Tap Follower

**rossbotics** · Jul 21, 2018, 04:34 AM

Had to tap a 3/4-10 hole the other day in the mill and found out I had no way of driving that size of tap under power much less keeping it straight, I had a tap handle but no way to keep it straight while I hand tapped the block.

This little tool is by no means new and probably everybody has one except me, I did however back in my apprentice days make one just for experience, whatever happened to it no one knows, that was many moons ago.

It has a 3/4" diameter body for use in a collet with a spring loaded 7/16" diameter follower shaft that has a 60° hardened point, the follower shaft itself has an 1-1/4" of travel, it worked very well, I want loose this one, but probably never will use it again either.

Here is a couple of photos
Thanks for looking And happy machining

Doug

**suther51** · Jul 23, 2018, 08:58 PM

It looks from the picture that the handle of the tap wrench will not clear the column of the mill, if so what is your technique to drive the tap? Thanks
Eric

**Frank S** · Jul 23, 2018, 10:44 PM

Eric At one time I had a very similar tool that Doug has made they work great especially if the pointed cylinder has a small enough and long enough shank diameter to allow the tap handle to be lifted off the tap for re-positioning when in cases such as it appears in the photo that the tap handle can not make a full 360 swing. Just turn it as far as it will go lift off the tap square and rotate back 90°. Having to re-position a handle 4 times per thread cut is a pain but the job still gets done

**rossbotics** · Jul 23, 2018, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by suther51

It looks from the picture that the handle of the tap wrench will not clear the column of the mill, if so what is your technique to drive the tap? Thanks
Eric

You simply turn the handle as far as it will go and reposition the handle

**DIYer** · Jul 24, 2018, 07:16 AM

Thanks rossbotics! We've added your Tap Follower to our Tapping and Threading category,
as well as to your builder page: rossbotics's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Tap Follower by rossbotics

tags: tapping

**suther51** · Jul 24, 2018, 09:29 PM

Kind of thought so but sort of hoped that there was some tricky solution to bend my mind with. Thanks
Eric

**ncollar** · Nov 9, 2018, 08:43 PM

Doug
I like the huge follower. Everyone needs a bigger one.
Looks good
Nelson

**Dan Coleman** · Feb 6, 2019, 08:36 PM

I've one of the small ones for years. It was probably from MSC or Enco. I needed a cnc lathe project a couple of years ago so I made two with 2MT ends. The sliding portion can be flipped for a point or a cup.
Dan Coleman

**TrickieDickie** · Apr 1, 2019, 06:28 PM

Ross I do not have one and needed it many times. I am motivated to crank one out now.
Thank you

**Toolmaker51** · Apr 2, 2019, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by suther51

Kind of thought so but sort of hoped that there was some tricky solution to bend my mind with. Thanks
Eric

Well, there is one way. Most of us wouldn't for a single piece, multiples certainly. Run the ram out far enough to swing the tap wrench, then setup in position for that temporary centerline.
In most job shop knee mills, somebody has felt-tipped a mark showing ram position that spans entire "Y" axis. They may have marked a fully retracted area also, when a little extra rigidity is needed. That flexibility makes Bridgeport pattern widely copied, not the best mill ever, but gets incalculable numbers of shops out of a bind.

And with ncollar's comment below; many of us could have huge followings, if we had a bigger one. . .

Sorry Nelson, couldn't restrain myself.