? on putting folders together with screws

[Matt Shade]

So far I've been tapping the holes in every peice. Its hard to get things together tight when you start stacking them though.
So do you guys drill clearance holes on one peice and tap the matching holes on the other peice so you can draw everything together with the screws ?
Or do I just need to clamp the peices together when I put the screws in?
Thanks

------------------
I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.

 

[tom mayo]

you cant tap two sides of anything and expect the screw thread to line up right in the second piece.....it just wont happen.. You either have to have a clearance hole on one side (make it snug) or put screws in both sides into a tapped center piece (thats the way I put the tnts together). More importantly.....make sure everything is 90 degrees to the sideplates!!

 

[Tom Anderson]

The method I use is as follows:

Using the tap drill, drill through the piece to be threaded. Clamp the mating piece to the tap drilled piece and make a mark with the tap drill. Then, use the clearance drill to finish the through holes. Tap the part to be threaded, deburr, and you're ready to put them together.

There are several things you can do to avoid further difficulties:

1. Make sure your drill press is square to the table (or vise, whichever you are working off of.) Put a drill blank or piece of precision rod in the drill chuck and check it with a machinists' square.

2. Make sure your parts are flat. At the very least, the surface resting on the table or vise should be flat to ensure the hole will be perpendicular.

3. Make sure the tap is started perpendicular, as well.

4. Use only sharp drills and taps.

5. Use an appropriate size countersink to deburr the top edge of the threaded holes. This will remove any distortion ("pulling up") of the metal at the surface caused by tapping.

I hope this helps!

------------------

Tom Anderson
Hand Crafted Knives

 

[Matt Shade]

Thanks guys. Looks like I need to go ream some holes out. I'm making the rear spacer out of aluminum so I can probably just tap it and have enough hold with screws coming from each side.
I guess its a good thing I posted this before cranking everything down in a vise and running the screws in with my cordless drill

------------------
I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.