Hi All;
Saw these at Home Depot. Had some 10-32 holes to tap in an aluminum heat sink. The set contains 8-32/10-24/10-24/10-32 and 1/4-20. I bought them to try. They are made for use with an impact driver; not sure why anyone would use an impact driver to tap holes. I don’t have one. I drilled an undersized pilot hole using my drill press and then followed up with a cordless reversible drill.
It was the least painful hole tapping I have ever done. Used WD-40 as a cutting fluid and these bits will tap a hole in 5/16 aluminum in one go. Tried it with the 8-32 bit and it worked like a charm. The only reversing was to get the tap out when I was done. Pretty cool tool. These worked pretty well. Too bad there’s no 6-32 or 4-40 taps.
Saw these at Home Depot. Had some 10-32 holes to tap in an aluminum heat sink. The set contains 8-32/10-24/10-24/10-32 and 1/4-20. I bought them to try. They are made for use with an impact driver; not sure why anyone would use an impact driver to tap holes. I don’t have one. I drilled an undersized pilot hole using my drill press and then followed up with a cordless reversible drill.
It was the least painful hole tapping I have ever done. Used WD-40 as a cutting fluid and these bits will tap a hole in 5/16 aluminum in one go. Tried it with the 8-32 bit and it worked like a charm. The only reversing was to get the tap out when I was done. Pretty cool tool. These worked pretty well. Too bad there’s no 6-32 or 4-40 taps.
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I'd confirm that first with them. If you want, I could buy the ones you wasn't and send them on to you myself.
Dewalt 3-in-1 design: drill, tap and countersink
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-MAX-Impact-SAE-Drill-Tap-Set-5-Piece-DWADTMISETS/300703696
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-MAX-Impact-SAE-Drill-Tap-Set-5-Piece-DWADTMISETS/300703696
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-T...Drill-Tap-Tool-Kit-4-Piece-32383SEN/304401087
"6/32 in., 8/32 in., 10/32 in. and 1/4-20 in. tap sizes" (but means 6-32, 8-32, 10-32...)
Thanks Wntermute2; I have what I need for now;
RJM; thanks; those are the ones I had posted.
PRR; thanks; homedepot.ca says that they have those at my store but I did not see them. That gets me to 6-32 which is mostly what I would use.
It's clear that these are more common than I had thought. Thanks for the inputs.
Even knowing "3 in stock Aisle xx, Bay xxx", it's a small item in a large bay.
HD ship to home is often a good bet, but I see you can't get this item that way. Here H-D practically shoves it at me (to the detriment of local employment):
"How to Get It -- Today -- FREE
Ship to Home ---
Get it by Thu, Dec 24 - Free with $45 order
Scheduled Delivery - As soon as Tomorrow - $79.00" (!!)
Don't try and power tap with a 6-32 tap unless it's thin sheet metal. That tap is the worst design ever, should have never been made a standard. The thread pitch is very course compared to the root diameter making the tap VERY weak. Best to use a guide block and a T-Handle wrench so you can "feel" when it starts to bind. A guide block can be a thick chunk of aluminum with a hole drilled in it that the tap just slips through. Holds the tap nice and square to the surface.
Been machining for over 45 years so I have a little bit of experience. But ask any machinist what is the most commonly broken tap and he will tell you 6-32 of course.
I also never buy taps from the big box stores, I buy from industrial supply houses. Sossner is a very good brand.
BillWojo
Been machining for over 45 years so I have a little bit of experience. But ask any machinist what is the most commonly broken tap and he will tell you 6-32 of course.
I also never buy taps from the big box stores, I buy from industrial supply houses. Sossner is a very good brand.
BillWojo
I agree with BillWojo's comments and suggestions on tapping.
And of course, any tapping requires some lubrication/cutting oil.
Never do it "dry".
And of course, any tapping requires some lubrication/cutting oil.
Never do it "dry".
Search for spiral taps. Amazon and eBay are also sources. Recently I discovered why premium US drills cost much more- they really do work way better than the usual stuff, not to mention the more accurate diameters. I chased down premium drills in the right sizes for tapped holes. I found Cleveland Twist Drills on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Cleveland+Twist+Drill&ref=bl_dp_s_web_3445019011 to work remarkably well.
Yep, don't buy your drill bits at the big box stores, mostly Chinese junk. My favorites are made by Precision Twist Drill Co. I use the screw machine length (shorter length), Cobalt 135 degree split point. Not really that much more expensive than any decent HHS drill bit but last a lot longer and with the split point only a fraction of the pressure to drill a hole.
Years ago I had a job that required me to drill 2200 holes in 304 stainless steel. I used a CNC with coolant and the drill size was 1/4". The material thickness was also 1/4" Well, just to be safe I ordered a pack of 10 drills, the Precision Twist Drill Co brand, same style as stated above.
So by the time I got half way through the job, I pulled out the first drill bit I installed and checked it out amazed that it lasted this long. I replaced it with a new one but put the old one in my drill cabinet, it was still sharp!
So yea, buy good drill bits, they last a long time as long as you don't over speed them and burn them up. And use coolant.
Those gold coated bits they sell at the big box stores look like the real deal but they are junk.
BillWojo
Years ago I had a job that required me to drill 2200 holes in 304 stainless steel. I used a CNC with coolant and the drill size was 1/4". The material thickness was also 1/4" Well, just to be safe I ordered a pack of 10 drills, the Precision Twist Drill Co brand, same style as stated above.
So by the time I got half way through the job, I pulled out the first drill bit I installed and checked it out amazed that it lasted this long. I replaced it with a new one but put the old one in my drill cabinet, it was still sharp!
So yea, buy good drill bits, they last a long time as long as you don't over speed them and burn them up. And use coolant.
Those gold coated bits they sell at the big box stores look like the real deal but they are junk.
BillWojo
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Kill me because I bought a titanium drill bit boxed set from harbor freight back in 2014.
I've used it quite a bit over the years and it still cuts just fine,
I've used it quite a bit over the years and it still cuts just fine,
Precision, Bendix/Besley, Hanson-Ace, Union, General, and most other reputable brands are usually not available at retail home centers. Probably because they aren't consumer grade, and aren't made of fine China.
Almost all of those had DRAP (drilll-tap) tooling 20 years ago or longer. I used them extensively in panel building back around the turn of the century.
Almost all of those had DRAP (drilll-tap) tooling 20 years ago or longer. I used them extensively in panel building back around the turn of the century.
I've been known to power-tap 6-32... but I agree that it's a problematic thread.
For a project recently I power-tapped 150 6-32 holes in 3/16" aluminum plate. It didn't have to be very precise (just for connecting a ground lug), so I used a hand drill with the clutch set rather conservatively, with WD-40 for lubricant (about the only thing WD40 is good for). Surprisingly I didn't break a single tap.
That said, it was also a very high-quality tap and I'm a lot more careful than most.
I've never been a huge fan of those combined drill/tap things, but that's just me.