repairing "egg-beater" style drill chuck

I think there are supposed to be springs that keep the jaws spread apart
(against the inside of the chuck). There should be small recesses in the
sides of each jaw piece where the spring sits. You should have three small
springs if you have three jaw pieces.

BruceT


"Par" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> No, not a power drill, the old fashioned "egg-beater" type. My problem
> is that the three whatchamcalits in the chuck that grasp the drill bit
> shaft are loose. I can get them in place, I can even use the drill to
> make holes. Only they are flopping around in there when not "in use"
> (i.e. when the chuck is not tightened up).
>
> Any hints as to what I need to do to fix it?
>
> /Par
>
> --
> Par [email protected]
> Making mental lists of laws broken is an enjoyable pastime, but I
> recommend against putting it in writing. -- Alan J Rosenthal

Par wrote:
> No, not a power drill, the old fashioned "egg-beater" type. My problem
> is that the three whatchamcalits in the chuck that grasp the drill bit
> shaft are loose. I can get them in place, I can even use the drill to
> make holes. Only they are flopping around in there when not "in use"
> (i.e. when the chuck is not tightened up).
>
> Any hints as to what I need to do to fix it?
>

I don't know but George will know. Search his site.

http://www.georgesbasement.com/

"Par" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> No, not a power drill, the old fashioned "egg-beater" type. My problem
> is that the three whatchamcalits in the chuck that grasp the drill bit
> shaft are loose. I can get them in place, I can even use the drill to
> make holes. Only they are flopping around in there when not "in use"
> (i.e. when the chuck is not tightened up).
>
> Any hints as to what I need to do to fix it?
>

I'd pick up either an entire replacement, if you can find the spindle
thread, or one of the "keyless" types of the same capacity used on work
arbors. They have springs and tapered jaws that close as the originals.

Still have one oddball compression spring in one for my lathe, so you might
be able to find one in the proper section at Menards or another borg. Next
time sweep the floor before you dismantle it, George....

I had one of these that needed springs. What I used was the
little springs that fit against the tumblers of a lock cylinder.

HB

In article <[email protected]>,
Par <[email protected]> wrote:
>No, not a power drill, the old fashioned "egg-beater" type. My problem
>is that the three whatchamcalits in the chuck that grasp the drill bit
>shaft are loose. I can get them in place, I can even use the drill to
>make holes. Only they are flopping around in there when not "in use"
>(i.e. when the chuck is not tightened up).
>
>Any hints as to what I need to do to fix it?
>
>/Par
>
>--
>Par [email protected]
>Making mental lists of laws broken is an enjoyable pastime, but I
>recommend against putting it in writing. -- Alan J Rosenthal

Most of those old hand drills have a simple chuck that just uses a
spring to open the jaws. It's not a positive movement design like a
jacobs chuck. If it's the type that threads onto the shaft to controll
the opening, try unscrewing it completely and removing it from the
drill. The lower portion, i.e. the threaded end, will unscrew from the
shell of the chuck. I can't remember if it's LH or RH thread, and I
wouldn't count on them all being the same anyway. After you get it
open you may find a broken spring or maybe just dirt & corrosion is
binding it up. It would probably be worthwhile giving it a good
spritz of some kind of aerosol cleaner, like automotive type brake
cleaner, letting it dry, and oiling it before taking it apart.


--
Contentment makes poor men rich. Discontent makes rich men poor.
--Benjamin Franklin
Larry Wasserman - Baltimore, Maryland - [email protected]

Bruce T <[email protected]>:
> I think there are supposed to be springs that keep the jaws spread apart
> (against the inside of the chuck). There should be small recesses in the
> sides of each jaw piece where the spring sits. You should have three small
> springs if you have three jaw pieces.

Ahh, pretty much what I guessed then. No springs; the jaw pieces were in
a tin next to the drill in the flea market, got all of it for $3 or so
(SKR20) on the theory that it might be fixable. Small springs should be
obtainable...

/Par

--
Par [email protected]
[Procmail] software that by and large does work exactly as advertised, as
long as you don't actually look under the hood, realize that it's in fact
an ancient Lovecraftian horror, and go messily insane. -- Russ Allbery