Help, How to get broken tap out of hole?

[suzukiltd 0]

So the question is... how do I get a broken tap out of a hole? It is really buried in there with nothing exposed above the hole to grab on to.

[nalioth 405]

Take a hammer and punch and smack it.

 

The tap will shatter.

[Superhawk138 202]

So the question is... how do I get a broken tap out of a hole? It is really buried in there with nothing exposed above the hole to grab on to.

Strike it hard with a punch to shatter it then clean the fragments out and run another tap through Slow and with oil backing off after each turn to clean the tap.

 

Nalioth you are fast lol

Edited May 21, 2009 by Superhawk138

[suzukiltd 0]

Thanks for the fast reply. I will give that a shot

[termite 463]

Start off with a starter tap, then go to the middle tap, then use a bottom tap, and as above, tap SLOW, and back up. Tap Magic works great and helps 1000%. There are tap extractors out there, but they are a PITA to use, best bet, nice pointed punch, and like said, bust it up.

[SCBOWLES 0]

bust it all to hell if that doesn't hurt then get a bigger hammer.

[A307 0]

If you have access to a tig welder you can get it out easy.

[banshee 69]

Take a hammer and punch and smack it.

 

The tap will shatter.

 

that may or may not work, depending on the what the tap is made out off. Carbon steels tap may break, but High Speed Steel taps are a bitch to break with a punch and hammer. Most of the time the tip breaks off of the punch or the threads are damaged from the hammer blows.

[suzukiltd 0]

I've destroyed a couple of punches trying to get it out. They had a point when I started, there nice and flat now. Its still in there, any other ideas? I don't have access to a tig welder.

[banshee 69]

I would highly recommend you find a gunsmith or machinist with access to a Bridgeport milling machine and a carbide endmill

[suzukiltd 0]

I'm pretty stubborn and like to do stuff myself...but I just might throw in the towel and take it to someone. But not just yet.

[Gunfixr 76]

As 20yrs of being a machinist, I can tell you 2 ways to get it out.

 

1) With a TIG welder, build up the tap until you have metal sticking up out of the hole, drop a nut over it, weld the nut on, and back the tap out.

 

2) With a milling machine (most drill presses aren't ridgid enough, nor go slow enough) and a carbide drill, drill out the center of the tap, just larger than the bottom of the flutes. What is even better is to make a drill from a carbide endmill, as it will be more ridgid and less likely to break. You grind a spade point on it.

[suzukiltd 0]

I admit defeat. That little tap beat me down. I took it to a machine shop today, I should get it back next week. Thanks for all the help