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Paul Made a Thing

PaulL

PaulL

Technologist at Large
Premium Member
After my adventures on my first turning project - the stud to hold my quick change tool post - I thought I try something a bit more modest.
Meet my new tap follower:

tapfollower1.jpeg


Truly an object of distinction. It's made from the scraps of my failed threading exercises. I probably didn't have to make this out of 4140. I bet if I'd used a sensible material I'd have a better surface finish.
I did learn about carbide a bit more - my finishes were better on my 10 thou passes than on my 2 thou "finishing" passes. Sometimes it felt like it was just grinding in the swarf instead of disposing of it nicely.
And for completeness, here is my new toy next to its predecessor, which was much less satisfactory in design, bulk, finish, and general timeliness:
tapfollowerproto.jpeg

Next: some keepers for the keepers on my little backhoe's bucket so I don't have to pull out two wrenches/sockets every time I swap my buckets around.
 
I love the fact that we can make many of the tools we need for inn the shop! Well done. You will get years of service out of this. (as compared to the two uses I got out of the tap follower I made out of aluminum. (quick and dirty build to get me to the next step)
 
plalonde said:
After my adventures on my first turning project - the stud to hold my quick change tool post - I thought I try something a bit more modest.
Meet my new tap follower:

View attachment 22899

Truly an object of distinction. It's made from the scraps of my failed threading exercises. I probably didn't have to make this out of 4140. I bet if I'd used a sensible material I'd have a better surface finish.
I did learn about carbide a bit more - my finishes were better on my 10 thou passes than on my 2 thou "finishing" passes. Sometimes it felt like it was just grinding in the swarf instead of disposing of it nicely.
And for completeness, here is my new toy next to its predecessor, which was much less satisfactory in design, bulk, finish, and general timeliness:
View attachment 22900
Next: some keepers for the keepers on my little backhoe's bucket so I don't have to pull out two wrenches/sockets every time I swap my buckets around.
Click to expand...

Nice! I love the way you salvaged your previous work! I bought a tap follower. It works quite well for what it is and what I paid for it. But it could be sooooo much nicer with a little attention to detail. It's on my project list for "someday".

I have a backhoe too. But I have no idea what is a keeper is? And what is a keeper for a keeper?
 
Susquatch said:
Nice! I love the way you salvaged your previous work! I bought a tap follower. It works quite well for what it is and what I paid for it. But it could be sooooo much nicer with a little attention to detail. It's on my project list for "someday".

I have a backhoe too. But I have no idea what is a keeper is? And what is a keeper for a keeper?
Click to expand...
The two moveable pins on which the bucket rotates have short plates attached that "keep" the pins from sliding laterally and falling out. These plates in turn are drilled and bolted to the bucket to "keep" them in place, and so keep the pins in place. I am, of course, generalizing from a sample size of one - that's the setup on my little Kubota.
I'm sure these bits have proper names, but the parts manual has no names for them.
In any case, these last bolts take almost no force and are secured by nylocs. And they are annoying to reach with a spanner. So I'll see if I can fit up something robust enough but manageable with maybe only one wrench.
 
plalonde said:
I did learn about carbide a bit more - my finishes were better on my 10 thou passes than on my 2 thou "finishing" passes. Sometimes it felt like it was just grinding in the swarf instead of disposing of it nicely.
Click to expand...

Try turning up the rpm’s - lots - with carbide.

And is it spring loaded?
 
plalonde said:
The two moveable pins on which the bucket rotates have short plates attached that "keep" the pins from sliding laterally and falling out. These plates in turn are drilled and bolted to the bucket to "keep" them in place, and so keep the pins in place. I am, of course, generalizing from a sample size of one - that's the setup on my little Kubota.
I'm sure these bits have proper names, but the parts manual has no names for them.
In any case, these last bolts take almost no force and are secured by nylocs. And they are annoying to reach with a spanner. So I'll see if I can fit up something robust enough but manageable with maybe only one wrench.
Click to expand...

My movable pins have just washers and cotter pins on them. The fixed pins look like the attached, with bolts going through the holes into tapped holes in the bucket.
 

Attachments

ShawnR said:
My movable pins have just washers and cotter pins on them. The fixed pins look like the attached, with bolts going through the holes into tapped holes in the bucket.
Click to expand...
Ah, tapped holes. Yes, that looks just like the two I have to move every time I change my bucket. Instead of tapped holes Kubota used nylocs. And being so small there's basically no clearance for a socket. I might just tap the buckets - that seems like a good solution.
 
Janger said:
Try turning up the rpm’s - lots - with carbide.

And is it spring loaded?
Click to expand...
Yep, spring loaded. Made the spring out of some "worn out" guitar strings I've been keeping around for some use. I might have a lifetime's supply of small spring wire.
 
plalonde said:
Yep, spring loaded. Made the spring out of some "worn out" guitar strings I've been keeping around for some use. I might have a lifetime's supply of small spring wire.
Click to expand...

@plalonde Enjoyed your tap follower post, how do you determine the spring compression required for tap follower? Perhaps it's all by trial and error, just guessing!

I would need to purchase a spring locally if even available, most likely somewhere in Regina.
 
YYCHM said:
Nice! I need to get off my butt and make one of those, it's been on my to-do list for quit some time now:p
Click to expand...

Hey Craig, you're not alone in doing this. I have a smallish tap follower, could use a larger one or at least have one on hand.

Been busy in my shop again with a post update to follow Monday, felt really good my being out there making a mess.
 
Dusty said:
Hey Craig, you're not alone in doing this. I have a smallish tap follower, could use a larger one or at least have one on hand.

Been busy in my shop again with a post update to follow Monday, felt really good my being out there making a mess.
Click to expand...

Go Bill Go:D

If you need a spring let me know. I may have something here.
 
@ShawnR, @plalonde ,

Here are the two types used on my backhoe. Never heard either one of them called a keeper. But it's as good a name as any.

20220409_173514.jpg
20220409_173600~2.jpg


So now I know what a Keeper is.

But what is a keeper for a keeper?

Yes - what @Janger said about carbide.

But I prefer to go slow so I like HSS.
 
Yep, my home built uses the same type of security for pins, depending on whether the pin is intended to rotate with articulation or not. I would take photos, but, well.......
 

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@YYCHM , @plalonde , @Dusty

If any of you are gunna design a "better" Tap follower, here is my wish list of what I want to accomplish in mine. If you should happen to embrace this challenge, please post your design so we can all make one.

- a long enough throw so I don't have to keep taking up the slack. It should be long enough so it can be engaged once for the whole job - basically the same throw length as the tap itself.

- better fit on the pin to the sleeve. I really don't like it wobbling around as the tap is turned.

- a better spring force. Enough to get it to cut soon, and enough to keep it engaged on the end of the tap, but not so much that it starts out drilling instead of cutting threads.

- reversable pin so it can be used in a center end or on the outside of the square end of the tap.

- I do not care if it turns. In some ways it is actually preferable if it does.

- a big one should fit a 5/8 chuck, a medium one should fit a 1/2" chuck, and a small one should fit a 1/4 inch chuck.
 
Dusty said:
@plalonde Enjoyed your tap follower post, how do you determine the spring compression required for tap follower? Perhaps it's all by trial and error, just guessing!

I would need to purchase a spring locally if even available, most likely somewhere in Regina.
Click to expand...
I rolled 5-6 before I had one I was happy with, with different wire and different mandrels. I have no idea how durable it's going to be, but grabbing a few inches of one of the old wound E strings from the discard pile got me something firm enough. The hardest part was judging travel length. It is handy that springs have linear resistance along their lengths, so adjusting that was pretty easy.
I tried shopping for a spring and the spring people around here simply aren't hobbyist/low-volume friendly. I also have some music wire (tempered high carbon wire0 0.031 wire coming, but I got impatient.
 
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