I’ve tapped holes using my Dewalt drill with the tap in it, but only with that tapping fluid. I swear I don’t know what is in it, but it allows the tap to cut like butter. If I want to do it easier, I just drill all the way through the heat sink, so the hole isn’t blind and keep that fluid going in while tapping and all the chips go out the bottom.
I use Arctic Silver adhesive, it just makes it very hard to get the star off if you want to re-mod the light.
At the very least there’s a nice afterglow.
For semi permanent bonds I use a very thin layer of Fujik which I squirm tight and clamp until set. Likewise with AS. My bike light builds where I’m not inti the Led I use Artic 5 grease. I’m looking forward to Nitro’s copper boards. I want to try a reflow to a copper pill that has a locating rim. I still want to do that with one of Scaru’s 3x XML boards.
If you have a brass pill: solder the board to it. Anything else: grind flat, polish, glue.
now I’m getting worried…
I dunno then. The smallest I’ve done is #4-40 which isn’t that small, so if you’re working smaller than that you probably need to be extra careful. Aluminium galls and gums up very easily as it’s so soft (although I’ve heard copper is worse), so anything you can do to avoid that will help.
if you don’t have actual cutting oil, a light machine oil helps. I didn’t know there’s something different for aluminum. I wonder if there is for copper, because I hate drilling and tapping that.
tapping aluminum is pretty easy, imo.
if you break a tap in aluminum, and you used oil, and the right size drill bit, then you’re going to fast. taps aren’t made to just screw down into a hole, you have to frequently back them up a 1/4 turn to break off chips. And, the smaller the tap, the more often I back it all the way out and brush off the chips.
Mine was on copper
Hey gords, do you have a problem w ith heat after?
Do they put out more after?
I’m curious to the overall outcome 
copper is some strange stuff. I’ve ruined a couple copper heatsinks by breaking more than one tap off in them and running out of room to add another set of holes.
Maybe you should use better taps? I only break the cheap ones..
probably not a bad idea
i think i just need to wait for the right mood (ie, before any caffeine has been consumed).
A lot of skilled machinists swear than milk is the best coolant/cutting fluid for copper!
if it can re-enamelize teeth, it can cut copper?
yeah, I’ve heard that too. I’ve also heard that it stinks like crazy after a few days of hanging around in the chuck, toolpost etc 
didn’t think of the smelling part.
I just figured my cat would need some extra strength preparation H.
I find that for the most satisfying outcome, its best to whisper in their ear “your mum/sister was better” then hold on tight till its settled :bigsmile:
hahahahahahahaha…
ok back to tapping, i always used rapid tap while tapping. unless it was the last company i worked for, then it was either pb blast or what ever oil they happened to have around
I find with tapping, its not the tapping compound, its the process, as said above, in half a turn out quarter of a turn is the best method, compound helps but technique is the main thing. This coming from someone who had to tap crap stainless conveyors, ten meters long, m3 hole every 100mm, both sides top and bottom. Trust me, aluminium is nothing to that stuff.
I find that with small size taps it is difficult to keep the alignment right during the tapping.
Therefore I drill the hole as deep as I can get away with or let it go all the way through.
Then I put the tap in the battery powered drill. Put it in the lowest gear, apply cutting fluid/oil/gunk as needed (material determines the stuff I use), align the drill machine and tap and go slow. 3 turns to get started. 1 back. 2 turns more and 1 back. Now if it is copper I take the tap all the way out now and clean the hole and tap. Then start over.
I find that my taps last forever now (the expensive ones that is) and I finish the jobs much much faster too.
Hope this helps.
I must be looking at crappy taps lol, any name brand I should look at ?? I used many of these taps and I would never use a drill with one, I can’t even use a hand one with out snapping it, and I do what u guys said about cleaning it every other twist ect…. Maybe it’s just to small ? 4-40 size ?