While fighting the infernal galling tendencies of Lee mould material on a #6 TiN tap I was using to cut pivot bolt setscrew threads, I had an epiphany.
Wanna guess what I used to 100% cure the problem of aluminum sticking to the tap?
Yeah, I know, DUH, everyone else here figured that out years ago and I'm behind the curve, as usual.
Gear
WD-40 works great and there is a version of Tap-Magic formulated for aluminum.
What did you use?
Nope, not those, and it's not Rapid Tap either. Works far better, and unless you know exactly what it is made from there is only one place you can get it.
Gear
Wax will work.....pariffin wax
Bullplate loob.
Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!
Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!
How bout LLA
Maybe.......never thought of this one.........how about my wax idea with Bull Plate sprue lubeOriginally Posted by stubshaft
BullShops SPEED GREEN
Bingo!
Gear
Crisco works. I knew a machine shop owner that only used Crisco for tapping, but he didn't tap exotic metals like titanium, inconel, or nickel. I'm surprised you didn't use boolit lube. Olive oil or vegetable oil also works. The vegetable oil get sticky after a few days and turns to glue: Crisco does not.
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Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better that you fear the media, for they will steal your honor. That awful power, the public opinion of a nation, is created in America by a horde of ignorant, self-complacent simpletons who failed at ditching and shoemaking and fetched up in journalism on their way to the poorhouse. Mark Twain
I keep a bottle of castor oil (not Castrol!) by the drill press, usually grab it for most tap jobs or use Rapid Tap, but for some reason it doesn't work well on aluminum. I was educated as an engineer and became an automotive mechanic, missed all the good stuff machinists know and do.
Just picked up another good tip last night, to keep all kinds of reamers from chattering, wrap them with a couple layers of waxed paper or notebook paper, let the reamer cut through. Wish I'd known about that one about thirty steering knuckles and four revolver cylinders/forcing cones ago!
Gear
I used a lot of Tap Magic for aluminum.
Never, never, never use the Tap Magic for steel on aluminum!
It will cause a thermite-like reaction between the aluminum and the tap and will disolve both!
Don't ask how I know.
Jack
Liquid dish soap works great.
45 AUTO! Because having to shoot someone twice is just silly!
I made that mistake, it was an interesting learning experience!
Mistakes = Experience = Wisdom!
Gear Beeing new to casting an a now wothing of machine shops. What problem were you fixing an how were you fixing it?
Kevin
I do understand you were drilling a hole in an aluminum mold. An you need a lubricant so nothing heats up.
Bullplate makes perfect sense considering how well it works on moulds.
Kevin, If you look in the stickies at the top of the topic listing for this forum (MOLDS.. ) there is one by Buckshot on 6 cavity Lee molds that shows most of the modifications that members have found helpful in improving the life expectancy and function of Lee molds (along with the Leementing process- also in a stickie at the top). The molds usually work as received but can be improved a lot with a little handwork.
Rick
____________________________
If it looks plumbous, I'll probably try making bullets out of it. Dean Grennell
I have tap magic for steel and aluminum, but plain old 3-1 oil works well also. So does Marvel Mystery Oil. Any oil you have.
Shiloh
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I tapped about 160 holes in aluminum yesterday. The threads ranged from 6-32 @ 1/2" deep to 10-24 @ 3/4" min deep. I used 10-30 motor oil from Gasateria on all of them & had no problems. All holes were power tapped with a cordless drill & rigid tap driver. On the through holes, I used spiral point gun taps. On the blind holes, I used fast spiral extraction taps.
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Publius Tacitus
it all depends on the aluminum alloy what u use for tapping.
jb
Kerosene is good for when tapping aluminium.
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