Build a furniture quality Laptop Stand and TV Tray

Step 2 Drill and tap holes for set screws

The first step is to drill and tap holes in the elbows and flanges for the set screws that will enable us to lock the pipes in place once we have the stand built. Mount one of the elbows and center punch dimples in the middle of the small ridge on the edges of the elbow. Drill holes using the correct bit for the 1/4-20 tap. Do the same for each floor flange. There should be two set screws in each elbow and one in each flange.

Note: No need to be intimidated by the tapping procedure. It's a lot of fun, and the cast iron metal of the joints and flanges are very easy to drill and tap. Once you master the tapping of threads you will think of hundreds of applications to do so in your projects. Get in the habit of using a little oil, like Tap Magic, and the process is even easier.

Comments

[ClayOgre]

Some light oil or tapping fluid such as Tap Magic would help with this process and make it so that you are less likely to break a tap.

[cybergap]

Thanks for the comment, and you are right. Oil never hurts, and in solid steel it's an absolute must. The cast iron fittings on this project are surprisingly easy to tap, so you can forego the oil and still get a really nice thread without risk of breaking a tap this size.

[ClayOgre]

I have broken my share of taps (I work in a factory that makes diesel engines), and know from personal experience what a headache they can be to remove (and this is with things like a burnout machine to electrically "dissolve" the broken tap, or tap extractors...which can break, too) ...I'd hate to think what it would be like to try and remove a busted tap without such toys.