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Tightening a keyed chuck...

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Pexto

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nadogail said:
Usually it only takes one time for a new guy to learn to remove the key from a chuck before starting a Drill Press.
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On my main drill press, I attached a little cable between the chuck key and the switch safety interlock (little plastic piece). So there's no way I can turn the drill press on with the key in the chuck. This is simple, and gives me a lot of peace of mind.

As far as tightening the chuck, I was taught by the two best machinists I've ever met to "walk the chuck". Tighten one hole, go to the next one and you get another partial turn, and then the 3rd hole, even if you can't tighten the chuck further, tells you that you've done everything right. I very rarely ever spin a bit since I started walking the chuck.
 
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MR2FC

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nadogail said:
Usually it only takes one time for a new guy to learn to remove the key from a chuck before starting a Drill Press.
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Worst chuck key injury I ever received was an incredibly painful subcutaneous haemotoma as I managed to grab my finger while tightening.

It probably didn't hurt as much as being hit in the nuts with a chuck key, but I do still remember it happening!
 
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Whitworth

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I have always gotten a measurable amount of movement turning the key on the second hole after the first, and then maybe a little more on the third.
You are applying the force of a lever (the key) to a particular single location. You will get more force by applying at multiple locations. To me, it's like prying the lid off a can of paint, you can try to force the issue at one location or slowly work your way around.
 
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slowtwitch73

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If you close the chuck all the way empty, then hit the outside of the jaws with a drop of Triflow, etc, then open it back up, it will tighten much easier.

On a hand drill you can just put a drop into the body between the jaws.
 
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Whitworth

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slowtwitch73 said:
So you don't have to spin the chuck looking for one.
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Why would manufacturers care about that? They'd be weakening the body of the chuck and adding manufacturing steps for user convenience only? Especially those little cheap chucks.

Why aren't there any discount-bin drill chucks with one hole, it would save $$.
 
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no704

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On a non related subject, just got a new Dewalt 20v drill the chuck is near unusable!
 
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Barnabas

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I really hated the spring-loaded Chuck key when I first got one, but have gotten used to it.

As for the new style gas cans, hate them. I call them “stupid cans.”
 
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Norcal

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Garcky said:
Whichever method you use, do NOT leave the key in the chuck, or the shop teacher, Mr. Hardassy, will whack you with something.
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Better for the shop teacher to whack you, then for the chuck to whack you with the key.
 
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Ole Slewfoot

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Whitworth said:
Why would manufacturers care about that? They'd be weakening the body of the chuck and adding manufacturing steps for user convenience only? Especially those little cheap chucks.

Why aren't there any discount-bin drill chucks with one hole, it would save $$.
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Too cheap to redesign, they are all just copying Jacobs who copied T.R.Almond.
 
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Zeke

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Well, I tried this on my modest CM 5-speed DP with the sorry *** spring loaded chuck key and it works surprisingly well. Even doing 2 out of 3 made a difference and I could use less strength at each point and still get a better grip on a bit. I like it.
 
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bubinga

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Zeke said:
Well, I tried this on my modest CM 5-speed DP with the sorry *** spring loaded chuck key and it works surprisingly well. Even doing 2 out of 3 made a difference and I could use less strength at each point and still get a better grip on a bit. I like it.
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Yes, I've been tightening all 3 for years. Again, the manual for my drill press says to do so.
 
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bubinga

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RoninB4 said:
JMO from decades of machine shop work, never made a habit of tightening all 3 locations. If the drill spins in the chuck you're either:
1) Feeding it too fast and it's grabbing in the material
2) Don't have an edge break (if drilling brass) and is grabbing the material
3) Need flats on the shank for a more positive mechanical drive
4) Have a chuck that's been over-tightened and is "sprung" (need to rebuild/replace the chuck)
2) Are just using the wrong machine for what you're doing.

Tightening all 3 locations shouldn't create hole that's more true to size, whether by drill or reamer. There's several reasons for an over-size hole with a drill/reamer.
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Oh, you can over tighten a drill chuck?
I do like to tighten all 3, so l should just tighten each hole position moderately?
 
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bubinga

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racecougar said:
I have always tightened via one hole; never heard of anyone going around and tightening via all three. Do you loose
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P51Mustang said:
Way, way back in high school my shop teacher said to always use all three holes when tightening the chuck. He said that it was to even the wear out on the chuck. I have no idea if this does help but even after a lot of years I still tend to do that.
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Makes sense to me.
 
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RoninB4

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bubinga said:
Oh, you can over tighten a drill chuck?
I do like to tighten all 3, so l should just tighten each hole position moderately?
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-Yes you can over-tighten, some knub-nuts will use a short length of pipe on the chuck key when having trouble instead of determining the real cause. If you only use your hand, the leverage on the chuck key shouldn't cause any harm to a well made drill chuck. The low quality **** that comes from China is another matter, anything can happen with low quality goods. Same goes for a lathe chuck, seen plenty that have become "sprung" over the years.

If you're still experiencing a drill spinning in a chuck, refer to my post. Chances are it's biting off more than it can handle. Many reasons for this. Drilling is not as simple as some people make it out to be. Hope this helps someone.
 
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bubinga

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RoninB4 said:
-Yes you can over-tighten, some knub-nuts will use a short length of pipe on the chuck key when having trouble instead of determining the real cause. If you only use your hand, the leverage on the chuck key shouldn't cause any harm to a well made drill chuck. The low quality **** that comes from China is another matter, anything can happen with low quality goods. Same goes for a lathe chuck, seen plenty that have become "sprung" over the years.

If you're still experiencing a drill spinning in a chuck, refer to my post. Chances are it's biting off more than it can handle. Many reasons for this. Drilling is not as simple as some people make it out to be. Hope this helps someone.
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Thank you. Sounds good. No actually I've never had much trouble with bit spinning. Maybe in a handheld drill a few times, but never recall it happening in my drill press.
 
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