel4882]

Great video. Glad that you came up on my recommended videos. Subscribed!

[@Blondihacks]

Thanks for the sub! 😄

[@johnquijote7194]

Your humility is as refreshing as your humor. #fanforlife

[@Mongoman-oq9bq]

Excellent as usual

[@brianbutler3954]

I do enjoy your video’s , you have done your research and you give an exceptional presentation . As Alton Brown is to cooking shows, you are to these video’s . Not only do I get excellent tips from watching you work, but I have learned that “Chowder” means bad, “Yahtzee” means good ,and “Bob’s your uncle” means finished. I am looking forward to getting more great tips, and learning new synonyms in future videos.

[@ManicSalamander]

I thought she said, "Barb's yer uncle..."

[@oiu7890]

Nice no funky music. Great instructions with great tips!

[@DonDegidio]

Hi Quinn, If you need drilled holes with a flat bottom, DeWalt pilot point drills will provide that flat bottom. I use them for just that purpose.

[@BigMikesGarage]

Love the content! Being an old school mainframe programmer, your binary joke made me laugh. Naturally, as timing would have it, I was right in the middle of a sip of coffee. My screen needed a good cleaning anyway!

[@Just1GuyMetalworks]

Great design, quinn 😊! Yup, them fancy live centers are annoyingly expensive 🤨. Thanks for the vid 👍😁👍

[@brucewilliams6292]

It will be nice to see the steady rest mods. Thanks for the video.

[@ellieprice3396]

Thanks for the much improved tap follower design. For best accuracy steady-rests should always be adjusted on a true diameter close to the chuck, then moved out to the working position. If done this way the accessory will be true to the center line of the lathe.

[@criggie]

Have you ever considered putting a maker's mark on your scratch-built items ? Totally deserved IMO.

[@GunFunZS]

Nice way to do that is you can get some paper off of Amazon that is for printing circuit board etch resistant on. You have to use a laser printer. anyway you can basically print any pattern and then heat transfer from the paper onto your part. Be sure to reverse the image before printing.

[@michaelclark9409]

I love happy accidents (Thank you Bob Ross #RIP)... Since your negative is for smaller taps, hence shorter lengths, you'll require much less travel then your positive end.

[@elastikateknika3827]

Never thought that idea...thanks quinn

[@mikefasan325]

Your making a lot of sense. Not many ppl work to .0001” good on ya.

[@Cooliemasteroz]

Nice demonstration of a worthwhile project as usual and it’s good to see your skills improving. I don’t know if you have discovered it yet but if you put oil on mechanical parts it will actually takeaway unwanted slop, especially in plain bearings.

[@davekimbler2308]

You went directly to the point on this one ! At least you pointed out the flaws in your pointed pointer , being precise on this point is perfect ! Perhaps I should have just Gotten to the point right a way ! Lol

[@jdos2]

PLEASE Create a Metallicor T-Shirt! Good video- thank you!

[@kyfho47]

Put me down for a XXL. That's a shirt I'd be proud to wear.

[@laurencebyers1322]

Im a fan of This Old Tony and other machinists like yourself, but have never had a budget that enabled me to actually acquire said machine tools. So this is a bit of overkill for my requirements or capablility. I am happy to be made aware of the "tap follower", I always just used a chunk of broke drill bit as a tap guide. I guess I'll have to try to figure out how to make a similar tool out of stock materials.

[@roadshowautosports]

At 22:25 you made me remember one guy doing a review of cold bluing products and he didn’t pre test it to the real video, then he was talking to the camera and explaining what he was doing when a very natural “HOLY CRAP!!!” came out when the product worked wonders, as yours did, and it was super funny! His expression was priceless and unforgettable! Great video!

[@craigtate5930]

My parting goes so poorly, so often. I frequently reverse the lathe and grab my bandsaw. Luckily, I have seensome improvement with my newest parting tool holder build.. nice stuff Quinn

[@pancake_crab4457]

Brb, pausing my current project to make one of these now. I'll just move it to my backlog of ten or so things I half made and will finish later.

[@morelenmir]

You are genuinely inspirational!!! I feel like I have learned more practical, real world tips and tricks in your twenty minute video here than I have over five years of watching other YT machinists and toolmakers. The colour of that blue finish is _lovely_ as well! Coming from Brownells was it originally intended for a Gunsmith's workshop perhaps?

[@Blondihacks]

Indeed, it is a gunsmithing product

[@raystevens1458]

I really enjoy you video's and have learned much from you, some of which my dad didn't teach me, thank you.

[@jmwarden1]

Very nice improved tap follower.

[@larryblount3358]

Soda can. Learned something. I look forward to using.

[@stancloyd]

"threads are poor at holding concentricity" I recently learned this nugget the hard way on my wood lathe refurbishment. A tight thread is less accurate than a loose thread with a proper shoulder. The loose thread self centers when the faying surfaces of the shoulder locks up.

[@pappy1812]

Quinn are you a machinist by profession or is this your hobby? I can't get enough of your channel.