• Use a 1515 railcore extrusion jig to make your life simpler.
  • Jig 1
  • Jig 2 with F360 file
• Fluid recommendations:
  • Millers Tapcut Fluid
  • TapMagic
  • Community recommendations include WD40 and Anchorlube G-771
• Watch a few videos on how to tap.
• Try for half a turn forward, quarter turn back (more proficient tappers can do more than this!)
• Keep the tap straight.
• When resistance builds up and gets tight, go back until it frees, then go back more. Then go forwards once again.
• Repeat until you bottom out or hit your jig.
• It helps to use a short tap handle if you’re particularly brutish or just unsure.
• Regularly use tapping fluid and compressed air to clean out the tapped hole.
• Deburr with a countersink after tapping
• Use a sharp knife to deburr the top at the end.
• Clean off all tapping fluid at the end. Some of them are sulphur based and oily and you don’t want this hanging around.
• Just go slow and take your time. Breaking a tap or ruining an extrusion is not the aim here.
• You can use the Z extrusions as practice, as these do not need tapping. (So you’ve got 6 free practice runs)