Tap and Die. What size handle do I need for a 1¼" BSP tap. (1 Viewer)

[scotjimland]

Just use an adjustable spanner,i,ve been a pipefitter for over 50yrs and on the rare occasion where a tap is reqd that's all i've used, just make sure you keep it square to the hole and use plenty of oil

likewise..

 

[Gromett]

ok. I have a plan.

I am going to buy a 1" to 1/2" adapter.

And a small drill press thingy. not really a drill press but.

The plan would be to clamp this to the sheet. Lower the head so the tap is in contact with the hole. Then use a ratchet on the top to slowly drive it in. Obviously reversing to clear swarf as per normal tapping.
This will allow me to keep it straight/parallel/90° to the material while applying a reasonable amount of pressure and turning.

I was thinking about a drill press but for some of the holes that are more central to a sheet I wouldn't be able to get it under the drill enough.

I will probably screw this to a sheet of MDF to allow me to clamp at the edges.

Just an initial thought/plan. Might not work but worth a go.

 

[Gromett]

Possibly won't even need to clamp it down.

 

[Gromett]

Well that plan failed at the first hurdle. The tap didn't fit into the adapter and the stand I ended up ordering had a round drive rather than the hex one in the image. So they got returned today.
I decided to do some measuring of my existing handles and extrapolate to what size I would need.
While then searching for M32-M42 handles (I still wasn't sure) I found these on Ebay.

BAR TYPE TAP WRENCH Small-Large ADJUSTABLE Vehicle Threading Tool Holder Handle | eBay

Top quality tools for hand tapping operations. Long Handles give greater leverage. Hardened and tempered jaw. Notice: Oil on tool to prevent it from rusting before receiving the product.

www.ebay.co.uk

So. 1½" tap handle ordered. Should easily handle my 1¼" tap

Another £54 into this project.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Parallel threads are normally used with a sealing washer (Copper, bonded or Dowty)

Boy have I fitted a lot of “Dowty” washers when working at Dowty Mining Equipment

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Silver-Fox]

The big boy arrived today and jeez it is bigger than it looks in the picture.


View attachment 890277

Bloody hell that’s a hell of a size or you’ve got kids size hands

No offence

 

[Silver-Fox]

Well that plan failed at the first hurdle. The tap didn't fit into the adapter and the stand I ended up ordering had a round drive rather than the hex one in the image. So they got returned today.
I decided to do some measuring of my existing handles and extrapolate to what size I would need.
While then searching for M32-M42 handles (I still wasn't sure) I found these on Ebay.

BAR TYPE TAP WRENCH Small-Large ADJUSTABLE Vehicle Threading Tool Holder Handle | eBay

Top quality tools for hand tapping operations. Long Handles give greater leverage. Hardened and tempered jaw. Notice: Oil on tool to prevent it from rusting before receiving the product.

www.ebay.co.uk

So. 1½" tap handle ordered. Should easily handle my 1¼" tap

Another £54 into this project.

Have you not got a spanner that fits the tap.

You could have made a tap spanner from a piece of ply

 

[Burgo]

Lost mine years ago......I found mole grips a good fit.

For small taps you can get by using a micrometer screwed up tight - on a second tap then if you've got a strong thumb you can use a vernier gauge to clamp it.

 

[Gromett]

Bloody hell that’s a hell of a size or you’ve got kids size hands

No offence

Well they (my small hands) make my willy look big

 

[Gromett]

Have you not got a spanner that fits the tap.

You could have made a tap spanner from a piece of ply

A spanner would not do the job. I need to be able to hold it square and level.

I am not half arsing this. I want to be able to do an excellent job and probably doing LOTS of these each year. Worth the investment.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Burgo]

A spanner would not do the job. I need to be able to hold it square and level.

I am not half arsing this. I want to be able to do an excellent job and probably doing LOTS of these each year. Worth the investment.

Machine up an adaptor for it to fit your pillar drill and run it in by hand or using a chain strap around the chuck? That'd also help you keep it vertically true as with a big handle the bars are longer so more leverage to get out of true.

 

[jockaneezer]

Get yourself a short piece of round bar machined up with a 42mm hole in it and use that to guide the tap squarely into the job.

 

[BillyKontiki]

A pair of mole grips/ vice grips will do the job.

 

[Gromett]

Machine up an adaptor for it to fit your pillar drill and run it in by hand or using a chain strap around the chuck? That'd also help you keep it vertically true as with a big handle the bars are longer so more leverage to get out of true.

Can't use a pillar drill as the sheets of plastic may be too big to fit under one. Needs a universal solution.

 

[Gromett]

Get yourself a short piece of round bar machined up with a 42mm hole in it and use that to guide the tap squarely into the job.

Got some small corner blocks already on order.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Gromett]

A pair of mole grips/ vice grips will do the job.

Did you see the size of the tap. Mole grips would not do the job sorry.

 

[Gromett]

I have the handle ordered and I have designed a jig which might possibly work. Will be an interesting engineering project
Can't wait for next week when the plastic sheets arrive.

 

[Gromett]

I ordered a 1 ½" tap handle and it just arrived. What a beast. But my 1¼" tap wouldn't fit properly.

It wouldn't fit in straight and is canted over. and wobbles even when tightened down.

I then measured it and

Yup, they sent me a 1¼" tap handle. One thing after another.

 

[jockaneezer]

Jeez, that's a rough looking wrench for £54, I'm not surprised it's wobbling, but I've just looked on eBay and I can see why you're struggling to get a decent one !
Is there anyone down your way that could profile you (plasma, laser, or water jet) one out of a piece of plate just to suit that one tap ?

 

[Manic]

Use 2 lengths of angle iron, 2 holes in one end , spaced to clear tap square and bolt them around tap

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Gromett]

Jeez, that's a rough looking wrench for £54, I'm not surprised it's wobbling, but I've just looked on eBay and I can see why you're struggling to get a decent one !
Is there anyone down your way that could profile you (plasma, laser, or water jet) one out of a piece of plate just to suit that one tap ?

It;s wobbling because I can't get the tap to fit how it is supposed to. If It was 2mm wider it would be perfect.

Try finding a 1½" tap wrench at anything under £150

They sent me a 1¼" ...

 

[Gromett]

Use 2 lengths of angle iron, 2 holes in one end , spaced to clear tap square and bolt them around tap
View attachment 894738

I have plenty of ways to bodge it. For this task I want a proper tool no messing.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Well they (my small hands) make my willy look big

 

[Silver-Fox]

I am not half arsing this. I want to be able to do an excellent job and probably doing LOTS of these each year. Worth the investment.

That being the case buy yourself a pillar drill and a running centre to put in it.

You can hold the the tap square with the work using the centre

 

[jockaneezer]

A pillar drill was mentioned earlier, but he doubted there would be enough "throat" to accommodate his workpiece ?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Gromett]

That being the case buy yourself a pillar drill and a running centre to put in it.

You can hold the the tap square with the work using the centre

That is the way I am heading now.

The plan has now changed. Initially I was going to be welding the insert into the plastic tank before tapping and in some cases this would prevent it fitting into a pillar drill.
The reason for this is the inserts are too thin to clamp and would probably blow if not in situ.

however, I have now designed a jig that will hold the insert in a vice. So I could use a pillar drill.

However buying a pillar drill for a couple of hundred is out of budget for a few weeks.

The smaller tap also doesn't have the hole to put a centre in.

A pillar drill was mentioned earlier, but he doubted there would be enough "throat" to accommodate his workpiece ?

Correct but the plan "may" have changed. I won't know till tomorrow when I get the inserts if my jig idea will work.

But in the meantime I am talking to the seller about getting what I paid for.

 

[Gromett]

Also seems a bit overkill spending over £100 on a drill just to hold a tap vertical lol. Oh well.

 

[Gromett]

CNC inserts have arrived and they are very good

Here is one of each separated out. Very hard to get a decent picture of something that is all black.

Once the tap is made through the centre, ½" BSP and 1¼" BSP I will drill a hole in the tank, insert the insert and weld both inside the tank and outside the tank.

These inserts a more expensive than the commercial ones but are a lot more solid by the looks of things. Going to stand up to a lot of abuse even underneath a vehicle when used for grey tanks.
Very happy. Just got to get the tapping situation under control now.

 

[jockaneezer]

What's the material Grom, ABS ?

 

[Gromett]

What's the material Grom, ABS ?

HDPE. Brilliant stuff. ABS is too brittle if you ask me?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}