well any suggestions? there is no end sticking out and there is also a punch stuck in my front fork holder holes
You need a welder!
If possible, center a hex nut over the broken tap, and weld the nut to the tap through the center of the nut. Let it cool, and see if the broken tap will turn out.
Tester
im a welder, and its good thinking, but youll never get anything welded to tempered steel, and if you do, it wont hold long enough to get the tap out, thanks though
Hey! Don’t tell me this doesn’t work!
I’ve removed broken taps and EZ-outs using this method. And if you can’t do this, it means you can’t weld.
Tester
well, maybe you can, ill try it, but the second i told my dad, he said it would never work so i took his word for it
If you’re thinking of using an arc welder or a wire feed welder, forget it! You have to silver solder the nut to the tap.
You need an oxy/acetalene outfit for the heat, and the silver solder and flux.
Clean the broken tap as good as possible, and apply the silver solder flux to the top of the broken tap. Take a hex nut and burn off the galvanizing coating with the torch. Coat the inside of the nut with silver solder flux.
Place the nut over the broken tap, and apply the heat to the center of the nut until the silver solder flows. Allow the weld to cool. Now try backing out the tap.
Tester
Anything can be welded.
Rather than trying to weld to the tap, it may be easier to break it. Taps are very hard, and as a result they become somewhat brittle. You’ve already discovered that, it’s why the tap broke.
I’ve shattered broken taps; it’s not easy to do, but it can certainly be done. Once broken into pieces it’s usually still difficult to get out, but it can be done. You just have to hit it, and hit it hard, with something else that’s as hard as it is.
see, i have nothing but a few migs and arcs
My uncle does this. He is a gunsmith and has broken off taps in some pretty expensive guns. He said if you hit it long enough with a good hard punch, it will crystallize.
How about welding a large welding rod to the tap? Then, bend the rod (to use as a handle), and try to turn the tap and stud out? [ It wouldn’t have to be a class A weld.]
The professional tool has fingers that slide down along the flutes of the tap. This works very well as long as the tap hasn’t broken such that it binds against itself while you attempt to remove it. Once you start banging on it, all bets are off.
ok, some good ideas here. Other things to consider, is it in a through hole? or bottom? Through holes are alot easier as you can turn the tap all the way through, this reduces the chance of binding against broken chips. My all else fails method is the oxy-accetylene torch. A metal with the hardness such as this should be softened. heat the tap ( somewhat slowly) until it is bright orange, almost yellow, let it cool, repeat. This will cause the tap to shrink slightly, try to turn it out again if it doesn’t come heat it again, this time give short blasts of o2
, until the tap is gone. If you are dealing with an expensive piece, there are people in machine shops that specialize in “TAP BLASTING”.
Also the stuck punch tap sideways against the shank as you pull it back this should loosen it.
Good Luck,
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is close…A skilled hand with a cutting torch can burn it out without damaging the threads, as long as the flame can reach the tap…What is the surrounding material? This only works with cast iron, which can take far more heat than the tap…
nevermind, we got it, thanks guys, i got mad and hit it enough till it broke
try welding pot metal i bet you $700 you cant
You can weld a nut on the Tap if you use a high nickel rod such as Eutectic 680 or you can also can use stainless rod.