Two additions to my shop tooling.

[ml_woy]

(08-21-2013, 09:14 AM)Highpower Wrote:

(08-20-2013, 10:19 AM)ml_woy Wrote: ....Drilled a #7 pilot hole right through the piece and I am using a good quality cutting oil and a good USA tap. The tap just feels really tight and I can only get one half a turn before I break the chip. When the tap broke I probably had tried to get three quarters of a turn on the tap and built up to large of a chip.

How many flutes are in this tap? More than 2?

I don't especially like the smell of WD-40 myself, but like Tom I use it by the gallon when it comes to machining aluminum / aluminium because it is cheap. I can pour it on without worrying about breaking the bank. I have heard that straight kerosene works just as well though. Anyone tried that?

The tap had four flutes, like all of my taps. I believe the one that broke was a plug tap. I have a bunch of 1/4 x 20 taps, this one that broke was a new tap besides that I had purchased from Enco in a set of three.