Hi All,

Any tips for removing an 8mm tap, buried about 5mm into an orifice.

Snapped slightly below the surface as well.

Can get to the back of the hole if that helps with any suggestions.

Pat...

off the top of my head with an absolute guess, about the only thing I could think (obv without drilling it out) is to flood it with cutting compound to aid movement and then insert some stainless (or other really stiff) welding rods and try and turn those....
Like I say just a guess...
cheers,
Steve.
edit to add, turn those in the chuck of a SLOW electric drill???

[Edited on 3/3/07 by worX]

Oh dear! Try grinding a spare screwdriver so the blade will go down either side of the tap and see if you can turn it out. It depends how tight the tap is in. forget drilling it unless it is a really cheap Chinese one if it is go and buy a really good titanium coated drill and try driling the core out of the tap but only if you can't find something to turn it out with.

good luck

Caber

Might be worth trying a pointed nose pair of pliers down the flutes to turn remains out. Have vague recollection of broken tap remover on ebay a while ago, some sort of liquid IIRC

Just checked on ebay for broken tap remover. Some listed at the moment. Must learn how to put in link

if you can get to the back of the hole use a pin punch and smash it to bits then re tap with a good quality one. If all else fails you can have them removed with spark errosion. Expensive but good.

If it ain't in too tight you may be able to remove by unscrewing it using the tines on a pair of circlip pliers.

Get yourself a GOOD quality carbide burr and grind it out.

Worked for me when I did the same on my bike fork stanchion.

I use a thin dot punch or nail punch to tap it undone.

Hold the punch at 45 deg, insert the punch into the flute of the tap, hammer lightly, move round to the next flute, etc.

You may break bits off the tap but it will come loose so you can undo it with long nose pliers.
An air line is handy to blow out any chips or swarf.

WHEAR EYE PROTECTION.


Resharpen punch.


Good luck

Paul G

Bl**dy H*ll. Someone agrees with me. There's a first.

2 people agree !!

Smashing it out is about the only way.

If you can get it to turn even a litttle then work it back and forth. Use an airline to blow out the swarf.

Dont worry, we have all done it and will probably do it again! Some taps have a wasted shank and often these snap and leave a bit sticking out.

Good luck.... you will need it!

You can get extractors that put 3 (or 4) fingers down the flutes to allow the whole thing to be turned. I have no idea how successful it would be on an 8mm tap - the flutes may be too small.

EXAMPLE

If all else fails, try a machine shop - most have a spark eroder that'll burn it out without ruining your work. Of course, that will cost some money...

David

I have just removed a smaller tap than that (M4) that snapped in a motorbike cylinder. I bought a load of tungsten carbide cutters to go in my Dremel and ground it out. I used 10 cutters in the process though....