I Printed This Tool To Break Less Taps

Long time no see (for real this time)
ive been taking time to move into my new studio/ workshop in-between other work and making stuff. Ive been reflecting on how im not really satisfied with some of my old work and I want future projects to be actually useful tools not just experiments, so like with this im taking more time to test and use the tools before publishing.
FIles:
www.thingiverse.com/thing:568...
www.printables.com/model/3349...
BOM on both
WILL UPLOAD TO PRINTABLES ECT IN THE MORNING
Tapping jigs are commercially available but I was unhappy with what was out there so considering how simple in nature they were, I went to design my own.
Music:
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Instagram: borge_design
twitter- / borgey5
thingiverse- www.thingiverse.com/borgey/de...
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My name is Chris, I am a 3D printing hobbyist from australia. I dont really specialise in anything specific, but 3D printed tools and tabletop accessories are some things youll probably seen quiet often. I do all my 3d printing on a Ender 3, which I highly recommend as a budget printer. Currently I only run 1 printer but I hope to expand that in the future. Recently acquired a photon 0 to do resin printing with. I like to share all my 3D printing ideas for free although I do plan to sell stuff in the future. Most of my projects will be mostly 3D printed with a few non printed components included, these can often be found on ebay. I actually use the cheapest filament I can get for all my projects, again I hope to change this in the future.

[@Borgedesigns]

Pinning my own comment, thankyou for all the feedback, I now regret not including a section at least mentioning that what I showed in the two tapping sections was not at all proper technique, but there are plenty of comments with really good advise that are worth reading. Build guide will be up within the next few days I hope :)

[@simonbaxter8001]

There are 3 taps (with different tapered lead-in) in each thread size set, use them in order, use lubrication 1/2 turn cut, 1 turn back-off and you'll never break a tap. Been tapping holes for 40+ years and can count the number of broken taps on one hand ... and that's tapping everything from 25mm down to 1.5mm threads in everything from brass, aluminium to mild steel.

[@lpjunction]

Some suggestion here. Battery powered screw drivers has a ball clutch, there is settings near the chuck to adjust the torque before de-clutch. It is a mechanism to protect the screw from over torque. This comes in quite handy for taps as you don't want to push the tap too hard. Now for the 1/2 turn cut, 1 turn unwind. That is about the best practice of tapping. If you modify a battery powered screw driver for tapping, may be you can add some circuitry, say with an Arduino. Add a button to operate the 1/2 turn in, 1 turn out cycle. It could be a fun project too.

[@Catrik]

You only need to back off with straight flute "hand taps". I've mostly seen on cheap no-name taps and I would not recommend buying them. Spiral point (not spiral flute) taps do not need backing off so they are much faster to use as well as higher quality when bought from any kind of name brand. Generally, if there is no DIN/ISO marking on the tap, dont buy it. Notice the head shape between straight flute and spiral point taps www.pgmerlin.co.uk/news/the-different-types-of-taps If I tap holes which I did on a drill press, I usually run the tap with the drill press as well. Largers taps I run by hand but I still use the drill press to center and push down to get the tap started.

[@cadneemountai2791]

I've tapped 0-80 before and was instructed to do it by holding the part and use a drill and drill slowly by hand, of course one broke....

[@crazyjesus24]

Best comment here, while it's a nice project good tapping proceedure should be first and foremost.

[@murales]

I opened the comments looking for this one 👍

[@yeetroot1386]

You mean taps aren't supposed to be single use?? This will change my life completely! Fantastic video as always man!

[@jamesrowlands8971]

I always thought that was kind of fishy.

[@lpjunction]

I have a feeling that there is some kind of fetish of removal of broken tap.

[@Max-tj7bp]

@@lpjunction best comment yet , in Dutch I would say, ik ga stuk

[@axelateon1384]

is that sarcasm?

[@jamesrowlands8971]

@@lpjunction ok, I don't normally kink shame but that's despicable.

[@ricktaylor7346]

If you pour hot wax into the hole before tapping, your taps will last a lot longer. Tap wax not only lubricants but helps clear the fillings from the hole. Like your tapping jig.😊

[@ericlotze7724]

Amazing Open Source Hardware *AND* The video is high quality?!? Damn good stuff!

[@ericlotze7724]

1:25 and 3:25 ‘s Graphics are just *chef’s kiss* wonderful!

[@osgeld]

for starters if your breaking taps use more than one hand and back it off once it feels even slightly tight

[@workshopetech]

Exactly, you gotta break the chips!

[@johntordurkviltsevdal8214]

Came here to say the same, break the chip. I'm a noob but not once have I broken a tap

[@wayne6318]

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. Like you in the beginning, I too have broken numerous tap bits, I shudder to think on how much I've spent and I could not justify the expense of a commercial tapping guide. Your inventions are a god send, keep up the great work

[@BenRyherd]

I don't tap many holes and yet I may still need to make myself one of these. The floating vise is a cool idea as well. One thought, I think where you used the linear ball bearing I think you'd be better off with a bronze (or similar) bushing. You still get the nice tight fit, the smooth axial running and you won't get the squeaking of the balls in the bearing crying out "don't use me in rotational applications".

[@maddads6492]

Excellent work as always Chris.

[@Leadvest]

I can see by the comments that your ingenuity, and potential is sparking peoples creativity.

[@homemadetools]

Really beautiful work. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week, and people really liked it 😎

[@kjquiggle]

Nicely done. I like the way you have used threaded rod to increase rigidity.

[@hdl4259]

This jig made from steel would be perfect. Good job and good idea.

[@antonioferreiro]

Great design and amazing printing quality. Congratulations for the video!

[@antronk]

This is awesome! I cannot wait for the build video

[@nigelhungerford-symes5059]

Looks like a great outcome

[@SlinkySlonkyWaffle]

all i would change about the design is adding struts to improve rigidity, but functionally and price wise this is great! :)

[@sr20ser.]

If you need more rigidity than what that (or a hand) provides, you are using the wrong tap/drill combo. The only point of these is to start the tap straight. The part that is basically useless in any shop with any work that requires precision, is the vice. That is what needs a whole lot more rigidity for any "serious" work. That said, it is a neat compact design that would be good for low precision rapid prototyping.

[@marsgizmo]

excellent design! 👏😎

[@danon-theautisticmaker8112]

wow! brilliant system design!

[@david.barcia]

Pretty inspiring project! good job!

[@qck57594]

Chris, what a great tool. Thank you for this video.

[@jordanroos8787]

I have literally been looking for something like this for ages. Thanks heaps man

[@opossozoku8005]

Great design by the way! great work!

[@ericlotze7724]

2:20 Open Source and Modular Designing’s Advantages in a Nutshell

[@stevenebstein3391]

Having done a lot of hand tapping using a similar stand, I am very impressed by your design but also have some suggestions. A longer and more substantial arm to turn the tap would help if you have to tap a lot of holes. I am generally tapping through holes in aluminum and with smaller spiral point taps (up to 8-32 Imperial), you can run the tap straight through a part. The spiral point pushes the chips through the hole so you don't have to reverse to break them as with standard hand taps. Having a longer arm with handles like the Grizzly tapping stand makes it easy to do so.

[@TommyBlanton]

Brilliant! Well thought out and researched. Just got my first 3D printer and this shows me the potential for creating amazing job aides.

[@nkusters]

Very cool to make stuff like this, love it!

[@somhunt5446]

Bloody hell, the thingamajig I didn’t know I needed. Ta Chris.

[@smartereveryday]

Neat rig!

[@notoioudmanboy]

Saw this the other day, Love it.

[@charlesmckinley29]

Nice design being able to swap jaws with your other vise.

[@pv8685]

awesome construction!! just a little tip: use some grease on your taps. it makes life so much easier and they last much longer.

[@rexmundi8154]

I tap hundreds of very small holes, like 1 mm and I use a tap stand much like this. Mine has a small knurled knob that I turn the tap with using just 2 fingers. My advice is to use plenty of material appropriate lubrication and replace taps more often than you think you should. You get a feel after awhile if a tap isn’t cutting like it should. If I have any doubt, I replace it. Also buy name brand taps, not junk no name stuff from Amazon.

[@henritheron3050]

Hi Chris, awesome build! Perhaps another interesting build would be a engraving pantograph/ gravograph

[@ericlotze7724]

9:25 Neat bit with this i guess too is you could use that same clamped part in other steps/jigs, so this would be great for Assembly Line / “Work Cell” type layouts!

[@ifoxino]

very clever, you are so skilled

[@Jikdor]

Awesome, going to print this.

[@sticky_ricebowl]

this is the first time I watched your video. I dont usually subscribe on the first video I watch from a channel but I like the way you make videos, the quality is there, and I like the innovation you're putting out.

[@ryansmith1312]

"I struggle to understand my own drawings sometimes" really hits home, especially after a few months or years of not looking at a given project!😝

[@donutfpv]

First video of yours I've seen. Earned a sub for sure. I was about to comment that you could take the whole vise assembly off to tap bigger parts but you thought of everything!

[@GtsAntoni1]

I love the design language and utility of this, it's excellent. I'd like to propose an attachment that allows you to fit threaded inserts!

[@timhofstetter5654]

Just use a cheap secondhand benchtop drill press with the power cord cut off. You can get them for about US$20 now, sometimes cheaper, and they're crazy sturdy. NOTHING taps as well as an unpowered drill press taps. You set a dead center in the chuck and drop its point into the rear center notch in your tap wrench and you're good to go. After maybe two full turns you just lift the chuck and your tap wrench can be turned freely with no need for any further guiding. PLUS... if you disregarded my suggestion of cutting off the power cord and instead just disabled the power to the drill press... now you also have a perfectly good benchtop drill press that you can use for other stuff. Drilling and handloading and drum sanding and all manner of stuff. 8)

[@JamesuPrime]

2:07 hits hard (as design engineer that often need to be present at the plant and need to come up with quick solutions), I do too straggle with my drawings sometimes :D

[@DailyFrankPeter]

Nice! I find a tapping chuck + ratchet wrench easier to keep zero with than a standard tap holder. I was thinking of building something like you built, but with different hand tools it's good enough for me.

[@NicksStuff]

Brilliant, thanks!

[@jaydenthatcher5243]

Would love to see your design process. Great video.

[@dreieck223]

Kein Spanbrechen, kein passendes Schneidöl oder vergleichbares Medium, da kann der Gewindebohrer nur abbrechen ^^. Vorallem bei schmierenden Materialien oder solche die dazu neigen Aufbauschneiden zu bilden, immer Schneidöl oder bei Alu auch Spiritus benutzen, dann klappts auch. 35 Jahre Gewindeschneiden und 3 Bohrer abgebrochen, das war aber M1,4 ... die brechen auch ab wenn man nur schief kuckt

[@robertpowellj]

Great job!

[@moulinherve8374]

Hello Nice work and thank you for this free sharing of your work, I really appreciate it.

[@rampage5275]

Awesome design! If you weren't aware, tapping fluid/cutting oil will help greatly.

[@CNC-Guru]

Looking at your sketches just shows how in our minds designs look so much better than on the paper xD

[@jamalhassan3810]

Versatile tool.. Thumbs up to you

[@AM-jw1lo]

The clamping of the vice to the post is really nice.. and the box organiztion too. But i think a guide for the most used taps, would probably be easier (i will continue to do by eye, a dual axis camera would probably be worth a thought). Still this is very nice. thumbs up.

[@littlehills739]

nice build

[@FrankTuk]

Cool jig! A good square reference is always a bonus for tapping! Never forget lubricant though. aside from the obvious benefits it also helps the tap form the threads better. for instance: when cutting m3 threads in aluminium, you need to use lubricant otherwise the sticky aluminium will break the edges of the thread. thus resulting in a weird m3.5 loose fitting single use thread.

[@cncrouterinfo]

I have been using the helical machine taps in my electric drill eith clutch for a while and ever since i have not had any issues with breaking taps anymore. Use it in steel and alu with no lubrication. They were just cheap ones from ali.

[@tannerwalker2735]

I think you may not be turning the tap enough in reverse to fully break the chip. Try 1 full turn in reverse. Also lubricant helps alot!

[@AndrewAHayes]

Thats a very nice design and I would like to make one of these but I would like to combine the storage also so everything is contained within one unit.

[@aldomansueto2739]

Nice jig.

[@XMewtu1]

You tab half a turn clockwise and a quarter turn anticlockwise. Do it, so the scraped of metal breaks and you tap won't break as easily ;)

[@ericlotze7724]

Could you make some sort of adaptation of this for a Thermal Threaded Insert Jig? Essentially swap the collet section for a soldering iron (TS80 or Pinecil Maybe?) (Or just whatever you have/can easily get (price+availability too!, can always make adapters), that CNC Kitchen Soldering Iron Press Tip, and it basically would be good to go!

[@ericlotze7724]

Although as you pointed out in 2:36 , you may come up with some “polishing fixes” and ideas as you go along the development process.

[@rodurocher5941]

I don't work with taps often enough to justify making this but it looks fantastic!

[@mmouseav8r402]

Get a set of parallels and cutting oil. Nicely done, I'd like to build this. I'm curious about your CNC machine

[@paulmeynell8866]

Great video thankyou

[@jacoblarsen8558]

Tapping fluid my friend. it will make tapping your parts go so much smoother, and make your taps last significantly longer

[@BloopTube]

Ah so its like a float lock vise for a drill press. damn thats clever

[@AlbertodelVal]

Like a genius 👍

[@turboprint3d]

I just use my drill press , lathe or milling machine , just toss a center in the chuck and follow the tap down .

[@jBurn_]

I highly recommend the Video "Tapping Essentials" from Haas Automation. There's so much to know just about the geometry of different taps.

[@watchere]

very cool, just wondering how the rigidity of the boom arm is, would it be easier to make some parts out of metal?

[@TheDiverJim]

You should look into tap blocks.

[@opossozoku8005]

I have been lucky not to break one, but I use plenty of oil to help lube the threads of the tap, Hell even grease helps and catch filings as well. but things very on size and material as well

[@torchmd]

This is a cool idea. Do you have any problems with rigidity of the 3D printers parts?

[@darkshadowsx5949]

check out flex arms. i've used them at work and they work the same as this with wider range of motion. you can attach a pneumatic tap gun to it as well. i haven't broken any taps by hand. if there's a lot of force i back off clear the chips and proceed. also you must try tap magic. and get respectable name brand taps. it makes a huge difference. i like YG1 taps. (i think they're Canadian) i struggled with boring out holes instead of threading and making my own screws until i changed my tools. the cheap Chinese taps i first bought on amazon were absolutely horrible. the cheap dies were the worst and made me wonder what i was doing wrong. which was buying cheap tools.

[@petrathespacerock4764]

This is really cool, if possible, what are the other things in this 300 series?

[@Borgedesigns]

Well this is number the first tool so I havent released anything else officially, but the die filer will likely be tool two when it comes out.

[@Dunkeyhote]

Could you modify possibly so you could change out for a soldering iron for heat inserting

[@briancreekmore9312]

COOL TOOL.... I love tapping like I love snow.. Its more fun to watch than to be in it. I think this tool is a great idea especially the vise setup. Couldn't the Z, and X be made from 2020 extrusion? That way you can use any logical length for height and arm? Not trying to re-invent the tool Just thinking,

[@lorupa]

When are you planning to release the new die filer? :) I'd love to build one

[@Borgedesigns]

Its coming along, has been a much bigger process than anticipated but it is working well, but as a rule im trying to properly test projects before releasing them so stuff is taking longer, but within the next month or two hopefully.

[@lorupa]

@@Borgedesigns thanks for the reply, I'll be waiting for any videos about it 😊 keep up the good work

[@RCaddictedone]

Hi Chris, cool project. Will you be adding a BOM to the thingiverse and printables sites?

[@Borgedesigns]

Hi, its up now, build guide will be out sometime in the next week :)

[@machineworld1873]

I am a big fan

[@greggminkoff6733]

FYI: FEWER taps not less taps

[@julapojken]

What do you do if you want to tap something That's taller and does not fit in underneath this setup. Do you have an extension for the pillar? Otherwise, thanks for a good video!

[@Classicmodeler]

Chris are you going to post the revised die filer video any time real soon?

[@X197ToPlay]

Some little advice from some Germany CNC (God) :D In Tapping the price of the tap makes the difference in quality, some 100€ Tap will make 5000Treaths whitout breaking, some 20€ Tap will rip appart after 800Treaths. And Taping oil has his name not for joke^^ Its strange, and i still cant explain it, but there are some big differences in the base Material of Machine Taps, that somtimes make them unbreakable. I even had some M3 Taps that Treathet whitout a hole in some thin aluminium parts, of cors the parts ware scrap but the Tap wasent :D

[@poodlescone9700]

Did you use tap fluid and constantly backing out the tap a few turns to clear out the cuttings to prevent breaking taps?

[@johncounts2182]

oil thy tap, and go forward a bit, then back off a bit, then go forward a little more, and in such a manner continue. the jig is still a good idea, but these methods will help lengthen the life of your taps

[@mikesgarage394]

Great project. Is it all PLA except the TPU jaws?

[@v1Broadcaster]

PLA, ABS of PETG will all work just fine. your choice.

[@Borgedesigns]

As Jacob said any will work but I use PLA

[@raymondreyes4244]

Lubrication is key, back forth, back forth, blow debris... easy.

[@247chiranjeevi]

How about adding an Arduino and a stepper to do the rotation and back off rotation. And if you can also set the torque, that can help prevent breaking of delicate taps like say m2.

[@alexmenendez3277]

Great design!! Ide like to build one, do you have a BOM?

[@Borgedesigns]

Up now :)

[@alexmenendez3277]

@@Borgedesigns Crushing it!!!!! Thank you!

[@SvenNot7]

Gday, what program are you using to design all of your stuff?

[@RALFx91]

You could just lube the tap, then it wouldn't break anymore. Or drill the hole slightly larger if it's a deep one. Like a tenth of a millimeter larger

[@taavikoppel1769]

Whats the point of the spring?

[@L0Sinc]

uhh do they not have tap oil in the UK?

[@SoaringSimulator]

Use the tap n°1 , rotate slowlly 90° and return back. again 90°, returne back and do this 3 times before you go for the next 90°. Then tap n°2 and finally tap n° 3.

[@mikelastname]

AWESOME! I'm going to see if my crappy ALDI printer can handle this :)

[@3DPrintedEngineer]

gotta love the minecraft music

[@SRG-Learn-Makers]

Dude, this is awesome. Thanks for sharing. Can I pitch you a really quick project? "Sure?" Thanks sir! I really would like to see it done and I'm a master procrastinator. I want a headphones holder with a retractable cable. Since the jack connector can rotate freely it's a perfect candidate for this kind of mechanism. The spring could be savaged from a cheap dog leash or a fancy keyring. I know this is such a simple model and maybe I could find 3d examples to remix into my dreamed device but you, sir, look smarter than me and I really appreciate your taste in design, please let me know if you'll be interested in a more detailed explanation.

[@SianaGearz]

I don't understand how what you're proposing is supposed to work. I would like retractable cable mechanism for my headphones as well but i thought about it for the lot of maybe a few minutes and came up empty.

[@SRG-Learn-Makers]

@@SianaGearz it would need a ratched mechanism with a "flat spring", basicly what a extensible dog leash has (you can look also for retractable keychains, it's a thin strip of metal used in clockwork). Then in the middle of that mechanism would be a female jack connector. So... Your headphones would be connected to the female jack, then rolled/threaded as the dog leash. Note 1: from the female jack connector you need another cable to go to the audio device. Note 2: It would be nice to have a 1/4" female jack connector and use an adapter to your headphones so the adapter would be the one that wears out.

[@jamesrowlands8971]

How simple would it be to modify this to use an ER20 collet? I'm planning to run most tools around my workshop off of them.

[@Borgedesigns]

Im sure it could be done but would require some thought, there are two bolts that constrain the size of the bearing that can be used but it could be done for sure.

[@jamesrowlands8971]

@@Borgedesigns ok cool. I'll have a look at the CAD when I make this. Won't be for a while.

[@marcenglish5167]

You need to use oil on the tap, it won't break