[Farmall] Tap / Die Set

[szabelsk at gdls.com]

When tapping it also helps to blow the hole out with air before and during
tapping, it helps get rid of the crud that is trapped in the hole that can
cause the tap to bind and snap. Squirt some lubricant into the hole before
you start and let it sit for a moment. Use an air nozzle to blow into the
hole before you start. Put a large rag over the hole before you hit it with
the air. Once you start the tap, you can remove it every so often and blow
air into the hole again. Stand an arms length away when you do this. You
may even want to close your eyes and turn your head. Normally when doing a
fresh hole, you run the tap in and back it up 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn every
two to three turns to break the burrs that form. With a retap, you can
probably run the tap all the way with no problem since you are basically
just scrapping rust and dirt out of the existing threads. Whatever, don't
force the tap. If it feels tight and you think that you haven't reached
bottom yet, clean out the hole (check the depth of the hole with a piece of
wire). When you are done, blow out the hole one final time. You can thread
a bolt into the hole to keep crud from getting back in while you're working
on the next hole. When you are finished with one hole, clean the tap before
you do the next.

Make sure you know the depth of the hole you're working with and the thread
pitch before you start. You never know when you may run into that one or
two fine thread that you thought was a coarse thread like all the other
holes of the same size. Compare the threads on the bolt/screw to the
threads on the tap and check the length of the bolt to see how far the tap
has to be run in.

Hope this helps.

Carl Szabelski



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