For Rocky - Tips on tapping Join In everyone!

I don't know what works best to use for lube, but I bet somebody has some ideas! I know you need to go just a little way then back the tap off to break the chip, and about every second turn back it all the way out and clean the tap. Aluminum has a way of grabbing taps and not letting go if you let that chip build up in there!

The drill size - the actual numbered bit size is best, but if you look at the decimal equivalent and go just a hair one way or the other, it will work, too. Numbered bits should also be available individually from an industrial oriented auto parts store (most NAPAs in my area)

I was going to suggest using an upside-down socket extension (1/4" drive) to extend out to the T-handle, but I like that idea of using a 12-point socket that fits the tap - Stutzer, that suggestion is a real winner!

Reply to
Busahaulic
Loading thread data ...

For cutting aluminum, use white alcohol as cutting liquid.

Yes. Once it starts "going", go in half a turn or one full turn, then back off again maybe a 1/4 turn. This is enough to break the chip.

Good advice.

Why didn't I ever think of that :)

Jan

Reply to
Jan Andersson

White gas is naphtha - originally a coal oil distillate - not alcohol at all.

Used to use it in those Coleman camp stoves & lanterns you had to pump up to get them to explode properly - hahahaha.

(and it's Crap Tire).

Reply to
Oldbie

Necessity is the Mother of Invention...who said that? Thomas Edison? Eric 62 Ghia cab 68 Bug cab

Reply to
Stutzsr

Guys Forgot another tip to tell you...you should start with a small drill bit and work your way up to the correct drill that you use to tap....stays straighter and cleaner...Thats the way I think it should be done.. Eric 62 Ghia cab 68 Bug cab

Reply to
Stutzsr

what

wd 40, mebbe a little motor oil, and believe it or not - spit works well!

some of the "cutting fluids" aka- tiger piss, can react with aluminum and give off bad vapors.

this is all i know.

Reply to
bob

This is all good stuff, guys, thanks for the tips. One question: what the heck is white alcohol?

Reply to
Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot

Just pure alcohol? I don't know what's it's called in english. It's used in camping cooking equipment for example (as an alternative to propane powered gas cooker). Propane came later.

You are supposed to cut aluminum with pure alcohol or spirits or what the hell it's called. Normal cutting liquids for steel won't work the same. Alkeyhole allows you the blade to cut, instead of RAM through with force. You get a cleaner cut.

Jan

Reply to
Jan Andersson

Jan is talking about Whitegas. Commonly found at Camping stores or everything stores(AKA For us canuckleheads.. Canuck tire)

-Kirin

Reply to
Kirin Jacobsen

I believe it is the same in Norwegian as Am/English : White spirit...

J.

Reply to
BergRace

Coleman Fuel. Colin

Reply to
Colin

Hahahah... I almost wet myself laughing!

A few months back I bought 3 stainless stell ball style garden lamps. I bought a 1 litre bottle of citronella lamp oil. I put a little in each, just to make sure they worked and all was well. When I was next in town. I bought a 4 litre pack of citronella oil... I have noticed it doesn't say "lamp" on it... but I'm not sure what is different about the two.

I filled the units up with the new oil, and lit them up. After about 5 minutes, there is a kind of muffled "WHOOOOOOMPH" and a rather large ball of flames. The lamp extinguished itself and the 3/4" diameter wick it all compressed into the cap of the unit - normally there is only an inch sticking into the cap where you light it. Seems damn dangerous to me, so I'm going to buy multiple packs of the original 1 litre mixture to use in them... except for special occassions - I staill have the rest of the 4 litre stuff.

Allan :-)

Reply to
Allan Williams

I am talking about denatured, pure alcohol!! Jesus!

How can it be so damn hard to explain! ARGH!

Jan

Reply to
Jan Andersson

That would be "rubbing alcohol" in your wanna be lingo..

J.

Reply to
BergRace

Hmmm.... Which one IS it? These are related to the various alcohols:

formatting link
formatting link
Or does it actually really matter? I went looking for somebody else to suggest alcohol as a lubricant for tapping in aluminum and found this interesting and informative stuff:
formatting link
Good one but noreference to alcohol as a lube for aluminum that I saw.Spiral fluted taps!
formatting link
parafin for lube and forcing chips out.http://www.google.com/search?q=tapping+aluminum&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N Any oil / vegetable oil.http://www.tapmagic.com/TMalum.pdf Special cutting &tapping fluids for aluminum
formatting link
Tap / drill sizecharts
formatting link
More lubeissues in high production use

Reply to
Busahaulic

Nope, nope. Denatured and rubbing are not the same.

Denatured alcohol is ethanol. In other words, Everclear or other

200-proof (100% ethanol) booze. Poisonous and foul-tasting chemicals have been added to make it unfit for drinking. Hence, "denatured."

Rubbing alcohol is an alcohol intended to be rubbed on the skin. Frequently 70% iso-propyl alcohol / 30% water is used; sometimes ethanol with added iso-propyl alcohol is used. This stuff you do not want to drink.

Reply to
Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot

I missed the beginning of this thread, but if the question is about good cutting lubes for tapping alum, one of the best is Crisco. I suspect margerine or veggy oil would work just about as well.

I have used Crisco a lot on alum, but I have never tried it on magnesium. It should be about the same, but the fact is that you really don't need to worry about this much if you're just tapping a single hole in a VW case.

-

----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA

-----------------------------------------------

Reply to
Jim Adney

Reply to
WES PEARSON

Jan Andersson wrote in news:c173b3$1eoqqr$ snipped-for-privacy@ID-72729.news.uni-berlin.de:

You mean...beer won't work?

:-)

Reply to
cloud8

It's time for a study, a clinical trial.

Reply to
Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.