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Saw a lot of questions about tapping with the Torus Pro, so I produced some footage. Let me know if you have any questions. Made tapping so much easier in a production enviorment.
Spindle Speed: 300IPM
Feed In: Calculated - 5%
Feed Out: Calculated * 2
Link to Self Reversing Tapping Head
0 1 4" Tapping Tap Head Self Reverse Drilling Milling | eBay
Link to Tap Used
Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Tools and Shop Supplies
Thanks for recording and posting so many videos! I got myself a tapping head as well, but I haven't got myself out to the garage to try it out yet. Once I do (assuming it works) I'll record a video. Do you mind if I post it in this thread as well?
Kelvin,
FYI - I made a simple mod to my mill and the tapping head. I fastened a piece of 1" x 1" aluminum up between the webs on the bottom of the head, a few inches behind the spindle. I put a 1/2" diameter vertical hole in the middle of it. I then removed the torque arm and its mounting plat from the tapping head, and made a new, longer plate, and attached a piece of 1/2" rod to it vertically. I can now insert the tapping head into the spindle, and the 1/2" rod extends up into the hole in the hole in the aluminum block, to secure the torque arm. I can now tap without having to hold onto the arm.
I'll try to remember to take a few pictures next time I go out to the shop.
Regards,
Ray L.
Go for it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Hirudin
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
I think I get the idea. A pic would be awesome thanksQuote:
Originally Posted by SCzEngrgGroup
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
Pix:
Attachment 210380
Attachment 210382
Regards,
Ray L.
Great info guys. I've been contemplating a tapping head as opposed to the cost of $$ thread mills. Thanks for posting.
Oops, double post. My intended post is below...
I finally tried out my tapping head. It's pretty great!
I recorded a lil' video of it in action and am currently uploading it...
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGhm96ntPAY
Nice! That is a lot of tapping for sure. I can see it was well worth it for you to find a nice solution. Have you tried using just coolant? We get away with it on the Torus.
I use different types of taps though. Mine actually push the material out the bottom. Of course they are all through holes. Would not work too well in a blind hole.
I had done one set of holes like this before recording this video and I let a bunch of them go with just my Fogbuster going. I'm assuming the Fogbuster didn't help at all except for pushing the some of the strings away. It honestly seemed to work fine but I didn't want to let it go for very long.
I've found lubrication - i.e. oil not coolant - is a BIT help when tapping, especially on smaller sizes.
I'm curious how deep you guys manage to go in 6061, and what thread % you're aiming for. In most cases, I use a 70% tap drill, but I think in the future I'm going to go to 60%, or perhaps even less, to make lifer easier for the tap. I find 3/4" depth works OK for 1/4", 1/2" for #6-#10. Any deeper, and I risk tap breakage.
What seems to me the biggest limitation is the VERY abrupt reversal when the head is retracted, and the fact that there is no predictable, repeatable way to set the clutch, to limit torque on the tap. I'm surprised they don't use a more "gentle" clutch to engage the reverse gears.
Regards,
Ray L.
Those holes are the only ones I've done and they were 8.5 mm deep.
I don't know what "thread %" means. :/ I did a quick search and it looks like it refers to the size of the pre-drilled hole. For these holes I just used the closest drill I had to the recommended 4.2 mm drill size (a #19 bit, which is less than a thousandth larger). That reminds me: I was intending to put that info in the YouTube video description.
One of the nice things (or maybe handicaps?) of Procunier tapping heads like this one is that I do not believe there is a clutch adjustment. This one is suppose to be able to go from #0 through 1/4".
Percent of thread is just like it sounds. Percent of possible thread profile.
I am not even sure you could use 100% threads on both the fastener and the hole. I think that might be called "Welding". ;)
It would certainly make for a lot of friction. Unnecessarily.I get away with 50 to 55% threads most of the time. I like more thread in my aluminum parts though. 75%.
Here is a chart that I like to use.
Supplies
It works great for rigid tapping and coolant and also works well for all my parts.
That is one nice thing about rigid tapping that isn't that obvious. There is not jerking. Smooth in, smooth out. Nice. :)
Lee,Quote:
Originally Posted by LeeWay
I'm interested in the 75% you use on aluminum. Are you using 75% with one of these tapping heads?
Here's why I ask. I have one of these tapping heads, and haven't used it yet. The reason why is yesterday I hand tapped about 10 or so holes for a #10x32 fastener. I used a #21 drill, which according to your chart is 75%. Like always, I had to reverse direction every 1/4 - 1/2 turn to free the material or I would have broken the tap. Looking at these videos using tapping heads, it only reverses when it is finished with the hole. How is it that with a tapping head you can get by without reversing direction during the tap, but with hand tapping you cant?
Scott...
Scott,
What kind of tap are you using? For hand or machine tapping, Spiral points are light-years better than standard plug taps. For machine tapping, at least on aluminum, I think form taps are hard to beat. Spiral flute taps are supposed to be really good for machine tapping, but my few experiences with them have not been good.
At 75% thread, I think you'd be pretty limited on tapping depth. On #10-24, I find it difficult to go more than about 1/2" without risking occassional breakage.
Regards,
Ray L.
Lee has a torus, so he can rigid tap; doesn't need a tap holder.Quote:
Originally Posted by sagreen
Machine tapping provides higher surface speed, consistent power transmission, no axial misalignment, and no off-axis forces..
I regularly drive taps damn near as deep as they can go, in a single pass, 75% in aluminum; but have far more confidence when using a form tap :)
I should record a video of peck tapping :)
Not trying to hijack this thread, but wanted to show y'all what we use in the shop. We are doing tapping as a secondary operation on this tapping arm: http://flexarminc.thomasnet.com/view...pping-machines
It taps just as fast as the torus pro does and I can change taps in 5 seconds. We have broken just one tap in 5 years of use. Each tap holder has an individual clutch ring on it.
I am sure we will look at tapping with TC heads on the torus pro eventually, but for now this is a really good option for us.
Nate
Fine Line Automation
www.finelineautomation.com
Look like an awesome and efficient way to tap.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FineLineAuto
I had considered putting a geared motor on our hand tapper.
http://cdn0.grizzly.com/pics/jpeg500/g/g8748.jpg
Mine is from Enco, but they went crazy on the price. The Grizzly is virtually the same tapper.
Grizzly.com
It works very well, but of course, will wear on you if you have a lot of holes. :)
That auto arm tapper looks very cool though. I looked at those a while back and was tempted to check the pricing on them, but never followed up. Kinda glad I didn't now with the Torus. ;)