Put the tap in the handle or wrench and add some lubricating/cutting oil to the tap. The oil will help the tap cut into the material and makes removing the cut material (chips) easier. The lubrication also prolongs the life of the tap. Turn clockwise until you feel the tap cutting into the material, don't over turn if the tap does not cut with ...

The process of tapping uses two separate tools: the tap which cuts the threads on the inner diameter of the hole, and the die which cuts the threads on the outer diameter of the bolt or screw. The process of cutting the threads using a tap is called tapping, and the process of using a die is called threading.

Tapping Screw Threads: From time to time it is needful to screw something into something else, which may not yet accept a screw.  If the something else is metal, screw threads can be cut into it using a handy tool called a tap.  (For rods, the screw thread cutti…

Prior to drilling the hole you will eventually tap, determine what size you need to drill for the bolt you are trying to screw in. Your hole will be smaller than the diameter of the bolt, because the threads tapped will increase the diameter. The chart above matches tap, or bolt, sizes up with their corresponding drill bit size.

A tap is used to either make new threads in a hole, or repair damaged threads. Taps can be purchased, but here is how to make one out of any bolt. After you repair the damaged threads, the bolt can still be used. When using it, apply light oil, and remove the metal shavings. Cut the grooves with a triangular file.

We then tap this hole to permit the threaded insert to "screw" in. In the photo you'll see that the inert is essentially a coiled spring. The outside diameter is going to fit the oversize hole that we drill and tap and when the insert is, well, inserted into this larger hole the resultant thread on the inside of the hole will be back down to ...

Leave the glue to dry for a few hours. Once it's dry, take your bolt and re-screw it into the now completed hole. It may be a little tight at the beginning as the bolt needs to push/cut the glue away, but once it's been put in once, it should be smoother from then on.

Regardless of the size of the fastener, whether it's a chunky 1"-8 bolt, a pipe nipple or a 2-56 screw, the fundamental remains the same: build a stack of weld beads atop the stuck bolt/tap/plug. As the weld beads build up, you'll have a surface to grip with pliers.

Open the chuck of the drill and place over the head of the screw, then hand tighten to secure the jaws of the chuck over the screw. Set the drill to reverse and gently back the screw out of the material. This works on just about any type of threaded screw or bolt stuck provided there is a portion of the head the chuck can grab onto.

The most critical thing about setting threads is keeping your angles lined up very precisely. If you are re-threading a hole and you start at an angle, several things can happen: the teeth of the tap will cross the threads and pull them out, the tap will jam and break (becoming stuck in the hole you surely were planning to use for something other than the trash), etc.