The average do-it-yourselfer hates to drill metal, especially steel. We don’t know how many questions readers have submitted and we’ve answered on that topic over the years. Even the most enthusiastic ...

Taps and dies are great for cutting new threads or repairing old threads on metals, plastics and other hard materials. Taps cut threads on the inside of holes and dies cut threads on the outside of ...

A cheap and effective ratcheting tap. Need to cut threads into a hole? A tool called a tap is what you need, and a hand-operated one like the one shown here to the side is both economical and ...

Twist drills do not make accurately sized or good finish holes; a reamer of some type is often used to cut the final size and finish. A reamer will not make the original hole; it will only enlarge a ...

Self-tapping screws are usually drilled into pre-made holes (pilot holes) in metals, such as zinc, aluminum, and bronze and its alloys, as well as plastics and resin-impregnated plywood. They create ...

The strength of some internal threads is more sensitive to tap diameter than previously thought. • Cold-formed threads are no stronger than cut threads when holes are correctly sized. • Cut threads ...

Ever been curious on how to fasten 3D printed parts together? There are lots of ways to do it — but what’s the best way? [Chris Lopez] works in a machine shop and decided to do some testing of how ...

The CoroTap® 400 is a chip-free solution for blind and through holes in aluminum applications with a stable design, offering a lower risk for breakage. Threading is often the last operation in part ...

All Wisconsin crops are impacted by the weather, and that includes maple syrup. Maple sap collection involves drilling into mature trees, with modern methods like vacuum systems and pipeline networks ...

If you want to generate power by tapping the heat from beneath our feet, what better way than to drill an outrageously deep hole into a volcano? That’s what’s currently happening in Iceland. The BBC ...