i found out why the lock in my door was loose, there is a tap broken off inside the set screw hole. i need suggestions/ideas for removal of what looks to be a 8-32 tap. it's in a nicely painted door and the opening is only about 1/2" wide. i've tried the wilton tap extractors (broke the fingers), grinding stone, cobolt reverse drill bit, modified needle nose pliers. it looks like the plate that holds the lock cylinder is spot welded to the inside of the door.
I broke a small tap in a bolt hole on my 35. Took about 10 drill bits to drill that thing out! Using a Drill Doctor and resharpening them till I pushed too had and they each broke (Im not much for patience). Good luck.......youll need it.
when almost all the exhuast bolts on my ford FE broke, I was able to use my Dremel tool with a carbide bit I dont remember (too many beers tonight) what its called but it sorta looks like a drill bit but isnt, I just used it to grind/drill all the way through the bolt then I just worked in a circular motion from the center outward until the bolt was ground away to the threads in the head, then I just worked a tape in and out alittle at a time (with lots of oil) until the threads were all clean, worked awesome. Heres a very good trick I learned the hard way , wear rubber gloves !!!!!! those little metal shavings really get buried deep into your hand and hurt like hell for about three days. Good luck. Cal
Taps are made of tool steel, so they are hard. Had some luck with masonry bits, they are carbide tipped, but not sharp. They must be sharpened, use Tap Magic (a cutting fluid), lots of pressure, and a slow speed to prevent a lot of heat, as the carbide tip is brazed or soldered to the shank, and if that melts ,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Anneal (soften) the tap prior to drilling. The first way, I've only heard about but never tried. Hold a soldering iron tip on the broken tap for a minute or two. Let cool. Drill a little. Repeat. The other way, I can vouch for. Use a carburizing flame and completely coat the tap surface with carbon. Then adjust for a neutral flame and heat the tap slowly (moving in and out) until you burn off the carbon. The carbon is only used as a thermometer. When it is completely gone you are at the right temperature. This is easier than trying to guess the heat by color. Let it cool down naturally and it will be much softer now and can be drilled. You may have to repeat the process if there is a lot of tap to be extracted.
Carbide is the only way to fly. Not to be a (know it all) but as a tool and die make Ive dug alot of taps out in my time. Hard tool steel dont cut hard tool steel for shit. The drill bit will want to slide off the tap and youll end up with a mess. Go down and get your self some good quality carbide burrs. Youll want to get the long pointed 1/8 burrs. Try to cut the tap in half at the small center point, use plenty of air pressure to blow the chips out, and keep the burr cool.
I've never tried his carbide way, it sounds good but I know that heating and letting cool naturally is a good metthod to soften the heat treating of the tap, on some small stuff I've used a home depot map gas dual bottle setup, it comes with a really small as torch so you can get right where you want to with out cooking everything else around it, last time I saw one it was around 40-50 bucks, mine is a bernzamatic, it will get plenty hot for you
Try to weld a nut to it. that has worked for me in the past with broken studs and a easyout. but use a big enough nut so you can a good weld to it
I've a little Snapon kit Several size ....... basically thin blades bound together with a square new cap. You pick the size that fits in the broken taps flutes gentally tap it into the flutes and then move the collar down to tighten the blade's grip . Grab the end and back the tap out It's in a plastic box so can't be that old. If you gonna drill get a full carbide center drill you can lean on it more than a little drill AND Tap Magic is truely MAGIC! It's great! Not a fun job good luck
there is a tool we have at work it extends three small splines in the open areas of the broken off tap then holds them tight allowing you to turn the tap out it is amazing how well it works seems like the taps are more often broken off by a sideways load rather then a torqing motion
Yes, it is. The old Tap Magic had carbon tet and ate your liver, but it was REALLY good. As Mule Farmer said, carbide is the only way to go.
You might be able to get rid of the tap's temper by stick welding the end with a mild rod. The heat will stay mostly with the broken tap and the mild steel will be easier to drill a starter hole for any carbide bit. Flatman
The way I was taught is to use a punch made from a nail set, grind it to a point and keep shattering the tap and pick out the pieces as you go. Some times a small magnet will help to pick out small pieces. This will work if you have room to keep changing the angle of the punch. Each time a small piece breaks off then use something like a dental pick to pick at the tap. We made picks from the shanks of long drill bits. I spent 40 years operating and maintaining automatic screw machines.
If you know a dentist, you can ask him for some #6 or #8 carbide burs (we call them burs instead of bits) that go in a straight lab handpiece. They are about 2" long and if you use your small collet on the dremel tool, they will work like magic. dont worry about cost - they run us about 80 cents each. They are common in a dental office - I probably have 50 or more of each size in my lab. So ask for 5 or each size and give him a $10 and you should be good to go.
thanks for all the input so far. i'll try the heat trick and carbide (went to ace hardware and didn't see anything). i have a map gas set-up and a welder but i think opening is too small (1/2" max and slightly recessed), i'm trying to do this without hurting the paint. i've tried the finger type tap extractors and broke the fingers (funny thing is that's what is says to do in the instructions). the tap chunk looks to be about a 1/4" long.......so i guess i'll keep trying......thanks again and please keep the info coming.
One old machine book I read said to use a little nitric acid in the hole and it will eat out a little clearance then you may be able to back it out. I think a little battery acid may work too. Never tried it though. May be worth a shot. Mike
Acid also works as a lubricant in a reactive way...most of those tips are good, but an 8-32 tap is much too small to use those tips on, and his restrictions require no heat/acid/welding...get your hands on some carbide burrs or a machinist friend to get some carbide drill bits...take your time and walk away for awhile if you start rushing things...
I don't really like "me too" posts, but in this case I'll post one. This works as well as anything I've tried. Shatter the tap a piece at a time, pull the pieces out with a magnet and retap the threads when you're done. I've used this method pretty regularly on "what do I do now?" customer stuff. And maybe on a tap I've broken, once in a while. (G) Larry T
If you can break off the end of the tap to get it somewhat flat these drills will go through a tap with ease. http://www.omegadrill.com/ Good luck.
thanks to everyone.....it's out!!!. i bought the omega drill but couldn't get enough pressure on it to cut with the space i had. i ended up finding a carbide bit with a round head for the dremel and went to town, 1 1/2 and 2 bits later is was out.
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