Need Help!- TAPPING 11/16-16 IN HAAS MINI

[blgmachine]

I AM LOOKING AT TAPPING 10,000 PCS.3/4" THICK THRU HOLES IN 1045.
HAS ANYONE TAPPED LARGER HOLES SIMILAR TO THIS.
DO YOU THINK THE MACHINE WILL HANDLE THIS WITHOUT TO MUCH LOAD.
ANY ADVICE SPEED,FEED,ETC.

THANKS GUS

[Donkey Hotey]

I think this has been discussed here before (though I have no personal experience with that size tap, in steel, on your machine).

I'm going to guess: no freakin way it's going to turn that tap in steel. Your best bet would be to thread mill them. Your Mini Mill doesn't have a gearbox and really doesn't have much torque either. Thread milling doesn't need either.

If you absolutely have to tap them, the only other hope would be to drill the holes oversize and live with incomplete thread crowns (up to your customer).

When in doubt, I'd say to drill a sample hole and try to tap a hole by hand in the 1045. Estimate the torque it takes as you're doing it and compare that to the relatively low numbers the Mini Mill makes. I HAVE been surprised at how lightly some taps cut but, I'm not optimistic in this case.

[gizmo_454]

DON'T DO IT MAN! I have a Mini Mill and know right now, it won't tap that hole. It has a hard enough time tapping a 1/2-13 hole in 1018. Like he said above, Thread Mill it! The mill will probably be about $250-300, but it will do it all day, and be happy doing it.

Good luck!

Mike

[blgmachine]

THANKS FOR REPLIES,NEVER THREAD MILLED BEFORE.IS THERE A BIG CYCLE TIME DIFFERENCE?

THANKS GUS

[ducesrwld]

as stated i've heard guys getting away with the 1/2" taps but bigger than that is lookin for trouble. was impressed seeing a vf-2ss thread some 3/4" taps seeing that it is a non gearbox machine.