Originally Posted by ILLusion
If you want to do it properly, a drill press is best, matched with a self aligning tap handle and a pressure bit. Don't forget the cutting oil.
As for the tap itself, you don't need a full tap and die set. Dies are used for creating the male thread, which you'll have no need for in this case. If all you're doing is tapping a single hole and you have no need to tap other holes in the near foreseeable future, you can just buy a single tap for the thread you need and for your specific material (aluminum) from KBC Tools. They'll also carry the handles, pressure bit, and alignment tools, and you should be able to get all this for about the same price as that Ryobi tap & die set from Home Depot. If you want to go balls out, you can get a drill press from them too, but because of the weight, you could just grab it from your local Rona/Home Depot.... or just do it by hand. :P
The tap, you'll also want a bottoming tap, since the magazine is not a through-hole. Most taps are meant for through-holes. If you don't use a bottoming tap, you may not have enough thread length for the screw to go to depth.
As for the process, with bottoming holes, don't forget to use the "3 turns in, 1 turn out" rule to clear out all flash. If it packs in at the bottom, it can create problems, as well as create rough threads. And again, lots of cutting oil. Make sure you clean out all the cutting oil after you're done, as that stuff will melt rubber right before your very eyes.
Find the screw/bolt first, then get the tap to match it's specific thread. Once you find the tap, then search online drill size charts to get the matching drill bit (or in this case, a reamer is better) for that tap size to create the perfect hole. Again, KBC Tools should have the size you want, and with basic drill bits, you can find them for less than $3 at the exact size you need.
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