Removing pieces of broken tap!! This must be a common problem.

it depends on how far down the tap is broke off. The tool that cephus mentions works, but some have cut a slot in the tap and used a screwdriver to get it out (that is good for when the taphas a little bit above the surface of the hole). if it isn't a hss tap using a punch and a hammer will shatter it.

Buy a small left-handed drill bit and try to drill into the center of the broken tap, the bit will catch on the tap and run it out.

I have to ask, now do not get me wrong I am just asking,, why are you tapping the rear trunion??? I understand screwing the front because you need a pressing jig to reach inside the trunion,,, BUT the rear is all the way through. Why not rivet it?? Slide it through and hammer it down. my amd63 is a screw job but only the front trunion all others are rivets done without a press. Do you want to be able to take it appart??
just wondering :smile:

hotbarrel said:

I have to ask, now do not get me wrong I am just asking,, why are you tapping the rear trunion??? I understand screwing the front because you need a pressing jig to reach inside the trunion,,, BUT the rear is all the way through. Why not rivet it?? Slide it through and hammer it down. my amd63 is a screw job but only the front trunion all others are rivets done without a press. Do you want to be able to take it appart??
just wondering :smile:

Click to expand...

Thats what I plan on doing now. This is a AK-74 rear trunnion so it would use one long rivet and two short ones in the front. The front holes were tapped without a problem. It was the long hole on the rear that the tap broke off in. I am going to get it punched out tomarrow after work. I looked through my spare "AK parts" drawers and happened to find that I had one long rivet left, sweeeet!!!! I will use the long rivet in the back and use the 10/32 screws for the front holes until I get the correct length rivets for those.



Mike.

They make special tap removal tools that have 2,3, or 4 fingers (depending on how many flutes) that reach down into the hole and grab the the tap flutes, then you just un-screw the tool and out comes the tap. I will admit that I have had broken taps that the tool would not get out. Also the books that Brownell's sells, it's a series called Gunsmith's Kinks (up to 4 volumes now) has a wealth of information on all sorts of gunsmith problems and how to fix them including broken tap removal. Well worth the price.

oil, oil, oil... Turn tap in a litlle bit, then back it out.. oil, oil, oil, turn tap in little more, then back it out.. oil...ect ect.. take your time, and you should'nt ever break them...

OK it is very clear to me now. just a heads up the rivets from pats group buy seem to be a bit longer. I realy like them to hand hammer.