A weekend warrior is in a garage workshop somewhere. Odds are, he’s using his workbench drilling equipment to accelerate a home project. There’s tapping equipment on the same workbench. It’s a precision-built piece of machinery. The amateur engineer isn’t tapping beer kegs, nor is he drilling the odd clumsy opening on a crudely fabricated metal box. No, this skilled DIY-er is making progress on something special.
Pull Out the Drilling Equipment
Chuck key in hand, an enthusiast do-it-yourselfer is assembling homespun work projects. There’s even a development cycle in place, so there’s a pile of design drawings nearby. Interested in metalworking projects, the craftsman is using a 3-speed workbench-mounted mini drill to make openings on a heavy workpiece. And this is no ordinary, hobbyist-centric piece of drilling equipment. A high-grip feed handle and rotating spindle raise or lower the drill head. Mounted on a column, the pulley/gear housing remains static, as does the electric motor. A depth gauge, perhaps even a laser-measured one, aids the keen eye of the drill press operator.
Tapping Equipment for the Home
Utilizing a handheld threading box, it takes no more than a few seconds to tap a hole in hardwood. The two handles, one on each side of the threading compartment, simply couple to a hardened steel cutter, and the threads slide into place without effort. For moderately hard alloys, something tougher is required. Going back to our DIY craftsman’s workbench, let’s check out his tapping equipment. Mounted on an articulating arm this time, the pneumatically operated tool has access to a 5-piece set of carbide toughened tapping bits. They’re specially profiled, with fluted inserts ensuring space for the waste metal shavings as the tool cuts deep.
Cutting Different Openings
There are hybrid drill presses for do-it-yourselfers. They provide a mount, so the craftsman can just insert his favourite power drill into the cylinder press section, then use the included rotating spindle to maneuver the tool. A quick-release workpiece vise takes care of component mounting chores. Then, for tapping equipment versatility, we can add 30 and 40-piece sets, complete with every possible die and tapping size, metric or imperial.
As for the business end of the do-it-yourself market, the “jobber” group, this no-nonsense sector has evolved beyond hobbyist rigs. They look instead at Sutton Tools and Dormer, at premium quality Karnasch tools and at the equipment manufacturers that serve engineers in the most challenging industrial applications. For bar type tap wrenches, drill presses and more, DIY-ers seek out brands that won’t chip, won’t produce rough drill edges or thread discontinuities, and for brands that will absolutely suit a specific home project.