Removing a broken tap!

panos29 · 15th April 2003, 02:49 PM

My aleph-X heatsink now contains a M4 broken tap

I read somewhere that there is a posibility to remove this by bathing the heatsink into an "alum" solution. What kind of acid is this and what is its formal name so I can search for it in the local market? Is it sulfuric acid maybe or something else? Anybody ever tried a similar solution to such a problem?

Peter Daniel · 15th April 2003, 03:09 PM

Can't you just leave it in and drill another hole? Sometimes all the effort that don't guarantee success is simply a waste of time. I broke #4 tap recently and spend and hour trying to remove it in vain.

M4 is not that small so you could try to drill it through and use easy out to take it out, but I don't think it's even possible.

How about using liquid nitrogen?

UrSv · 15th April 2003, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by panos29
My aleph-X heatsink now contains a M4 broken tap
I read somewhere that there is a posibility to remove this by bathing the heatsink into an "alum" solution. What kind of acid is this and what is its formal name so I can search for it in the local market? Is it sulfuric acid maybe or something else? Anybody ever tried a similar solution to such a problem?

It happens even to Peter it seems. Last time (implying that it happened more than once...) I drilled a small hole from the outside of the sink, went and got my most reliable sinker punch and my biggest hammer and beat the pore little tap through the hole with threads and everything. Worked perfectly for me and I filled the hole with a black bolt from the outside and nobody will ever know what I did.

Try at you own risk.

Peter Daniel · 15th April 2003, 03:28 PM

That is one way to fix it and I also did this before. However, last time it didn't work for me, so after an hour I resigned.

Panelhead · 15th April 2003, 03:30 PM

After twisting off several taps, I now make a a habit to liberally douse with oil and pull out the tap to clean the shavings.
One of my big fears was tapping to hold a circuit board and the transistors and breaking off on one of last holes. But since improving my technique it has been trouble free.
But the #4 taps are very easy to break.

George

Peter Daniel · 15th April 2003, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Panelhead

But the #4 taps are very easy to break.

Especially when you do 250 holes and try to work fast

I used cordless drill gun with clutch and it took me only 2 hours or so.

Nisbeth · 15th April 2003, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Peter Daniel

Especially when you do 250 holes and try to work fast

I used cordless drill gun with clutch and it took me only 2 hours or so.

That sounds like asking for trouble to me

/U.

till · 15th April 2003, 04:15 PM

hmm. i would go to a machine lab in university and ask to make it away with the vertical eroding machine.

PassFan · 15th April 2003, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nisbeth

That sounds like asking for trouble to me

/U.

Not really, once you get the clutch set properly it's just about impossible to snap a tap.

mlloyd1 · 15th April 2003, 04:47 PM

I asked this question and got some great responses as well as some great sympathy

There are some helpful ideas in this thread

mlloyd1

Quote:

Originally posted by panos29
My aleph-X heatsink now contains a M4 broken tap ....

15th April 2003, 02:49 PM	#1
panos29 diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: ATHENS, GREECE	Removing a broken tap! My aleph-X heatsink now contains a M4 broken tap I read somewhere that there is a posibility to remove this by bathing the heatsink into an "alum" solution. What kind of acid is this and what is its formal name so I can search for it in the local market? Is it sulfuric acid maybe or something else? Anybody ever tried a similar solution to such a problem?

15th April 2003, 03:09 PM	#2
Peter Daniel diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Toronto, Canada	Can't you just leave it in and drill another hole? Sometimes all the effort that don't guarantee success is simply a waste of time. I broke #4 tap recently and spend and hour trying to remove it in vain. M4 is not that small so you could try to drill it through and use easy out to take it out, but I don't think it's even possible. How about using liquid nitrogen? __________________ www.audiosector.com “Do something really well. See how much time it takes. It might be a product, a work of art, who knows? Then give it away cheaply, just because you feel that it should not cost so much, even if it took a lot of time and expensive materials to make it.” - JC

15th April 2003, 03:30 PM	#5
Panelhead diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Houston	Prevention is better than cure After twisting off several taps, I now make a a habit to liberally douse with oil and pull out the tap to clean the shavings. One of my big fears was tapping to hold a circuit board and the transistors and breaking off on one of last holes. But since improving my technique it has been trouble free. But the #4 taps are very easy to break. George

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15th April 2003, 03:28 PM	#4
Peter Daniel diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Toronto, Canada	That is one way to fix it and I also did this before. However, last time it didn't work for me, so after an hour I resigned. __________________ www.audiosector.com “Do something really well. See how much time it takes. It might be a product, a work of art, who knows? Then give it away cheaply, just because you feel that it should not cost so much, even if it took a lot of time and expensive materials to make it.” - JC

15th April 2003, 04:15 PM	#8
till Banned Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany, Clausthal	hmm. i would go to a machine lab in university and ask to make it away with the vertical eroding machine.

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