Before I do something dumb

[Kodiak]

Instead of welding ( as mentioned in an earlier post they will become brittle ) This sounds like a job for the famous JB Weld.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Hey, thanks guys. I knew there was a reason I didn't want to fire up the welder this afternoon! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.

SHF

 

[bgott]

I inherited my uncle's tools, or what was left after my aunt lent them to the neighbors after he died. He spent his life working on the Cats they used on the ranches around Modesto, CA. until they saved enough to buy an almond orchard. Most of his taps have a nut hammered onto the end of the tap with a spot weld securing them. I've used them a lot and never had a problem with them. The reason you want to run the tap in and out is to break the chip and keep it from being run back between the tap and threads and screwing up the fresh threads. Or so I've been told.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

A nut would work just as well. The only reason I thought of Sockets is because I have a small quanity of the little ones and figured it would make switching tools a little quicker since they would all fit a 1/4" ratchet. With nuts, you probably wouldn't be able to use the same size for all of the taps.

SHF

 

[bgott]

My old Italian uncle was, as they say, thrifty. Nuts, even if the sockets were free, are cheaper. He'd have figured he could use the sockets for making something he couldn't use the nuts for. Those nuts he welded on were probably used.

 

[Kevin_in_Mi]

If I,m not mistaken. aren't the drive ends of most taps square? If so, then you could use a 12 point socket of the approiate size. the square would fit perfectly into the right size 12 pt socket and you could then use a wrachet to drive.
I,ve also chucked the tap in my drill press and used a long rod where your chuck key goes to drive the tap. downward pressure and perfect alignment can also be achieved