Do All (Cheap) Drill Chucks Wobble (some)?
- Thread starter peejay75
- Start date
neophyte
Well-known member
Drill chucks are usually rated for concentricity, with higher quality, more typically more expensive versions, having better concentricity.
The specs will usually vary with the chuck, and if the manufacturer and model are specified on the chuck, you can usually look up the minimum tolerance specs for that chuck.
Another issue that can occur, is that the drill arbor is off, and lacks good concentricity, in which case a high quality spec’d chuck isn’t going to help things.
Maybe an out of spec chick, can be matched with a similarly out of spec drill, and the tolerance issues can cancel each other out.
The specs will usually vary with the chuck, and if the manufacturer and model are specified on the chuck, you can usually look up the minimum tolerance specs for that chuck.
Another issue that can occur, is that the drill arbor is off, and lacks good concentricity, in which case a high quality spec’d chuck isn’t going to help things.
Maybe an out of spec chick, can be matched with a similarly out of spec drill, and the tolerance issues can cancel each other out.
Concentricity...that's the word I was looking for! Thanks for the info, I guess the arbor being "off" is probably what I'm experiencing.
neophyte
Well-known member
It could be the chuck, or it could be the arbor.
Tapered (internal or external) are usually more likely to be accurate than threaded arbors.
Mist handheld drolls use threaded arbors, but some older non hammer drills did use tapered arbors.
Fein and maybe a few other manufacturers of hand held drills still make some models that use tapered arbors.
Udually, the dolid steel keyless chucks from manufacturers like Rohm/Roehm, Metabo, Llambrich, and Yukiwa, should have higher concentricity.
Quick change chuck systems like those found on drills like Festool, are probably less likely to be accurate.
Tapered (internal or external) are usually more likely to be accurate than threaded arbors.
Mist handheld drolls use threaded arbors, but some older non hammer drills did use tapered arbors.
Fein and maybe a few other manufacturers of hand held drills still make some models that use tapered arbors.
Udually, the dolid steel keyless chucks from manufacturers like Rohm/Roehm, Metabo, Llambrich, and Yukiwa, should have higher concentricity.
Quick change chuck systems like those found on drills like Festool, are probably less likely to be accurate.
alfadan
Well-known member
You're not measuring the runout of the body of the chuck are you? That is of no concern.
Just giving it the "eye test". There is A LOT of wobble on the chuck (older Ryobi drill), but not sure how much of that is transferring to the end of the bit.
Just google "drill concentricity" and a product video from Rohm was the top search result!
Cruzan80
Well-known member
Put a drill bit in it, and then clamp a sharp pencil upright pointing at the end of the drill bit. Rotate by hand, and see how much the point of the drill bit moves.
The outside of the chuck has no bearing on if the bit can be held concentric without run-out.
The outside of the chuck has no bearing on if the bit can be held concentric without run-out.
The good thing about a hand held drill motor is that once the bit is established in the hole you can let the drill motor wobble and the bit find it's own center. Have you checked how much wobble you have in the spindle and are the spindle bearings still tight? Is this drill new to you or have you had years of experience with it?
lg
no neat sig line
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
You gotta start with the spindle. Check it with an indicator.
Then mount a chuck, and chuck up something relatively straight and concentric.. drill rod will suffice, and put the indicator on the drill rod very close to the jaws. Mark with a sharpie where the biggest reading is. Re chuck drill rod test again. At the highest reading , put the indicator on the nose of chuck... if it matches with where the highest reading of drill rod was, give the chuck a nudge with a soft mallet, aluminum, brass.. etc and see if you can get the number down.
It's also interesting to lube up the drill rod with some tri flow or whatever.. you'll get better readings.. helps the jaws slide down and grasp the work better.. interesting.
If the chuck is solid ie not moving around on spindle, modest wobble will still drill ok.. it will just make a bigger hole that what the drill bit is (more so than usual).
For small bits, it may cause them to break.
Then mount a chuck, and chuck up something relatively straight and concentric.. drill rod will suffice, and put the indicator on the drill rod very close to the jaws. Mark with a sharpie where the biggest reading is. Re chuck drill rod test again. At the highest reading , put the indicator on the nose of chuck... if it matches with where the highest reading of drill rod was, give the chuck a nudge with a soft mallet, aluminum, brass.. etc and see if you can get the number down.
It's also interesting to lube up the drill rod with some tri flow or whatever.. you'll get better readings.. helps the jaws slide down and grasp the work better.. interesting.
If the chuck is solid ie not moving around on spindle, modest wobble will still drill ok.. it will just make a bigger hole that what the drill bit is (more so than usual).
For small bits, it may cause them to break.
alfadan
Well-known member
Oh yeah in a hand drill, my arms and hands have a lot more runout than any chuck!
Years of experience with this drill, it's always had this wobble, but I've only recently discovered GJ!
My only comparison to "it shouldn't wobble this much" is an old Craftsman corded drill, and drill presses. Oh another Ryboi I bought to replace this one, but I feel it "wobbles" even more.
Never tried to inspect the spindle or bearings, that might be my next step.
Just to reiterate what's been said already, the external surfaces of the drill chuck are not controlled and may wobble. What matters is the relationship between the mounting surface (a taper, typically) and the jaws. So the chuck body may wobble but a piece of rod clamped in the jaws may run perfectly true. Or you have a bad spindle and/or taper and/or chuck so you have wobble at the twist drill anyways.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Hey! I dated that out-of-spec chick back in college!
You're twisted.