stainless tube as taps

[sugarnut]

i have about 20 pieces of heavy walled stainless tubing that fits perfectly snug inside 5/16 tubing line. the OD is not as wide as a standard LAMB plastic spout...not sure of the OD. i was wondering how well it would work for tap material. the only problem i can see is the lack of a taper. i wonder if it would leak really bad? i may play around with them just to see and tap a few trees to far from my lines and use jugs or buckets. i will probably make drop from 5/16 tubing and run it into water jugs.

what do you think?

[WF MASON]

I have one customer who comes here that took the right size brake line from
Napa,cut it into pieces, heat it up, queach it in oil so it wouldn't rust and sticks them in the tap holes, it will work, and the savings is ?

[Clan Delaney]

I'd do most of your test drilling in scrap wood to get your tap hole the right size. No need in putting unnecessary holes in your maples.

[jtthibodeau]

I question the saving also. However, you should be able to find a "tapered bit" at better quality woodworking supply companies. Sizing, I imagine, would be somewhat critical. Not sure about finding one in Home Depot but, never can tell.

[ericjeeper]

I question the saving also. However, you should be able to find a "tapered bit" at better quality woodworking supply companies. Sizing, I imagine, would be somewhat critical. Not sure about finding one in Home Depot but, never can tell.

With a little bit of engineering a tapered bit can be made pretty easily. Chuck the bit into a drill and run it against a disk sander or belt sander.. You are only going to need a bit of taper to make the straight tubing head up tight pretty quick in wood.

[Lyle]

I did as ericjeeper said. Ground a slight taper in one end of 5/16 ss tube about 21/2" long. I have been using about 150 of them for several years now. They work well. I just make the hole snug and tap them in.

[RileySugarbush]

I did the same with stainless hydraulic tubing years ago. I sanded a taper on the OD and tapped them in. They held fine with a short drop on them but wouldn't hold anything like a sack or bucket.