# Another rung in the ladder.....



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Now you guys that have been wood and metal working for years may laugh, but for us weekend woodworkers every new technique we learn is a milestone.

Today I was repairing the screen door closer that was damaged by a strong gust of wind on Thursday.

I was going to use a piece of timber about 1" x 4' x 1/4" as a platform for the bracket on the door jamb, but decided to use some aluminum flat bar (25mm x 10mm x 100mm) I bought recently and try my hand at tapping a thread for a M6 machine screw.

I drilled and tapped 3 holes in the bar. :dance3::dance3::dance3:.

Now I know I can attack some hard wood, acrylic or aluminum without fear.

If you see this Quillman, what lubricant do you use when you tap acrylic?


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Thats what its all about James, always moving forward, always learning and challenging ones-self.


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## OutoftheWoodwork (Oct 4, 2012)

Totally kewl - I love it when I learn something new like that


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Well done James, isn't it nice to be self contained. What lubricant did you use to tap the Aluminium, I use Trefolex, it's a little like the grinding paste that we used to re-face the valves in our old bangers with and makes it easier and gives a better finish. I've never needed to tap Acrylics but I think that turps may be the lubricant to use.


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## GulfcoastGuy (Feb 27, 2012)

jw2170 said:


> If you see this Quillman, what lubricant do you use when you tap acrylic?


Different Pat here, but I've found petroleum jelly works well.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

For this job, I just used WD40. There was quite a discussion on the Woodwork Forum regarding the best lubricant to use and one of the members sent me a sample of Trefolex.

Tap and die sets.....tap magic


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## dherbert (Oct 28, 2011)

Retired machinist here. I always use alcohol as a lubricant when tapping plastic,nylon,or similar material . WD 40 contains silicone,which may cause fisheye problems with your finishes. It doesn't always, but if you have this problem it may be a cause.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Tap Magic really is. They also sell a formula for tapping aluminum. This is why my 30 year old Snap-On taps cut like day one.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

dherbert said:


> Retired machinist here. I always use alcohol as a lubricant when tapping plastic,nylon,or similar material . WD 40 contains silicone,which may cause fisheye problems with your finishes. It doesn't always, but if you have this problem it may be a cause.


thanks for the heads up....


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Mike said:


> Tap Magic really is. They also sell a formula for tapping aluminum. This is why my 30 year old Snap-On taps cut like day one.


Thanks Mike, but my sample of Trefolex should last me a lifetime.

I did find a source of Tap magic if ever I need it.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

You never will whilst your supply of Trefolex remains. You almost certainly will remember the advertisement which said "when you're on to a good thing, stick to it"!


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## CHOPPERFXR (Feb 15, 2014)

*Lubricants.*



dherbert said:


> Retired machinist here. I always use alcohol as a lubricant when tapping plastic,nylon,or similar material . WD 40 contains silicone,which may cause fisheye problems with your finishes. It doesn't always, but if you have this problem it may be a cause.


Hope I don't sound dumb asking this, I am new here so please be kind!  
Interested in your reply. I am relatively new to serious woodwork. Most of my experience is metal work. I always use RTD for tapping any metal by hand or machine. I was taught a long time ago that any lubricant will be better than nothing to protect the cutting edge and make the work easier.

You say you use alcohol when tapping plastic, nylon or similar materials. Do you mean neat alcohol as you would buy from a pharmacy? In the UK, asking for neat alcohol would certainly raise a few eyebrows and cause a few questions to be asked.

Does alcohol make much difference to the operation or the finished article? I am particularly interested in your answer because I am about to start a project which involves using some nylon.

Look forward to your advice. Thank you.

Regards

Chop


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

CHOPPERFXR said:


> ...... Do you mean neat alcohol as you would buy from a pharmacy? In the UK, asking for neat alcohol would certainly raise a few eyebrows and cause a few questions to be asked........


Hi Chop,

check out Ebay for isopropyl alcohol/denatured alcohol if you ever need it. It's readily available and I had no questions when I bought it. It has sooooo many uses.


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## demographic (Aug 12, 2012)

dherbert said:


> Retired machinist here. I always use alcohol as a lubricant when tapping plastic,nylon,or similar material . *WD 40 contains silicone*,which may cause fisheye problems with your finishes. It doesn't always, but if you have this problem it may be a cause.


That's good to know. Means I'll avoid using it in a few situations where I would have used it in the past.


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