Piloted Tap Wrench

[Ang_Panday]

Anyone uses this for tapping What are your comments about it :thumbup: :thumbdn:

Is it a better buy than units similar to this

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

I use both.

I like using the piloted holder, tapping from the spindle right after drilling the hole, before unclamping the part. It assures the best alignment with the hole.

With the piloted holder it is still possible to bend the tap or thread at an angle because the pilot is not zero play. So you need to be sure the spindle is in alignment with the hole, and you keep your force symmetric around the axis of the tap.

The big Phase Two tapping fixture is very handy indeed. It is fast and is great if you have a bunch of holes to thread. It also has a stiff spindle with zero play, reducing the possibility of threading a hole at an angle. Its one draw back, IMO, is it probably abuses the tap a little more than the other arrangement, perhaps making it less ideal for tiny taps. It is still way better than nothing, but the piloted holder is better when you use it right. Certainly cheaper.

 

[Chris Meyer]

Armand,

I use a piloted tap like the one in your picture. It works pretty well, although I was still able to break a tap (my fault). The only real problem is that it's time consuming. You drill your hole, switch to the tap, then switch back to a drill for your next hole.

As far as the other tool in your post, I don't see how you would be able to tap a hole in the end a slide, as depicted in your middle photo. I'll bet it's great for folders though.

You would probably be happiest with both tools so that you can have the proper tool for the job at hand.

 

[synthesist]

http://www.phase2plus.com/details.asp?pr=HAND_TAPPER&cat=Shop_Supplies&id=159

Good thing to have around

Syn