Newbie and 10 yr old son with a drill problem

[smhoff2019]

Hey Everyone, I just joined. My 10 yr old kid doesn't like video games but he does like working with tools. Everyone tells me I'm lucky. He has about 15 old lawn mowers already, and he's working on weed wackers, rototillers, and two outboards. Sometimes he makes mistakes that you wouldn't expect. Like today, he got the direction of our drill chuck wrong. He was putting in a drill bit and trying to tighten it in, but he turned the chuck the wrong way and now it's stuck open. All the way open. And he must have turned it pretty hard in the wrong direction. I can't get it unstuck. Can't get the chuck to move and tighten again. It's a Craftsman 3/8" variable speed corded drill, Model 315.101070. The chuck jaws are down and in because the chuck is fully open. Removing the chuck requires (this is what the manual says) the chuck to be fully tightened (then you use a 5/16 or larger hex). I don't have a big enough hex to work with the chuck fully open like it is now. Does anyone have any bright ideas? Thanks a million in advance.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Bite the chuck in a vise and hit the trigger?

 

[Muggzy]

Hey Everyone, I just joined. My 10 yr old kid doesn't like video games but he does like working with tools. Everyone tells me I'm lucky. He has about 15 old lawn mowers already, and he's working on weed wackers, rototillers, and two outboards. Sometimes he makes mistakes that you wouldn't expect. Like today, he got the direction of our drill chuck wrong. He was putting in a drill bit and trying to tighten it in, but he turned the chuck the wrong way and now it's stuck open. All the way open. And he must have turned it pretty hard in the wrong direction. I can't get it unstuck. Can't get the chuck to move and tighten again. It's a Craftsman 3/8" variable speed corded drill, Model 315.101070. The chuck jaws are down and in because the chuck is fully open. Removing the chuck requires (this is what the manual says) the chuck to be fully tightened (then you use a 5/16 or larger hex). I don't have a big enough hex to work with the chuck fully open like it is now. Does anyone have any bright ideas? Thanks a million in advance.

The vise might mar the chuck, but yuo could try wrapping it in a rag before clamping in a vise. Or you might try getting a piece of large round stock and grinding some flats to fit in the chuck.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Air21]

Sounds like time to buy an old Jacobs Chuck, rebuild it, then learn how to replace a drill chuck!

Don't worry, there are even YouTube videos BD

 

[The Cobbler]

try a good hard, fast hit on the outer collar of the chuck & see if that frees it up.

 

[coleman10]

I like the vise suggestion. You can get a cheap pair of rubbery soft jaws that should grip it fairly well, I’d think, without marring it.

 

[Luck-E1]

Another method to prevent marring the chuck from the serrated vice jaws is to split a PVC coupling (or short section of PVC pipe) in half. Use the two pieces as a cushion between the vice jaws and the chuck housing. This works for other metal objects that you don't want to damage. May take some additional forces on the vise to grip the workpiece and prevent slipping.

 

[kctyphoon]

Is it a keyless chuck? And if so - is there part of that chuck that doesnt spin with the keyless portion? If so, try and grab both parts with 2 pairs of channellocks or whatever you have and see if you can twist it with those.

Like others mentioned, you can try to throw it in a vise and pull the trigger, but be careful you dont twist the living **** out of your wrist if it doesnt break free.

Looking online, it looks like its a corded model.. you may wanna consider (and this might be a good time to do this) picking your kid up his own CORDLESS drill. Being cordless, you eliminate any kind of shock hazard for him. Also - newer cordless stuff has overload protection to he cant burn the tool out, itll just shut off for a second. There’s way too many benefits (esp for a young kid) to even begin to list for safety and convince to not consider it in my opinion.

A 12v cordless drill seems like a good fit for a young kid learning. Not powerful enough to hurt himself, impossible to shock anyone, yet powerful enough to do anything he would PROBABLY be doing.. not to mention bare tools, esp the brushed ones, are not very expensive if you wanna get him anything else like an impact driver or a worklight. Christmas isnt far off - i think you might have a good gift idea.

Also - might be a stupid question - but any chance he backed the bolt out inside the bottom of the chuck, and the jaws wont close cause they are hitting the bolt head? I know this is unlikely, but without actually being there to see it in person .....

Check this out too -

 

[smhoff2019]

Bite the chuck in a vise and hit the trigger?

I like this idea. Thanks! Though it kinda feels like it's not just stuck, there's something serious really blocking the turn. Something that might break if I really force it.

 

[smhoff2019]

Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate the ideas. It's not letting me multi-quote reply, so I'm gonna answer everyone here. Muggzy, you said, "Or you might try getting a piece of large round stock and grinding some flats to fit in the chuck." To be honest, I can't visualize this. What kind of stock? What kind of flats? Air21, I did watch some YouTube videos on this but nothing has worked yet. Cobbler, I tried gentler hits, maybe it's time for a couple harder ones. Luck-E, I might try the PVC pipe idea. And the rag, too, which I already did when I used my channel locks and adjustable wrench. Again, it feels like there's something major in the way -- not just a stuck chuck. Which means that kctyphoon might be right -- maybe the bolt or something at the bottom is now totally out of whack. That's how it feels -- something big is in the way. If so, how to get the bolt back? It is a keyless chuck. When I look down at the bottom of the chuck with a flashlight I think I see a small rectangular/square metal piece... He has his own $10 Harbor Freight drill but sometimes his cheap tools don't do the job and he borrows mine. He's responsible but he makes mistakes sometimes, though never a dangerous one yet that I know of. He got a Rigid reciprocating saw at a yard sale a week ago that is more powerful than I'm gonna let him use without me there. Same with the angle grinder (I know, I know). Only with me there. The impact wrench is another -- $39 Harbor Freight special that really works, corded. He's been doing this stuff for probably a year and a half and knock on wood he still has 10 fingers and 10 toes. Thanks again all.

 

[Reese]

I don't understand the need for the hex.

Most chucks on reversible drills are retained with a left hand thread screw. You remove the screw, put a chuck key in the chuck and wack it with a hammer to remove the chuck.

 

[smhoff2019]

I don't understand the need for the hex.

Most chucks on reversible drills are retained with a left hand thread screw. You remove the screw, put a chuck key in the chuck and wack it with a hammer to remove the chuck.

Thanks, Reese. It's curious to me, too. Because it says use a 5/16" or bigger hex. I guess it depends on how open the chuck is? Bigger the opening, bigger the hex. You tighten the chuck around the hex (I'm guessing) and that allows you to turn the hex and take it off (?). Just guessing here. But in our case we can't get the thing to tighten at all so we can't tighten around any hex that we own. So one solution might be to look for a bigger hex that will fit perfect. I guess that's what one of the posts above was getting at. And this is a keyless chuck.

 

[The Cobbler]

I've had to cut keyless chucks off. they can be a pita
good idea, trey to find a hex that fits it snugly

 

[smhoff2019]

Epilogue: the 2nd (or was it 3rd) time I took out the channel locks and adjustable wrench, with a couple of handy friends over, we were able to pretty gently torque it hard enough without breaking anything or roughing up the plastic/rubber of the chuck too bad. Happy ending. I really didn't think that torquing it would do it. Torquing it with a second person gives you more control and strength. I'll squirt some WD-40 in there and assume it won't happen again. Thanks again, everyone. I'd hate to have wasted a perfectly good drill. (Or even chuck).

 

[DuBois]

I'll squirt some WD-40 in there and assume it won't happen again.

If it's not already too late, maybe skip the WD-40. It doesn't provide long term lubrication, and will get sticky and cause debris to cling.

If you already hit it with WD-40 . . . don't worry about it, it'll be fine.

Either way, nice job supporting your son as he explores a new hobby.

 

[tarbellb]

Glad it worked out.

I feel like we should pool some money/gear together and get this kid some more tools to play with!

Anytime I see a kid NOT staring at their phone and doing something physically engaging I want to highfive them.

 

[Nero]

Glad it worked out.

I feel like we should pool some money/gear together and get this kid some more tools to play with!

Anytime I see a kid NOT staring at their phone and doing something physically engaging I want to highfive them.

I'd be down for this.

 

[tarbellb]

Any other takers?

 

[The Cobbler]

WD 40 is a good cleaning agent. I have washed my hammer drill chuck out of concrete dust and it then works like new.

 

[Ton ton]

Amazing, a child not glued to an electronic device?

 

[Ton ton]

Maybe some lumber and nails for the child to practice his building skills on.