RM

Rob Mitchell

21/01/2005 11:03 AM

Drill press chuck problem

I have inherited a 30 yr old (but high quality) drill press. I am
repairing some of the easy things, like the belt and the motor mount.
However, the chuck galls, and comes off if the press is heavily loaded,
and I'm using a 'stepped' bit (which cuts big holes in aluminum and
sheet metal. There is no obvious wear on the inside of the chuck or the
arbor.

Does anyone have a pointer to drill press repair? Should I replace the
chuck, and/or the arbor? I guess that the arbor has a taper and the
chuck just seems to be friction fit onto it. Are there special tools
that are needed to attach the chuck? I have tried tapping it with a mallet.

Thanks
Rob


This topic has 16 replies

Jn

"Joe"

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

21/01/2005 10:36 PM

>I have inherited a 30 yr old (but high quality) drill press. I am
>repairing some of the easy things, like the belt and the motor mount.
> However, the chuck galls, and comes off if the press is heavily loaded,


Step one... Take it off.

Step two... Clean the interior and exterior surface with acetone, nail
polish remover, alchohol, gas, etc. Anything to remove grease and then wipe
it clean with a dry lint-free cloth.

Step three... Look for galling or burrs on either surface and remove them.

Step four... repeat step two.

Step five... If it is the morse taper, push it all back into place by hand
and then open teh chuck all the way so the jaws are up into the chuck and
not exposed. Put a thick piece of wood over the chuck and hit it upwards
and into the morse taper with a good sized hammer. Don't go crazy... You
don't need to. Many times, a hand shove will work, but you want insurance,
right?

Step five point five... If it is a Jacobs taper (probaby a 3 or 33), do
basically the same thing as step five but hit the wood much harder and make
sure you are hitting straight up,. Hit it once or twice at most. A Jacobs
taper that is properly assembled and in decent condition will never come
apart unless you try to take it apart with hammers, wedges, etc.

Step six... If this doesn't work, eMail me private and I'll send you the
chuck removal and installation pages from my equipment manuals. They go
into more detail and might help. But I'm tired and brain dead right now so
I'm off to bed soon!

Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
http://www.autodrill.com
http://www.multi-spindle-heads.com

V8013

My eBay: http://tinyurl.com/4hpnc

Jn

"Joe"

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

22/01/2005 12:50 AM

> Thanks to all. This newsgroup never ceases to amaze me. I'll try the
> cleaning and checking for burrs. The quill and the morse taper don't come
> apart. It is the chuck that comes off the taper.

Then it is probably a J33 taper and MUST be clean as a whistle, dry, and hit
on hard with either a really soft mallet (rubber or lead-filled plastic,
etc.) or with a piece of wood.

If the taper or the inner surface of the chuck's taper are dirty or marred
at all, it'll fall off over and over again - even if you put a brand new one
on.

Some folks take the morse taper out and use a hydraulic press to set the J33
taper then put the morse back in. Not suggested unless you are careful
enough not to bend something and caouse runout, etc.

> BTW, I found a good site http://www.beautifuliron.com/mttaper.htm which
> describes the morse taper and drill presses in general. I used his
> instructions and used the 'handle' to lower the spindle, which forced the
> chuck against a piece of wood on the top of the table. This seems to have
> tightened things up, but if it comes off again, I know what to change.
>
> (anyway I've had my eye on a nice keyless chuck in the King catalog)

If you want a J33 1/2" capacity key-type chuck, I know where to get brand
new ones for $74.00 plus shipping. Not a clue if that is a good price or
not, but we use them and they have never stopped working even with large
countersinking operations and a semi-dirty operating environment. They are
tough chucks and come with a free key! <grin>

Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
http://www.autodrill.com
http://www.multi-spindle-heads.com

V8013

My eBay: http://tinyurl.com/4hpnc

Jn

"Joe"

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

24/01/2005 11:17 PM

> (Contrary to
> intuition, for the typical jacobs chuck, the jaws should be extended
> slightly out of the adjustment sleeve, and the jaws struck, rather
> than the sleeve.)

First time I've ever heard this... What's the logic behind it?
--


Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
http://www.autodrill.com
http://www.multi-spindle-heads.com

V8013

My eBay: http://tinyurl.com/4hpnc

Td

"TeamCasa"

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

21/01/2005 8:53 AM

Rob,
You have three parts involved. Quill (arbor), a morse taper and the chuck.
If the chuck is slipping on the taper, replace the taper and chuck. if the
taper is slipping in the quill, just replace the taper. Either are easily
replaced and not very expensive. Each should be tapped into place with a
brass hammer.

Removing the taper from the quill requires a tapered wedge that is inserted
in the slot in the quill and driven in until the taper falls out.

Dave



"Rob Mitchell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I have inherited a 30 yr old (but high quality) drill press. I am
>repairing some of the easy things, like the belt and the motor mount.
> However, the chuck galls, and comes off if the press is heavily loaded,
> and I'm using a 'stepped' bit (which cuts big holes in aluminum and sheet
> metal. There is no obvious wear on the inside of the chuck or the arbor.
>
> Does anyone have a pointer to drill press repair? Should I replace the
> chuck, and/or the arbor? I guess that the arbor has a taper and the chuck
> just seems to be friction fit onto it. Are there special tools that are
> needed to attach the chuck? I have tried tapping it with a mallet.
>
> Thanks
> Rob
>

Gg

"George"

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

21/01/2005 1:20 PM


"TeamCasa" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Rob,
> You have three parts involved. Quill (arbor), a morse taper and the chuck.
> If the chuck is slipping on the taper, replace the taper and chuck. if
the
> taper is slipping in the quill, just replace the taper. Either are easily
> replaced and not very expensive. Each should be tapped into place with a
> brass hammer.
>
> Removing the taper from the quill requires a tapered wedge that is
inserted
> in the slot in the quill and driven in until the taper falls out.
>

Or, depending on the DP, it may have a threaded collar which keeps the J 33
chuck in position. You could whack on it 'til doomsday without removing it.
Or the taper could be retained in the quill by circlips, which would do some
major damage as they finally gave way to your delicate ministrations.

Dig up some directions by giving model/year and you might save some grief.

Td

"TeamCasa"

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

21/01/2005 2:32 PM

Larry,

Rich - close! Silly - certainly! Wabbit - not a chance.

Despite your sound advise, a morse reamer may not be cheaper than a new
taper. However, I am not above using most any lame excuse to visit the
local machine supply store. I'll let you know the price diffrence when I
return!

Dave

> Dave, you rich and silly wabbit. Check first, replace only if
> -necessary-.
>
> Rob, Check the taper parts for burrs. If you find some, get a reamer
> and use it to ensure that the female (quill) taper is smooth. File the
> burrs off the male (chuck) taper, then clean and re-insert per
> manufacturer's instructions.
>

jj

"jds"

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

22/01/2005 10:19 AM

Rob,

Sounds like you've got some good advice. Have had a similar problem with new
Delta and Jet drill presses. Put a little marking chalk on the taper and
press fit with the drill press as described in one of the posts and the
chuck should stay in place forever.


"Rob Mitchell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I have inherited a 30 yr old (but high quality) drill press. I am
>repairing some of the easy things, like the belt and the motor mount.
> However, the chuck galls, and comes off if the press is heavily loaded,
> and I'm using a 'stepped' bit (which cuts big holes in aluminum and sheet
> metal. There is no obvious wear on the inside of the chuck or the arbor.
>
> Does anyone have a pointer to drill press repair? Should I replace the
> chuck, and/or the arbor? I guess that the arbor has a taper and the chuck
> just seems to be friction fit onto it. Are there special tools that are
> needed to attach the chuck? I have tried tapping it with a mallet.
>
> Thanks
> Rob
>




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LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

21/01/2005 9:56 AM

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 08:53:15 -0800, the inscrutable "TeamCasa"
<[email protected]> spake:

>Rob,
>You have three parts involved. Quill (arbor), a morse taper and the chuck.
>If the chuck is slipping on the taper, replace the taper and chuck. if the
>taper is slipping in the quill, just replace the taper. Either are easily
>replaced and not very expensive. Each should be tapped into place with a
>brass hammer.

Dave, you rich and silly wabbit. Check first, replace only if
-necessary-.

Rob, Check the taper parts for burrs. If you find some, get a reamer
and use it to ensure that the female (quill) taper is smooth. File the
burrs off the male (chuck) taper, then clean and re-insert per
manufacturer's instructions.


-
Yea, though I walk through the valley of Minwax, I shall stain no Cherry.
http://diversify.com

DW

"Dave W"

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

22/01/2005 10:01 AM

Hi Rob,
I have had the same problem with my inherited drill press. It must be
at least 70 years old. The chuck come falling off at inopportune times,
usually when cutting with a big drill. I looked for burrs found none,
cleaned the surfaces completely and still had the same problem. Finally, in
an act of desperation, I put a little valve grinding compound on the chuck
taper. I held the chuck against the mating part with the drill rotating.
After a minute, I cleaned the grit from the shiny surfaces. Reassembled
with oil and it has been fine for over a year.
Good luck,
Dave

RM

Rob Mitchell

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

22/01/2005 12:05 AM

Thanks to all. This newsgroup never ceases to amaze me. I'll try the
cleaning and checking for burrs. The quill and the morse taper don't
come apart. It is the chuck that comes off the taper.

BTW, I found a good site http://www.beautifuliron.com/mttaper.htm which
describes the morse taper and drill presses in general. I used his
instructions and used the 'handle' to lower the spindle, which forced
the chuck against a piece of wood on the top of the table. This seems
to have tightened things up, but if it comes off again, I know what to
change.

(anyway I've had my eye on a nice keyless chuck in the King catalog)

Rob

lL

[email protected] (Lawrence Wasserman)

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

24/01/2005 8:33 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
Rob Mitchell <[email protected]> wrote:
>I have inherited a 30 yr old (but high quality) drill press. I am
>repairing some of the easy things, like the belt and the motor mount.
>However, the chuck galls, and comes off if the press is heavily loaded,
>and I'm using a 'stepped' bit (which cuts big holes in aluminum and
>sheet metal. There is no obvious wear on the inside of the chuck or the
>arbor.
>
>Does anyone have a pointer to drill press repair? Should I replace the
>chuck, and/or the arbor? I guess that the arbor has a taper and the
>chuck just seems to be friction fit onto it. Are there special tools
>that are needed to attach the chuck? I have tried tapping it with a mallet.
>
>Thanks
>Rob
>

From your description it appears the chuck is coming off of the short
jacobs taper at the bottom of the drill press spindle. (Since you
referred to the "inside" of the chuck.) The first thing to do is clean
everything up thoroughly. Use a drying solvent like automotive
Brakleen or (God forbid the EPA should hear) MEK. Check closely for
any burrs on both the male & female surfaces. If necessary remove them
with a file or fine sandpaper. Remove only the minimum amount of metal
necessary. With everything clean and dry, press the chuck up onto the
spindle. I like to hold a block of wood against the jaw end of the
chuck and give it a few whacks with a 2 or 3 lb hammer. (Contrary to
intuition, for the typical jacobs chuck, the jaws should be extended
slightly out of the adjustment sleeve, and the jaws struck, rather
than the sleeve.)


Usually this will take care of the problem. If not post again, let us
know if your press has a mandrel or morse taper arbor adapter.
--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland
[email protected]

lL

[email protected] (Lawrence Wasserman)

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

25/01/2005 9:20 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
Joe <[email protected]> wrote:
>> (Contrary to
>> intuition, for the typical jacobs chuck, the jaws should be extended
>> slightly out of the adjustment sleeve, and the jaws struck, rather
>> than the sleeve.)
>
>First time I've ever heard this... What's the logic behind it?
>--
>
>
>Regards,
>Joe Agro, Jr.
>http://www.autodrill.com
>http://www.multi-spindle-heads.com
>
>V8013
>
>My eBay: http://tinyurl.com/4hpnc
>
>

The jaws are through hardened and can take a reasonable hammer blow.
The sleeve is only held on the chuck by a press fit and pounding on it
can move it towards the back of the chuck. There is nothing to stop it
from being pressed on too far. If this happens the chuck key will not
fit. Ball-bearing chucks and the multicraft line may be different, I
have never rebuilt any of those..

At any rate, you probably wouldn't have any problems with a
"reasonable" hammer blow no matter where you hit the chuck.




--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland
[email protected]

LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

21/01/2005 10:08 PM

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 00:05:45 -0500, the inscrutable Rob Mitchell
<[email protected]> spake:

>Thanks to all. This newsgroup never ceases to amaze me. I'll try the
>cleaning and checking for burrs. The quill and the morse taper don't
>come apart. It is the chuck that comes off the taper.
>
>BTW, I found a good site http://www.beautifuliron.com/mttaper.htm which
>describes the morse taper and drill presses in general. I used his
>instructions and used the 'handle' to lower the spindle, which forced
>the chuck against a piece of wood on the top of the table. This seems
>to have tightened things up, but if it comes off again, I know what to
>change.

That has happened to my HF chuck a couple times. I clean it up, put it
back up there, and press with the feed lever. It then stays put for
another year.


>(anyway I've had my eye on a nice keyless chuck in the King catalog)

Get a nice Jacob ball bearing keyed chuck instead. I've ruined too
many drill bits with cheap chucks and those keyless SOBs.


----------------------------------------------------------
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WS

Wes Stewart

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

22/01/2005 8:32 AM

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 00:50:13 -0500, "Joe"
<[email protected]> wrote:


|If you want a J33 1/2" capacity key-type chuck, I know where to get brand
|new ones for $74.00 plus shipping. Not a clue if that is a good price or
|not, but we use them and they have never stopped working even with large
|countersinking operations and a semi-dirty operating environment. They are
|tough chucks and come with a free key! <grin>

I just replaced the chuck on my 30-year-old Taiwanese DP with one from
here:

http://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/victor/productlist.html

An English made one for $38 on my doorstep. Perfectly good enough for
the quality of the DP.

LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

21/01/2005 9:39 PM

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 14:32:49 -0800, the inscrutable "TeamCasa"
<[email protected]> spake:

>Larry,
>
> Rich - close! Silly - certainly! Wabbit - not a chance.
>
>Despite your sound advise, a morse reamer may not be cheaper than a new

I advise you to change that to "advice".


>taper. However, I am not above using most any lame excuse to visit the
>local machine supply store. I'll let you know the price diffrence when I
>return!

From $17.60 at Enco. But is it a Morse, Jacob, or R (what the heck
does the R stand for, anyway?) taper?


-
Yea, though I walk through the valley of Minwax, I shall stain no Cherry.
http://diversify.com

ON

Old Nick

in reply to Rob Mitchell on 21/01/2005 11:03 AM

26/01/2005 10:46 AM

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 00:05:45 -0500, Rob Mitchell
<[email protected]> vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Not a good idea IMO. Spend your money on a good keyed one.

>(anyway I've had my eye on a nice keyless chuck in the King catalog)


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