Help me fix my drill press

So....

I finally find a 17/32 drill bit, by calling all sorts of places in Ft. Worth and asking for either 17/32 or 13mm.

I stack up my router bit drawer bottoms 4 deep, and tape them together, just like my hero Norm.

I start drilling the holes, and every once in a while the bit bogs down and I have to turn off the drill press and use a dead blow hammer to knock the boards off the bit. After a couple times, I try to take smaller bites with the bit, but I still get it stuck every once in while.

Well, the last time I used the hammer to knock the wood off the bit, the entire chuck came off the drill press.

I see that it is tapered, and seems to be held on my forcing it on until it sticks. I remember way back in the Pond days, a discussion about how to put the chuck back on. I think, but am not sure, it included heating the chuck in the oven. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

I am loathe to use a hammer on it and risk damage my drill press, unless instructed that this is the proper technique.

I would appreciate any suggestions about how to get the parts to stay back together, so I might be able to continue working on my router table.

Oh, I found the 17/32 drill bit at Mr. C's Hardware on Precinct Line Road, if anyone in Ft. Worth needs one.

Thanks in advance for all the help I know I will receive.

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Originally Posted by Martin Shupe

So....

I finally find a 17/32 drill bit, by calling all sorts of places in Ft. Worth and asking for either 17/32 or 13mm.

I stack up my router bit drawer bottoms 4 deep, and tape them together, just like my hero Norm.

I start drilling the holes, and every once in a while the bit bogs down and I have to turn off the drill press and use a dead blow hammer to knock the boards off the bit. After a couple times, I try to take smaller bites with the bit, but I still get it stuck every once in while.

Well, the last time I used the hammer to knock the wood off the bit, the entire chuck came off the drill press.

I see that it is tapered, and seems to be held on my forcing it on until it sticks. I remember way back in the Pond days, a discussion about how to put the chuck back on. I think, but am not sure, it included heating the chuck in the oven. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

I am loathe to use a hammer on it and risk damage my drill press, unless instructed that this is the proper technique.

I would appreciate any suggestions about how to get the parts to stay back together, so I might be able to continue working on my router table.

Oh, I found the 17/32 drill bit at Mr. C's Hardware on Precinct Line Road, if anyone in Ft. Worth needs one.

Thanks in advance for all the help I know I will receive.

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No guarantees, but I've seen it done this way .. .. ..

Thorougly clean mating surfaces & check for any burrs ..
Slip chuck on spindle and insert the largest bolt the chuck will hold (head down) ..
Support head of bolt with a long board (on end) with opposite end on bench or floor, depending on model .. DO NOT support it on the drill press table !!
Bring the quill down until everything is snug ..
Rap the upper end of the quill with a brass or dead blow hammer ..

Should stay in place .. .. ..

Just open the chuck all the way so you aren't pressing on the jaws. Clean the spindle taper and hole in the back of the chuck with a clean cloth. Wipe it dry but don't use solvent. Slip the chuck on the taper and bring the quill down until the chuck rests against a board placed on the table or extenting to the base. Pull down very firmly on the quill handle and you're done. It should stay in place.

Banging on drills stuck in boards can potentially damage the thrust bearing in the quill so I would advise against it. When drilling deep holes, you need to raise the bit up every once in a while to clear the chips, otherwise they may bind the drill in the hole and possible break the bit. If you are drilling wood, you can apply a little wax to the flutes of the drill and the chips will come out easier. You may also want to try a slightly higher speed so the drill cuts finer chips.

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Originally Posted by Lee Schierer

Just open the chuck all the way so you aren't pressing on the jaws. Clean the spindle taper and hole in the back of the chuck with a clean cloth. Wipe it dry but don't use solvent. Slip the chuck on the taper and bring the quill down until the chuck rests against a board placed on the table or extenting to the base. Pull down very firmly on the quill handle and you're done. It should stay in place.

Banging on drills stuck in boards can potentially damage the thrust bearing in the quill so I would advise against it. When drilling deep holes, you need to raise the bit up every once in a while to clear the chips, otherwise they may bind the drill in the hole and possible break the bit. If you are drilling wood, you can apply a little wax to the flutes of the drill and the chips will come out easier. You may also want to try a slightly higher speed so the drill cuts finer chips.

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Martin,

Lee has given you good advice, at least as far as I can tell ;). His instructions denote exactly the steps that I followed when I installed my chuck about two years ago. I have had no problems with it in that time. I think that the cleaning step is very important to assure that the chuck stays seated. I used Naptha and a paper towel to do that on my drill press.

Good luck with it.

--Mark

Banging on drills stuck in boards can potentially damage the thrust bearing in the quill so I would advise against it.

Not trying to start an argument here, but I must respectfully disagree with this staement and stand by my original post .. .. .. the spindle/quill assembly moves vertically WITHIN the thrust bearings .. .. .. rapping on a solidly supported chuck/quill from the top, in an in-line fashion CANNOT possibly damage the bearing in any way unless you are so bad with a mallet that you strike it sideways !! !! !!

You folks can check with Snap-On Tools or Mac Tools (check your local business pages in the phone book) for a 17/32" drill bits, or any other size for that matter.

Just wanted to put that out there.

Bob, I think Lee was talking about banging on the boards that got stuck on the drill bit - not on the quill as you suggested.

Martin, once you have the taper clean, push it up in, and then clean it again if necessary. If the tapers were cut properly there shouldn't need to be a great deal of force needed to seat them.

FWIW Wes

Bob, On my drill press there is a guard over the top, so there is no way to gain access to the top of the quill. Even so the rotaing spindle that carries my chuck has a thrust bearing mounted directly to it since the spindle rotates in side the part that moves up and down. (I know this because I recently had mine apart to replace the bearing after 30+ years of use) This thrust bearing directs the downward pressure from the non-turning part onto the turning part. Banging on the shaft that turns will apply the force directly to that thrust bearing.

On a machine such as a bridgeport, it is quite common for there to be a drawbar that runs through the top of the head. Machinists often tap on this to breack free a tapered collet. Milling machines are generally made differently than drill presses.

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Originally Posted by Wes Bischel

Bob, I think Lee was talking about banging on the boards that got stuck on the drill bit - not on the quill as you suggested.

Martin, once you have the taper clean, push it up in, and then clean it again if necessary. If the tapers were cut properly there shouldn't need to be a great deal of force needed to seat them.

FWIW Wes

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Gotchya' .. .. I stand corrected .. .. I misread the post as a response to my reply .. not the original post .. .. so sorry !!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lee Schierer

Just open the chuck all the way so you aren't pressing on the jaws. Clean the spindle taper and hole in the back of the chuck with a clean cloth. Wipe it dry but don't use solvent. Slip the chuck on the taper and bring the quill down until the chuck rests against a board placed on the table or extenting to the base. Pull down very firmly on the quill handle and you're done. It should stay in place.
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Lee, I would add one thing. I would heat the chuck in the oven to about 300+ degrees, and then quickly slip it on the the arbor that is still in the press. When I assembled my Grizzly 20" DP, I put the arbor int he freezer for a day before I attempted to assemble the chuck to it, and it to the DP quill. As I recall, in the old "Pond" days, Forest Addy recommended using a temperature difference as an aid to get the surfaces to really grip tightly.

YMMV

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Originally Posted by Ken Garlock

Lee, I would add one thing. I would heat the chuck in the oven to about 300+ degrees, and then quickly slip it on the the arbor that is still in the press. When I assembled my Grizzly 20" DP, I put the arbor int he freezer for a day before I attempted to assemble the chuck to it, and it to the DP quill. As I recall, in the old "Pond" days, Forest Addy recommended using a temperature difference as an aid to get the surfaces to really grip tightly.

YMMV

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Just remember that some day you may want to get it off. I've never used heat to put mine on and I've never had a problem with either of my two chucks coming loose on my drill press. I usually have to use a pair of special wedges my uncle made for me to get the chuck off. These wedges overlap and apply pressure to separate the chuck from the quill without hitting the chuck with a hammer.

Thanks to all who replied to my request.

Here is what I did.

I cleaned the two parts with Naptha, then retracted the "jaws" (pincers?) and set the pieces together.

Then I stuck a pine 2 by 4 beneath it and bumped it forcefully, but not too hard against it a couple of times. It seems to be holding just fine.

I was a little afraid to heat it, as I know nothing about metal and didn't want to ruin the temper or something else disastrous.

It is on for now, and if it falls off again, I'll warm it up a little next time.

Lee, I promise I won't hit my boards anymore, and I'll try to be more careful drilling so I don't get stuck.

Thanks to all who answered my plea for assistance.