Fixing a loose drill press chuck?

[IanF]

I have a Craftsman bench type drill press with a 5/8" chuck I bought about 10 years ago. The chuck is a tapered friction fit onto the spindle. A coupel of years ago, I was using it and the drill simply stopped. Then I noticed the spindle was still turning, but was just spinning in the the chuck. Raising the spindle would drop the chuck onto the work.

If I raisehte table and press the chuck back on, it'll stay in place but small jobs, but the fact is I break out the press for larger jobs.

What is a good way to fix this? I had thought about roughing up the surfaces a bit and then applying some red loctite, but I'm hoping for a second opinion before trying that.

Thanks,

 

[Davefr]

It sounds like you might have damaged the taper on either the spindle or the chuck.

Make sure you remove any raised spots with fine emery cloth. (a few valleys are OK). After that clean the taper and the chuck socket real well. Now take a mallet and give the chuck a couple good swift taps to seat it. (jaws retracted and use a piece of wood to protect the chuck)

If that doesn't work you might need to replace the spindle and/or the chuck.

Don't try and glue it in. It won't hold if it's damaged.

 

[Tig Master]

http://www.jacobschuck.com/drill-chuck-install.asp

T

 

[Stuey]

It sounds like you might have damaged the taper on either the spindle or the chuck.

Make sure you remove any raised spots/grooves with fine emery cloth. After that clean the taper and the chuck socket real well. Now take a mallet and give the chuck a couple good swift taps to seat it. (jaws retracted and use a piece of wood to protect the chuck)

If that doesn't work you might need to replace the spindle and/or the chuck.

Don't try and glue it in. It won't hold if it's damaged.

Agreed. Just clean it as best as possible, but don't try to rough it up! Smooth metal to smooth metal should provide enough hold if there are no contaminants between them.

It might not be the best way, but I just use a 2x4 to drive the chuck onto the spindle taper. On my benchtop presses there are no easy ways to get mallet action in there.

 

[lilredex]

After cleaning up both the spindle and bore, as above, take a felt pen marker and mark the spindle area. Then take the chuck and twist it back and forth on the spindle. That will show how close the mate is, by what area is rubbed off, and if it needs more correcting.

If it is close, apply a bit of very fine grinding compound to the spindle and turn the chuck back and forth manually (not under power). That is known as lapping the two surfaces.

Clean up the spindle and bore and apply some chalk to the spindle and re-attach the chuck...........should be good to go.

 

[Davefr]

Clean up the spindle and bore and apply some chalk to the spindle and re-attach the chuck...........should be good to go.

I'm curious. What's the purpose of the chalk?? (does it prevent slippage like in a game of pool?)

 

[justanengineer]

To properly seat the tapers after checking for burrs and high spots (dont worry about low spots), put a block of wood on the table, open the jaws 1/2 way on the chuck, and use the machine itself like a press to carefully press the tapers together. Some may argue, but I was raised and always read never to use a mallet to seat tapers as you will never apply force in the proper axis.

 

[PT Doc]

I vote for no mallet. Just press it on.

 

[lilredex]

I'm curious. What's the purpose of the chalk?? (does it prevent slippage like in a game of pool?)

Pretty much... it adds to the "grippiness" that already exists with a properly fitted taper. It's an old trick, I did not invent it, and it does work.

 

[IanF]

Thanks for the ideas. The spindle and chuck bore appear to be very smooth, but I'll look at them again. I've been using the machine itslef to press the chuck back on, but it hasn't been holding. I'll have to find some fine emory cloth.

 

[Outlawmws]

The DP is itself a form of arbor press... Open the chuck so you aren't on the jaws and raise the table and use a block of wood and crank on it. My Old DP use to do that once in a while and after I "Pressed" it on tight like that it stayed for the next 20 years or so...

 

[Givl Reggin]

Here's how to install a Jacobs chuck direct from the Jacobs chuck people.

Clean the spindle taper and the socket. Lightly stone the tapered fits to remove raised metal from burrs - or the crests of annular scoring should it be present. The object is to get a smooth conical surface on the taper and the socket.

Heat the chuck to 350 degrees (no more) in a cheap foil pan the oven for about 30 minutes. It will smell a little bit the heat will not draw the taper or affect the chuck's performance or lubrication. The Jabobs guy used a plain old toaster oven with a cheap oven thermometer in it.

Grab the hot chuck in an oven mitt and hurry it out to the drill press and put it on the taper. Hold it in position by forcing the chuck against a handy wood block you cleverly pre-placed for that purpose. Hold the chuck in place for a minute or so and it will stay put. Allow it to cool to safe handling temperature before you put in into service.

When the chuck cools it will grip the taper as though it was forced on with a 2 ton press. That's about 6 times what you can get by forcing it on cold with the feed lever or by using a wood mallet.

This process is called variously: shrink fitting, differential thermal expantion, or shrinking-on. It's used on a widely in industry to install ball bearings, ship's propellers on their tapers, and bushings in their housings. The object is to secure temporary clearance by heating the external fit, cooling the internal fit, or both.

 

[michael murder]

I had this same problem with an 80's Made in Taiwan drill press.

Like someone mentioned, I heated that chuck up in an oven. I cleaned the spindle and packed ice packs around it before I put the chuck back on. I used a giant C-clamp and two blocks of wood to press the chuck onto the spindle.

It's stayed put for the last year with no problems. It'll spin the pulleys now instead of throwing the chuck, so I'd say it's a pretty reliable method.

 

[Davefr]

Heat the chuck to 350 degrees (no more) in a cheap foil pan the oven for about 30 minutes. It will smell a little bit the heat will not draw the taper or affect the chuck's performance or lubrication. The Jabobs guy used a plain old toaster oven with a cheap oven thermometer in it.

The Jacobs Super Chuck series have plastic ball bearing retaining rings and they use grease for the ball bearing lubricant.

I'd be concerned the plastic ring would melt at that temp.

 

[Tig Master]

Here's how to install a Jacobs chuck direct from the Jacobs chuck people.

Clean the spindle taper and the socket. Lightly stone the tapered fits to remove raised metal from burrs - or the crests of annular scoring should it be present. The object is to get a smooth conical surface on the taper and the socket.

Heat the chuck to 350 degrees (no more) in a cheap foil pan the oven for about 30 minutes. It will smell a little bit the heat will not draw the taper or affect the chuck's performance or lubrication. The Jabobs guy used a plain old toaster oven with a cheap oven thermometer in it.

Grab the hot chuck in an oven mitt and hurry it out to the drill press and put it on the taper. Hold it in position by forcing the chuck against a handy wood block you cleverly pre-placed for that purpose. Hold the chuck in place for a minute or so and it will stay put. Allow it to cool to safe handling temperature before you put in into service.

When the chuck cools it will grip the taper as though it was forced on with a 2 ton press. That's about 6 times what you can get by forcing it on cold with the feed lever or by using a wood mallet.

This process is called variously: shrink fitting, differential thermal expantion, or shrinking-on. It's used on a widely in industry to install ball bearings, ship's propellers on their tapers, and bushings in their housings. The object is to secure temporary clearance by heating the external fit, cooling the internal fit, or both.

http://www.jacobschuck.com/drill-chuck-install.asp

This is on Jacobs site where is the heat used here ????

T

 

[justanengineer]

Here's how to install a Jacobs chuck direct from the Jacobs chuck people.

Clean the spindle taper and the socket. Lightly stone the tapered fits to remove raised metal from burrs - or the crests of annular scoring should it be present. The object is to get a smooth conical surface on the taper and the socket.

Heat the chuck to 350 degrees (no more) in a cheap foil pan the oven for about 30 minutes. It will smell a little bit the heat will not draw the taper or affect the chuck's performance or lubrication. The Jabobs guy used a plain old toaster oven with a cheap oven thermometer in it.

Grab the hot chuck in an oven mitt and hurry it out to the drill press and put it on the taper. Hold it in position by forcing the chuck against a handy wood block you cleverly pre-placed for that purpose. Hold the chuck in place for a minute or so and it will stay put. Allow it to cool to safe handling temperature before you put in into service.

When the chuck cools it will grip the taper as though it was forced on with a 2 ton press. That's about 6 times what you can get by forcing it on cold with the feed lever or by using a wood mallet.

This process is called variously: shrink fitting, differential thermal expantion, or shrinking-on. It's used on a widely in industry to install ball bearings, ship's propellers on their tapers, and bushings in their housings. The object is to secure temporary clearance by heating the external fit, cooling the internal fit, or both.

I think youre rather mistaken. What you posted would work for installing the chuck onto the arbor but wont work for installing the chuck+arbor onto the drill. In that case, you are expanding the male portion of the arbor which will cool/contract inside the spindle and loosen the chuck/arbor. Irregardless, you always should install the arbor onto the chuck, then that assembly onto the drill press so you can remove it as an assembly to use taper tooling (drills, reamers etc).

As Dave suggested, I wouldnt heat one of my chucks. Typically the grease used is rather thin and not hi-temp capable.

 

[Steinmetz]

I think youre rather mistaken. What you posted would work for installing the chuck onto the arbor but wont work for installing the chuck+arbor onto the drill. In that case, you are expanding the male portion of the arbor which will cool/contract inside the spindle and loosen the chuck/arbor. Irregardless, you always should install the arbor onto the chuck, then that assembly onto the drill press so you can remove it as an assembly to use taper tooling (drills, reamers etc).

As Dave suggested, I wouldnt heat one of my chucks. Typically the grease used is rather thin and not hi-temp capable.

Agree.

 

[Steinmetz]

I have a Craftsman bench type drill press with a 5/8" chuck I bought about 10 years ago. The chuck is a tapered friction fit onto the spindle. A coupel of years ago, I was using it and the drill simply stopped. Then I noticed the spindle was still turning, but was just spinning in the the chuck. Raising the spindle would drop the chuck onto the work.

If I raisehte table and press the chuck back on, it'll stay in place but small jobs, but the fact is I break out the press for larger jobs.

What is a good way to fix this? I had thought about roughing up the surfaces a bit and then applying some red loctite, but I'm hoping for a second opinion before trying that.

Thanks,

Make sure the taper isn't damaged, and still fits properly. Prussian Blue may be used to determine if the taper is seating properly.

 

[Givl Reggin]

http://www.jacobschuck.com/drill-chuck-install.asp
This is on Jacobs site where is the heat used here ????
T

The method I posted was demonstrated to me by the Jacobs people probably 35 years ago... maybe more. I suspect that since they are now using plastic parts in their chucks that the heat/shrink method is no longer recommended.

And Yes, I thought the posted question was how to keep the chuck on, not the spindel in the drill press.

 

[6PTsocket]

Here's how to install a Jacobs chuck direct from the Jacobs chuck people.

Clean the spindle taper and the socket. Lightly stone the tapered fits to remove raised metal from burrs - or the crests of annular scoring should it be present. The object is to get a smooth conical surface on the taper and the socket.

Heat the chuck to 350 degrees (no more) in a cheap foil pan the oven for about 30 minutes. It will smell a little bit the heat will not draw the taper or affect the chuck's performance or lubrication. The Jabobs guy used a plain old toaster oven with a cheap oven thermometer in it.

Grab the hot chuck in an oven mitt and hurry it out to the drill press and put it on the taper. Hold it in position by forcing the chuck against a handy wood block you cleverly pre-placed for that purpose. Hold the chuck in place for a minute or so and it will stay put. Allow it to cool to safe handling temperature before you put in into service.

When the chuck cools it will grip the taper as though it was forced on with a 2 ton press. That's about 6 times what you can get by forcing it on cold with the feed lever or by using a wood mallet.

This process is called variously: shrink fitting, differential thermal expantion, or shrinking-on. It's used on a widely in industry to install ball bearings, ship's propellers on their tapers, and bushings in their housings. The object is to secure temporary clearance by heating the external fit, cooling the internal fit, or both.

But how do you get it back off? Will wedges still work with reasonable force?

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