A further thought about the drill press: where do you keep the chuck key?

[rudy de haas]

As some may recall I asked here recently about buying a drill press - and decided, in large part on advice from group members, that this seemed a good idea - thanks! (I think).

I ended up with the King KC-116, 13 inch press because Lowes here had the 8" model on display and I liked it's apparent quality relative to various Korean and Chinese competitors, but didn't want the 3.2 amp open motors the smaller models come with. The 13" has a 6.5 amp, fully enclosed motor so I ordered it from KMS in Calgary. Turns out it's much too big (42", 103 pounds) for use as a bench top, but fixed to plywood on a $15 flat furniture cart it works well.

However.. where do you keep the chuck key? You need it all the time, so it has to be near the tool; and yet it might as well have the words "you will lose me" stamped on it. It strikes me as odd that the end of the cross piece isn't threaded with a matching hole somewhere on the chassis, but it isn't; so now I want to know where other people keep theirs? On a string tied to the machine somewhere, maybe? (but isn't that just asking for trouble?)?

[Don Jarvie]

Get a magnet and stick it on the drill press then put the key on it.

[Steve Jenkins]

Use a small magnet to put it wherever is handy..oops typing at same time

[Ben Rivel]

My Delta 18-900L has a holder for the chuck key on the right side of the main body. Perfect placement for me.

[Barry McFadden]

My drill press has a small plastic U shaped "clamp" on it that I just press the key into to keep it. It came installed on the drill press..

[Malcolm McLeod]

Clamp it in the chuck jaws when not in use.

(Or let your inner cynic out - throw it away, and get a keyless chuck!)

[Bruce Page]

Google Images: "drill press chuck key holder" will give you a lot of different ideas. I used a retractable key chain epoxied to the drill press head when I had a DP.

This is my current setup next to my milling machine. The key sits on the mill table when I'm using it and in the shelf hole when I'm not.

[John K Jordan]

However.. where do you keep the chuck key? You need it all the time, so it has to be near the tool; and yet it might as well have the words "you will lose me" stamped on it.

Rudy,

I have done the following for all the drill presses I have ever owned and have NEVER ONCE misplaced a chuck key.

My drill presses have all had a plastic or metal pulley cover above the motor. I drill a hole in the front right corner (since I'm right handed) a little bit bigger than the chuck key handle. I drill this hole in the top, straight down. I drop the handle of the key in this hole.

The key is always there, in exactly the same place. It is easy to see and reach for. It is never in the way and can't fall or be covered with something. No magnet required.

JKJ

[Matt Day]

A few suggestions:
Magnet as mentioned above
Bungee cord - one end hooked somewhere and the key on the other
Still a small hole in your table or fence for the handle of the key

[Prashun Patel]

I used to keep it stuck to a rare earth magnet stuck to the quill.

Despite this being the most simple, elegant solution to an easy problem, I am STILL to lazy to reach up to store it. So, it ends up being stored on the bench, and then running away to a hard-to-find place as always.

[Cody Colston]

I have a wall cabinet next to my DP that holds drill bits and accessories. I store my chuck key in it.

[William C Rogers]

Retractable key holder attached to drill press. Always handy and never lost.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My Jet drill press has a special clip on the left side of the power head near the switch for the light.

[Mark Blatter]

I had mine tied to the DP using string. The string broke one time, and like a toddler, it immediately ran off and hid. Never did find it either. Finally bought a new one, and yep, tied it using a string to the DP. Just waiting for it to break too so I can lose another one. I seem to never learn from my mistakes, or bad ideas.

[John Gornall]

I once worked in a shop where there was an electrical box with a magnet and if the chuck key wasn't on the magnet you couldn't start the drill press - a good safety feature.

Not nice to start a drill press with the key in the chuck!

I've looked for this key switch and not found it - if anyone knows where to get one...