Getting a busted tap out

[rashid11]

Not quite sure if I should patent it , but:

- if a tap breaks and the butt is close to the surface, put a diamond
cut-off disk into yer Dremel and cut a grove, in the said tap's butt,
for a flat-head screwdriver.

Worked for me !

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

What if it breaks off flush with the material?

 

[Michael J. Spangler]

if its stainless or titanium just throw it in ferric and t'll eat away at the tap........
atleast thats what i've heard

 

[JTknives]

then you heat it up with a torch then let it cool. get a bur for your dremall tool and grind it out of the hole.

 

[Pinoy Knife]

you never said what size the tap was??
as already mentioned if titanium use ferric cloride to eat the tap away it usually only takes a couple of hours .if it is a #1 or a #2 you can use a very small solid carbide drill bit to drill it out Carefully !! tap's breaking really suck but it is a pretty normal part of knifemaking . id be interested to see a better way to remove a broken tap,but so far the above methods are all that are proven to work .

 

[warrior24]

How about a pair of vise grip pliers

 

[butcher_block]

Not quite sure if I should patent it , but:

- if a tap breaks and the butt is close to the surface, put a diamond
cut-off disk into yer Dremel and cut a grove, in the said tap's butt,
for a flat-head screwdriver.

Worked for me !

piss on you you just had to bring up broken taps
not a one in like half a year and busted 2 today

sorry just had to vent a little 2-56 taps a snapping working on a folder o well
i think from now on all folder work will have to be 4-40 or larger i dont care if its a gents knife and the blade aint but 1.5 inch long 4-40 all the way in Ti i etch the tap out anything other and i just start again

 

[JCaswell]

It seems to me that Rashid's idea has merrit --especially for larger taps and other specialty situations that may arise.

The Ferric or acid trick works, but sometimes you don't want to wait and sometimes you don't use titanium.

You could pony up for a tap disintegrator if you can find a nice used one at auction and have the space for it.

(If you hate breaking small taps, get a tapmatic or an accu-tapper and go with roll taps. They're much stronger and particularly well suited for titanium.)