What's your preferred toolholder for tapping?

Jashley73 · Mar 20, 2017

I've been speaking with several customers lately about tooling for new machines (machining centers) and the subject of toolholders for taps keeps coming up.

I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on what they prefer.

I've personally used floating tap holders, rigid tap-holders with quick-release tap-collets, ER collet chucks with dedicated tap-collets, and plain ER/collets.

What's everyone prefer? I'm personally in the "keep it simple" camp and tend to default to ER collet chucks & collets, because I'm lazy.

Who out there prefers dedicated tap-collets?

brian.pallas · Mar 20, 2017

I've always liked the quick change tap collets the best. A fixed one if the machines have rigid tapping is what I prefer.

garyhlucas · Mar 20, 2017

I once did some ridgid tapping on a Fadal 3060 using a morse taper tap collet from McMaster Carr for like $14 for a 5/8-11 tap going 2" deep in cast iron. Worked amazingly well, no problems at all!

Garwood · Mar 20, 2017

I like the quick change style. I use #1 size for almost everything and #2 for some NPT stuff.

Because I have some older and some newer machines I have tension compression holders in the old stuff and rigid holders in the newer machines. I can use the tap holders in any machine. Takes a few seconds to change from one size to another or to replace a tap.

The holders are around $15 each. Metric taps with ANSI shanks run in inch holders so it doesn't take many holders to cover everything you need.

Sparky961 · Mar 20, 2017

I'll join you in the plain ER collet camp. I've used tap collets to try and solve issues in the past, but inevitably the solution wasn't the collet.

I've used tension/compression holders but haven't been impressed with the lack of repeatability due to variance in when the tap bites in and starts self-feeding. It would be less of an issue on a shallow through hole where you had plenty of extra tap to ensure the hole is fully threaded.

WILLEO6709 · Mar 20, 2017

The bilz style quick release holders are great for machining centers.... I like ER's on lathes, but by far my favorite place to tap is on the radial arm drill while the machining center makes another part. A magic chuck with multiple adapters makes quick work.... driving from morse split sleeve collets. driving an 1-1/4 tap- no problemo- that 2 inch pipe tap- no problem....

ManualEd · Mar 20, 2017

Got some Iscar Gtin ER32 floating tap collets this week. They seem to work well.
Handy for live tools in the lathe.

snowshooze · Mar 20, 2017

Well, I have tried a few.
But I have a bunch of ER 40 bilz stuff I like.
Now that I am RT, I can go with a hard holder, but even at that, I can still use the Bilz floating tap holder with the clutched drivers, kind of a double safety.
Just for fun, I did some tapping ( RT ) right out of a drill chuck.
Bear in mind, use two chuck wrenches and get tight. It worked fine.

THCustoms · Mar 20, 2017

Depending on the MAT, I occasionally have to use peck tapping code. Nothing fancy as for tool holding, compensating chuck or anything fancy like that. My taps plugs right in a SK collect/holder. Tight!

Finegrain · Mar 20, 2017

I've been using plain old ER32 and ER16 collet holders, for #3 up to 1/2"-13, in my Speedio. No issues.

Regards.

Mike

Mtndew · Mar 21, 2017

For the longest time I was just using an ER collet to hold my taps, but I decided to buy some dedicated quick change tap holders. Haven't looked back since.

adama · Mar 21, 2017

Previous job we use to tap M24 in std mild steel using nothing but a std ER32 collet in a tension - compression holder on a 40 taper machine. Had to be done up tight but never a issue with slipping.

gregormarwick · Mar 21, 2017

ER Collets for tapping here. I used to use quick change tapping collets but I found that the play in the toolholding was detrimental when rigid tapping and resulted in measurably shorter tap life compared to true rigid toolholding.

allloutmx · Mar 21, 2017

Usually ERs sometimes with a easyZERO Nut - Monaghan Tooling Group and sometimes a floating head if the pitch gets awful fine.

wheelieking71 · Mar 21, 2017

Almost exclusively Bilz#1 here. I rarely tap anything larger than 1/2". Prefer thread milling.

Jashley73 · Mar 21, 2017

gregormarwick said:
ER Collets for tapping here. I used to use quick change tapping collets but I found that the play in the toolholding was detrimental when rigid tapping and resulted in measurably shorter tap life compared to true rigid toolholding.

Interesting. It's been a while since I've used dedicated tapping holders, but I see what you mean, in that there has to be some play between the connections, even if miniscule... I can see that being a problem when doing rigid tapping, if the holder has some radial play, but no axial compensation.

It sounds like a plain ER, or ER-tap collet is hard to beat though...

Ox · Mar 21, 2017

I use Bilz only when I can't find anything else in the shop to hold a tap. It's only slightly above not tapping at all in my choices.

I wonder what y'all are dooing that you like them?
In most of the apps that I have used them - the tap pulls the head, whether it be a spring loaded tapping head - where the pull-out tension is used to engage the reversing clutches, or on a multi- where the tap is dragging the threading slide until it hits the L/S.

I have always had issues with them pulling out. Now maybe in a RIGID set-up, most of that is not an issue?
I switched to steel collet (mostly ER) in the tapping heads long time ago. I actually sent Bilz type back to Tapmatic to have the output spindle changed on two heads.

In the mills, I can use just ER for smaller taps. Maybe TG on the bigger ones. However - I am a "float" guy, and prefer to use a floating reamer holder, but I have had great luck holding class 3's, even in a peck situation in the mills without a floater, so the hard collets are usually fine there. But in the lathes or screw machines, I always use a floating holder.

Never seen much, if any need for a dedicated tap collet, other than for an oddball shank size or whatnot...

--------------------------

Drainin' the Swamp!
Ox

AndyMoon · Mar 22, 2017

If you are using ER collet chucks I would highly recommend making sure it is an ER tapping collet with the square back end designed to drive the tap. I would estimate that one of the biggest causes of taps breaking is due to the tap spinning in a standard collet. As the tap wears, it requires more force to turn and this eventually overcomes the gripping strength of the collet. The square drive prevents that.

For very high volume tapping - especially with carbide or powdered metal taps - the best solution is a synchronous tapping chuck. This arrangement allows for accurate tap clamping, yet also allows for a limited and controlled amount of axial and radial movement. This movement creates a dampening effect that greatly reduces axial and radial forces, increasing tap life. One example is Guhring's GuhroSynch chuck, but there are other options out there as well.

Andy

Ox · Mar 22, 2017

The dedicated tap collets are very nice to have when you need to replace a tap - as you don't need to re-touch the tool off for tool length.

Also - yeah, a basic ER on a 1/2-13 or 5/8-11 in steel may not be a good idea.

---------------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

fmari --MariTool- · Mar 22, 2017

Ox,
I tap 5/8-11 in alloy steel all the time using an ER32 collet chuck with a simple round collet. No issues. But that would be the max for ER32. I am sure 3/4-16 in alum would be fine.

AndyMoon,
I agree to your statement to a point. Holding a 1/4-20 tap with an ER32 collet chuck I dont care if that tap is dead dull. It is not going to slip even if you are using a standard round collet. I get this question pretty often so I cover this in my faq section on my site. Please read below if interested.

Do you sell ER style tapping collets that have the internal square in the back?

Currently we do not. One of the reasons we don't is because in most cases it is not needed. Misconception is that taps often slip when used in normal ER style collets. This is not the case as long as you always try to use the proper size collet. Proper size collet is when your tool shank is as close as the largest capacity listed on the collet without being larger than that size shown. Tapping collets should be used when using larger size taps with coarse pitch and when form tapping larger size taps. Simple rule of thumb, if the tap shank is 60% or smaller than the maximum clamping range of that collet style, save your money and use a normal collet. For example ER32= .750 X.60=.450 diameter.

What's your preferred toolholder for tapping?

Titanium

Hot Rolled

Stainless

Diamond

Cast Iron

Diamond

Stainless

Stainless

Aluminum

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Plastic

Diamond

Titanium

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