Regarding tapping i have had great luck finding a working solution.
Now hear me out as it sound a bit odd but works great.
So i have a very cheap 40$ HF drill press, Very weak motor.
Position the work under the bit not under power then turn on and hold the part. (this is better for larger things vice smaller harder to hold but dont bolt the vice down)
If you set it to the slowest speed loosen the belt a bit and throw a tap in it and pull down while going threw work no problem.
If you use enough lube it can go threw in one pass but if you do it dry or have a cheap tap it will slip on the belt half way threw and then u just switch it off then manually turn it reverse then go back forward.
I found almost 90% of the time i broke a tap was doing it by hand and not being perfectly straight.
The only thing that would make this faster would be to change it to a dc motor for a powered reverse i could do each hole in under 20 seconds.