broke tap in gun

[Guest jimdigriz]

While working on my Saiga conversion, and tapping the hole for the bullet guide screw, I broke the tap in the hole. If I had been paying closer attention, this would not have happened, since I actually had gone out the other side (gone further than I needed to) already.

Anyhow, does anyone have ANY idea how to remove a broken tap without messing up the hole? I hear that my best hope is an EDM machine, but wouldn't know who in Nashville could do that sort of thing. Perhaps a gunsmith would know how to remove the broken tap? Does anyone have a recommendation?

Thanks.

[56FordGuy]

Never worked on a Saiga, but have dealt with many broken taps, easy outs, drill bits, etc...

First, can you grab the tap on either end with some vice grips? If so, try to turn it back and forth, see if you can get it to move in either direction.

Try shaking the gun, or using a small magnet, or some compressed air to clean out the hole the tap is in, so it doesn't get hung up on something.

Again, depending on how the tap is broken, you might be able to weld a nut on one end of it and turn it out that way.

Worst case scenario, taps are brittle. I've had success in the past using a hammer and a punch to actually break the tap apart inside the hole, then pull the pieces out with some needlenose pliers and a magnet.

[brooksjr]

try a tap extractor

[glockster157]

What size tap?

Where did it break...is it flush, sunk, sticking out?

Can you get to the back side where it came through?

Like previous poster stated, taps are brittle, so I have taken small punches and worked them out or broken them and pulled them out with magnets, twisted them on through to the other side. Just depends. If it is small like a 6-40 and you mess up the threads you can tap it up to a 8-40.

[Glenn]

I've never seen it done on a gun but have seen a mechanic use dry ice to freeze a stuck bolt. Metal contracts when cooled and it shrunk enough to turn out easily.

If you have never handled dry ice, don't touch it with bare skin

Glenn

[Guest jimdigriz]

What size tap?

Where did it break...is it flush, sunk, sticking out?

Can you get to the back side where it came through?

6-32.

Little pieces are sticking out the top. Not enough to grab with any tool. A decent size piece protrudes from the bottom, but it's only accessible from the side. That is, there's another part of the gun about a centimeter under it.

[Guest TurboniumOxide]

Pictures, as they say, speak volumes. That is a pretty small tap. If you can't get to the underside to turn it back out or completely through, then I would say that the top is going to have to be milled flat and drilled and easy-outed. or milled out without getting to the threads it created and then broken out piece by piece. Taps are very brittle ( as is evident ), so cooling it will allow you to shatter it. You need professional help.

I recognize your name from one of my favorite series of novels. The Stainless Steel Rat.

Edited October 28, 2009 by TurboniumOxide

[jimic]

You will not be able to mill and drill a broken tap......working it loose with the vice grips or breaking it with the small punch.

the tap will be so hard the only way to cut it will be by grinding.

my 2 cent worth

[glockster157]

6-32.

Little pieces are sticking out the top. Not enough to grab with any tool. A decent size piece protrudes from the bottom, but it's only accessible from the side. That is, there's another part of the gun about a centimeter under it.

If there is room, try taking a very small punch and gently try to move the tap in counterclockwise direction by tapping it. It should move in the threads it has cut. Once it moves a little it should come out. As stated, taps are too brittle to drill or cut but they will chip and break, but if that is thin metal I don't think I would try to break it out. Keep patiently working it out, if part of the tap, even a tiny part, is up above the surface, you should be able to punch out.

[poak]

I've never seen it done on a gun but have seen a mechanic use dry ice to freeze a stuck bolt. Metal contracts when cooled and it shrunk enough to turn out easily.

If you have never handled dry ice, don't touch it with bare skin

Glenn

I used this method on a stuck and stripped screw head a while back (well, a similar method).

I used an aerosol can of compressed air (like the stuff people use for cleaning computer parts/dusting). I froze the screw, then grabbed it with some channel locks, and it broke free

[DaveTN]

Trying to grab it or beat on it is only going to damage the hole and the threads. You can try a tap extractor, but that is pretty small. An EDM machine or a tap buster is the way to go. If you don’t want to pay a machine shop to do it you might try talking to the instructor at your local Tennessee state Vo-tech center.

[Guest 1817ak47]

I have seen tap extractor kits, and they go into the flute holes, there is kinda a trick to remove them sometimes by putting pins into the flute holes and turning them out.

[Superman]

The few times I have broken a tap, tap extractors have worked to get them out. But I have never broken one that small. If you have any mechanic friends they may have some tap extractors that you can try.

[Guest 1817ak47]

I didn'tsee the size mentionedearlier, a #6 is kinda small, you might need to have a machine shop usea carbide mill at high speed and slowly feed into hte tap, but that takes alot of time, though I knew someone who did this, like a hour job