Broken Tap, need suggestions. $^*#$@!

Lots of good stuff here. I don't have an Oxy/acet. torch set up, or a mill. I'm thinking I'll start with the welding idea and then progress to the vise/breaking/drilling/dissolving if things don't work out.

I would try pete's suggestion but I only have FFg powder and I think the grains are too big to fit :footinmou ;)

Really appreciate all the ideas. Hopefully this thread will help someone else out the next time the f!@# up fairy decides to visit :D
 
In all honesty Matt, all the ideas with the possible exception of mine, work and I've used most over the years. The simple fact is, some broken taps will not come out no matter what. I had a rifle part that I forged and had worked on for days. A tap broke on the last hole. I was able to break it up and re-drill for a larger size. That tap broke and I messed the piece up so bad getting the tap out, I had to make a new one.

It just happens sometimes.
Good luck!
 
Using my flex-shaft high speed grinder and small dental burs; I can cut the flutes off of a HS tap in just a few minutes. These are not diamond burrs. Go through the web and it will fall out. That is not supposed to work; but does. Have done it several times over the years. won't put a mark on the threads.
Mouth butcher guy gives me the burs. mw
 
M L Williams - That would be quite a trick on a 2-56 or finer tap!
A lot of these ideas are great,but won't work on a very small tap.When I break a tap at work (regularly) it is often an 8/0 to 10/0 size.None of these suggestions would work except disolving it.Luckily it is usually in gold,so the acid does not hurt much.
 
So far...
welding..wouldn't stick, raised amperage, wouldn't stick, raised amperage, wouldn't stick, raised amperage, blob of wire on scale. damn.

Vise,protruding peices snapped nothing to grab now. Not that there was anything but a little sliver to prick your finger on before.

Punch, not moving. Maybe I'm a wimp but it didn't wanna budge. Its a 3 flute and its hard to get anything centered on it.

Drilling, cobolt #50 bit. tinktinktinktinktinktink, walking off tap onto scale better quit.

Its currently soaking in vineger.

The bright side, I finally looked over McMaster Carr's website and found a lot of things cheaper than I've been getting them. Ordered some taps, drills, and some steel I don't need :D
 
Matt, when you try to break it up don't use a punch. Try to find a rod as near hole size as possible and radius the point so it doesn't gouge the sides of the hole. Tapping won't do it. You need to knock the hell out of it. You want to break the cutting edges off so it will come out.
 
Will probably try that in the morning if I can find something better to use. The vinegar isn't doing much besides a little surface rust on the steel right now, tap is still shiney. I was using a peice of 3/32" music wire I had ground to a blunt point. Hit it a few times with a 2lb or so hammer and all it seemed to accomplish was the hand I held the wire with hurt like hell :grumpy:

I checked and I CAN cover it with the pocket clip and still get all three screws in so that is the last resort (read that as "what I am going to do as soon as my taps get here, or when I get sick of the smell of vinegar, whichever comes first" :D )
 
Patience...the vinegar will work. I have had success. It may take longer than overnight but the tap will "loosen".

Craig
 
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