ram rod2
Member
Tapping threads in to thin wall tubing or installing a threaded bung can be a pain. Here's a little trick that I have used. First clean the area were you want the threaded hole. Mark hole location with center punch. Then depending on the size hole you want,take a drift one size bigger than hole and dimple the tube at the center punch location. About 1/16" deep. Weld up the dimple and sand flush.(don"t sand below flush) Remark hole location,drill and tap hole. This will give you more meat to get a better thread count. I have used this process on 5/16" and less holes. You can also use this process for repairing striped threads when resizing is not a option. I suggest that you practice on a some scrap tubing to get welding heat right.