Discussion:
[time-nuts] Machining some aluminum help!
c***@juno.com
2017-07-28 19:46:30 UTC
Permalink
Well I did some research and found my new best friend!

If you remember I needed: "I have a square aluminum tube 5" X 5" with a
.25" wall it's 8 1/2" long.

I need 20 holes in each end tapped for 4/40 and 1/2" deep."

This for a Rubidium standard I am working on.

I found all about self forming taps!

I drilled the 20 1/2" deep holes and then made a handwheel to attach to
the pulley on my drill press. After mounting the tap in the drill press
and putting a dab of Crisco on the tap I was able to tap each hole to a
depth of 7/16" as fast as I could turn the handwheel!

I then got another 8-32 self forming tap to do the holes for 15 feedthru
capacitors, again as fast as I could turn the handwheel.

I'm very happy to discover these taps!!!!

Cheers,

Corby
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djl
2017-07-28 20:27:58 UTC
Permalink
Good even for mild steel too. Best is your good advice to use the drill
press to keep the tap aligned. softer aluminum alloys are very "sticky"
and demand backing off a turn for almost every turn forward for cutting
taps to break the chip. I've found that the 6/32 tap is the most easily
broken. sigh.
Pay attention, the tap drill is not the same for the forming tap as it
is for the cutting tap.
Don
Post by c***@juno.com
Well I did some research and found my new best friend!
If you remember I needed: "I have a square aluminum tube 5" X 5" with a
.25" wall it's 8 1/2" long.
I need 20 holes in each end tapped for 4/40 and 1/2" deep."
This for a Rubidium standard I am working on.
I found all about self forming taps!
I drilled the 20 1/2" deep holes and then made a handwheel to attach to
the pulley on my drill press. After mounting the tap in the drill press
and putting a dab of Crisco on the tap I was able to tap each hole to a
depth of 7/16" as fast as I could turn the handwheel!
I then got another 8-32 self forming tap to do the holes for 15 feedthru
capacitors, again as fast as I could turn the handwheel.
I'm very happy to discover these taps!!!!
Cheers,
Corby
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--
Dr. Don Latham
PO Box 404, Frenchtown, MT, 59834
VOX: 406-626-4304

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Gary E. Miller
2017-07-28 21:11:09 UTC
Permalink
Yo ***@juno.com!

On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 12:46:30 -0700
Post by c***@juno.com
After mounting the tap in the drill
press and putting a dab of Crisco on the tap I was able to tap each
hole to a depth of 7/16" as fast as I could turn the handwheel!
Cool!

I suggest you get some real cutting fluid. The threads will be smoother.

RGDS
GARY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary E. Miller Rellim 109 NW Wilmington Ave., Suite E, Bend, OR 97703
***@rellim.com Tel:+1 541 382 8588

Veritas liberabit vos. -- Quid est veritas?
"If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it." - Lord Kelvin
Scott McGrath
2017-07-30 00:57:56 UTC
Permalink
Kerosine is a better tap lube for Aluminum as it is more persistent and less flammable

Content by Scott
Typos by Siri
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2017 14:11:09 -0700
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Machining some aluminum help!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 12:46:30 -0700
Post by c***@juno.com
After mounting the tap in the drill
press and putting a dab of Crisco on the tap I was able to tap each
hole to a depth of 7/16" as fast as I could turn the handwheel!
Cool!
I suggest you get some real cutting fluid. The threads will be smoother.
I second that. What I use is a lubricant wax made by Lenox, the saw
maker. It's intended for metal-cutting band saws, but works just
splendid for form taps. There are many equivalents.
By the way, when drilling aluminum, use denatured alcohol as the
cutting fluid. This will prevent aluminum gumming up the cutting edge
of the drill.
And, as others have mentioned, one does not use the same size drill for
forming taps as for cutting taps. The diameter accuracy required can
only be achieved by using the correct number (versus fractional) drill
bit size. Do not use Chinese drill bits - steel not good enough. US,
Japan, Germany et al are OK.
Joe Gwinn
RGDS
GARY
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Clay Autery
2017-07-30 01:45:39 UTC
Permalink
Kerosene as the cutting fluid and use Acetone to clean up the kerosene
afterwards.

______________________
Clay Autery, KY5G
MONTAC Enterprises
(318) 518-1389
Post by Scott McGrath
Kerosine is a better tap lube for Aluminum as it is more persistent and less flammable
Content by Scott
Typos by Siri
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Joseph Gwinn
2017-08-07 14:36:29 UTC
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Post by Gary E. Miller
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2017 20:57:56 -0400
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Machining some aluminum help!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Kerosine is a better tap lube for Aluminum as it is more persistent
and less flammable
NO. Kerosene is *not* a good lubricant for _forming_ taps.

Kerosene (WD-40) and alcohol are good lubricants for _cutting_.

For _forming_, one needs something very viscous, something that
lubricates at very high pressures, at the yield strength of the
material being formed.

Joe Gwinn
Post by Gary E. Miller
Content by Scott
Typos by Siri
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2017 14:11:09 -0700
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Machining some aluminum help!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 12:46:30 -0700
Post by c***@juno.com
After mounting the tap in the drill
press and putting a dab of Crisco on the tap I was able to tap each
hole to a depth of 7/16" as fast as I could turn the handwheel!
Cool!
I suggest you get some real cutting fluid. The threads will be smoother.
I second that. What I use is a lubricant wax made by Lenox, the saw
maker. It's intended for metal-cutting band saws, but works just
splendid for form taps. There are many equivalents.
By the way, when drilling aluminum, use denatured alcohol as the
cutting fluid. This will prevent aluminum gumming up the cutting edge
of the drill.
And, as others have mentioned, one does not use the same size drill for
forming taps as for cutting taps. The diameter accuracy required can
only be achieved by using the correct number (versus fractional) drill
bit size. Do not use Chinese drill bits - steel not good enough. US,
Japan, Germany et al are OK.
Joe Gwinn
RGDS
GARY
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Post by Gary E. Miller
End of time-nuts Digest, Vol 156, Issue 38
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Scott McGrath
2017-08-07 14:57:10 UTC
Permalink
I dont want to start a flame war here but I tend to take the recommendations in Machinery's Handbook as the basis for process decisions.

for the last 75 years Machinerys Handbook recommend Kerosene as a tapping fluid for Aluminum even for forming taps

Btw if anyone here has a machinists tool box that odd rectangular drawer is for your copy of Machinery's Handbook

http://new.industrialpress.com/machinery-s-handbook-30th-edition-toolbox.html

WD40 should not be used in any machining operation

it was initially created for the USAF to remove water (WATER DISPLACER formula 40) from missile parts which had gotten wet and to leave behind a dry lubricant to prevent corrosion and force out water via capillary action

Thats why it works on seized fasteners the capillary action gets the lube into the corrosion cells allowing fasteners to move





Content by Scott
Typos by Siri
Post by Joseph Gwinn
Post by Gary E. Miller
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2017 20:57:56 -0400
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Machining some aluminum help!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Kerosine is a better tap lube for Aluminum as it is more persistent
and less flammable
NO. Kerosene is *not* a good lubricant for _forming_ taps.
Kerosene (WD-40) and alcohol are good lubricants for _cutting_.
For _forming_, one needs something very viscous, something that
lubricates at very high pressures, at the yield strength of the
material being formed.
Joe Gwinn
Post by Gary E. Miller
Content by Scott
Typos by Siri
Send time-nuts mailing list submissions to
Message: 7
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2017 14:11:09 -0700
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Machining some aluminum help!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 12:46:30 -0700
Post by c***@juno.com
After mounting the tap in the drill
press and putting a dab of Crisco on the tap I was able to tap each
hole to a depth of 7/16" as fast as I could turn the handwheel!
Cool!
I suggest you get some real cutting fluid. The threads will be smoother.
I second that. What I use is a lubricant wax made by Lenox, the saw
maker. It's intended for metal-cutting band saws, but works just
splendid for form taps. There are many equivalents.
By the way, when drilling aluminum, use denatured alcohol as the
cutting fluid. This will prevent aluminum gumming up the cutting edge
of the drill.
And, as others have mentioned, one does not use the same size drill for
forming taps as for cutting taps. The diameter accuracy required can
only be achieved by using the correct number (versus fractional) drill
bit size. Do not use Chinese drill bits - steel not good enough. US,
Japan, Germany et al are OK.
Joe Gwinn
RGDS
GARY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post by Gary E. Miller
End of time-nuts Digest, Vol 156, Issue 38
******************************************
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Charles Steinmetz
2017-08-07 15:35:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by Joseph Gwinn
For _forming_, one needs something very viscous, something that
lubricates at very high pressures, at the yield strength of the
material being formed.
I've had excellent results with STP oil treatment, by itself or with
added Tungsten disulfide. I frequently tap under power at 20-150 rpm,
using Tapmatic self-reversing tapping heads.

Best regards,

Charles


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jimlux
2017-08-07 16:24:21 UTC
Permalink
Post by Joseph Gwinn
Post by Gary E. Miller
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2017 20:57:56 -0400
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Machining some aluminum help!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Kerosine is a better tap lube for Aluminum as it is more persistent
and less flammable
NO. Kerosene is *not* a good lubricant for _forming_ taps.
Kerosene (WD-40) and alcohol are good lubricants for _cutting_.
For _forming_, one needs something very viscous, something that
lubricates at very high pressures, at the yield strength of the
material being formed.
Like Molybdenum Disulfide or STP?


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