Small tapped holes in lathe without rigid tap. programming, single point, tap heads?

[honeybunches]

Have a 2 axis lathe with Fanuc OT control.  Really need to machine to make a 1/4-20 threaded hole and I guess these machines just did not have the ability to do it.  I have never used a tapping head as everything else has rigid tapping.  In talking with others, it sounds like a basic tension/compression holder will work but need something pretty low profile.  Tight quarters in there!  Any recommendations would be great!  We have 1.25" shanks.  Sure looks like it would be slick to just remove a tool block entirely and make a custom block to recess a tap head but that might be over thinking it.  

Also, wondering if I should even consider single point for such a small hole?  I know they make little solid carbides for this but never tried it and sounds like a rats nest of a problem without TSC in the tool.  

I really have not looked into programming a non-G84 cycle but a bit resistance to hand coding I guess, but there are no other cycles available that would reverse the spindle other than tapping in MCX, and that always spits out a G84 cycle.  Is this going to be a simple work around?  I have a lot of concerns like feedrate override, feed hold, etc.  The machine does not have  macros either, so this might end up being a "hold your mouth right" sort of deal.  

 

For these reasons, single point was sort of being considered as thought I have never tried it, I believe if you hit feed hold in the cycle, it will not stop until the next G0 move.  

 

 

[Guest]

I've tapped them, I've single pointed, hell, I've thread milled them on a lathe....

Done properly, there should not be an issue

 

JM2C YMMV

Edited October 10, 2017 by Guest

[Greg_J]

G32 in with a M03 then G32 out with a M04.

May need to have a M05 in there to stop the spindle then M04 out, depends on your machine.

[honeybunches]

38 minutes ago, JParis said:

I've tapped them, I've single pointed, hell, I've thread milled them on a lathe....

Done properly, there should not be an issue

 

JM2C YMMV

How did that single point work out for you?  What size?  Would seem the chips would pack up in a small blind hole?  But I guess Maybe feeding from bottom to top might work?