Author Topic: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder  (Read 6710 times)

Offline PK

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CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« on: April 08, 2017, 08:15:06 AM »
It's nothing really, but I finally got around to hooking reverse up to  M4 on my X3.....


Works better than it has any right to.....

Offline awemawson

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2017, 09:09:21 AM »
Very handy feature isn't it  :thumbup:

Doing the machining on my Z axis for the CNC Plasma Table involved numerous threads all of which I did on the Beaver Partsmaster using floating tapping heads, but it brought it home to me how limited my range of holders, and also drill chucks was.

So I went out on a spending spree and have invested in a second Bilz floating head and a whole bunch of collets, most of which are also 'clutch limited torque' versions - they were in a filthy condition, and only yesterday I spent a few hours cleaning them up.

It also brought home the need for several mounted chucks in the 16 way carousel for different sizes of tapping size drills - so a couple of them were added to the shopping list.

It means that the Z axis has proved blooming expensive, but I've used it as an excuse to tool up the CNC Mill  :ddb:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline PK

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2017, 09:22:22 AM »
My floating head cost $20.
:-)

Offline Spurry

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2017, 12:25:16 PM »
PK
That looked a very interesting item in your mill. Unfortunately, due to age and the racket going on in the background, I could not really make out what you were saying.
Were you describing the holder or just chatting about it?
Pete

Offline Joules

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2017, 01:15:53 PM »
PK, is that made or bought price.
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Offline awemawson

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2017, 04:03:10 PM »
My floating head cost $20.
:-)

Each of mine weren't far off that, but having a turret of 16 tools you might as well fill it  :lol:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline PK

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2017, 06:18:21 PM »
Each of mine weren't far off that, but having a turret of 16 tools you might as well fill it  :lol:
Meh! Tool changers are so yesterday! Here's one I whipped up one rainy weekend.


More here http://www.caswa.com/cncathome/spindles.html

(Welcome to troll fest folks! :beer:)

Offline PK

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2017, 06:46:35 PM »
That looked a very interesting item in your mill. Unfortunately, due to age and the racket going on in the background, I could not really make out what you were saying.
Were you describing the holder or just chatting about it?
Sorry Pete, don't worry, the commentary in my videos is normally just me prattling on about nothing in particular.

In this case an upcoming job at work (where we make electronics) is going to require 2400 holes drilled and tapped M3. 

This turned out to be the kick in the pants I needed to hook up reverse on my mill spindle at home.

The spring loaded floating tap holder makes this very easy:
   Feed the tap down at the thread pitch. In this case the spindle was running at 600RPM so I fed at 600 x 0.5mm = 300 mm/min.

   Stop feeding and turn the spindle off. The tap continues to advance, pulling the head of the floating tool holder down against the spring while the spindle decelerates.

   Start the spindle in reverse, ignore the spin up time and either rapid back up to the clearance height (as I did in this case) or, if the tapping depth is > the travel on the floating head, feed up at the tap pitch.

   Stop the spindle and the slow down time is enough for the tap to flick up out of the hole.


Re the Mill.
I don't have many shots of the mill in it's finished CNC'd state, but the early work is here:
http://www.caswa.com/cncathome/X3.html

PK


Offline PK

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2017, 06:51:28 PM »
PK, is that made or bought price.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SL25-WER216-80L-Floating-straight-shank-tapping-collet-chuck-and-tapping-holder-for-lathe/32442849161.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.e0fnGh

I failed to notice that the shank was 25mm, so it got turned to 20mm to fit in the 20mm R8 collet that all the other toolholders I use go into.
 :clap: (sorry, 7YO sitting on my lap insisted that was the appropriate smiley).

Offline PekkaNF

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2017, 02:32:24 AM »
(Welcome to troll fest folks! :beer:)

Um...why? It all looked very good to me.

Welcome to Steel Fest :D
http://www.steelfest.fi/bandit


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SL25-WER216-80L-Floating-straight-shank-tapping-collet-chuck-and-tapping-holder-for-lathe/32442849161.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.e0fnGh

 :clap: (sorry, 7YO sitting on my lap insisted that was the appropriate smiley).

Nice find. I should order one for manual  use.

I remember when my daughter insisteed filling end of the post with smileys and sometimes I forgot to edit them out...now she has her own instagram and what not.

Pekka

Andrew..I am sorry. I stumled with taggs....deleted wrong one and got even tag nesting wrong.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2017, 09:36:48 AM by PekkaNF »

Offline awemawson

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2017, 03:16:20 AM »
Pekka  that's a wrong quote - I never said anything about trolls. :scratch:

PK I have two of those exact floating tap holders on order from Aliexpress but they've been traveling the high seas for weeks now and haven't arrived. :med:


Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Spurry

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Re: CNC tapping with a floating tap holder
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2017, 04:25:16 AM »
PK
Thanks for the explanation of the operation. Things are much clearer now. :D
Pete