Google spring tap guide you will be spoilt for choice

I think ARC list them too.

If you make one it's worth making the plunger double-ended and reversible, with a point at one end, a shallow centre-drilling the other. That so you can use it with taps that have a blunt point instead of centre-hole at the top, typical of small diameter taps.

Its main purpose is to keep the tap aligned, not to force the tap into the work. It may help start the thread, but that is all.

A tap wrench is the tool to use for screwing in the tap, not a “wrence’ (ordinary wrench, likely an adjustable spanner?). Use of the proper tool allows more than adequate pressure to be applied equally on both sides of the axis.

A trick I learnt as an apprentice for smallish threads was to have the working tap drive square part way into the wrench and put another tap from the same set with the threaded end in the drill chuck, lightly fingertight, don't use the chuck key.

Put the end of the working tap into the job, bring the other backwards tap to it to engage in the wrench and nip the wrench up. Start the thread going, the backward tap will guide the working tap into the hole until enough thread has been cut to be stable. If on a mill this relies on not moving the X Y axis of course!

I don't bother with a sprung one just have a bit of bar pointed at one end and ctr drilled at the other that can be held in chuck or collet and apply pressure as needed with the quill lever while turning tap wrench with the other hand.

Type Making a tap follower into the Youtube search box brings up a miriad of video's on making one.

regards

The important thing is to align and support the tap. In this way, the thread should be perpendicular to the work, and the Tap is less likely to break.

Taps will stand a lot of cyclic torsional loads, but fail very quickly in bending. Sometimes, once is enough!

My method, in the Mill, is to align / support the Tap with a spring tool, and to drive it with a Tap Wrench. As the travel of the spring support is used up, it is advanced to provide support, and prevent bending.

In the lathe, my sliding Tailstock Tap Holder, using ER collets, provides both alignment and support.

Should the Tap jam for any reason, the parallel shank slips within the collet, saving the Tap.

Howard

When I require a third hand I attach a small bungee on the quill lever.

Also when metric screw cutting on the lathe the leadscrew split nut lever is held down with a bungee as lost position once when nut got disengaged when reversing for next cut.

Edited By Windy on 01/12/2020 16:46:11