Drill Press Spindle keeps falling out

[Les_Garten]

I have a Nice 20" Craftsman D.P. I bought recently. So I'm drilling (butchering) a computer case presently and the tapered chuck spindle keeps dropping off! I cleaned it up real well and have seated it against a blcok of wood with some pressure. Fell out pretty easy. I retracted the chuck and pounded it in with a dead blow hammer. Didn't help. Then took a small masonry hammer and some wood and pounded the crap out of it I thought. Still fell out.

What's the super secret way of wedging that gadget in there!

[kevin gilmore]

One of the two surfaces i damaged, or has something stuck to it. Normally a little light oil on both surfaces, wipe

dry and insert. A light tap should hold it in forever.

[Les_Garten]

Hmm,

I think the piece I'm referring to is called the Quill. It is male and goes up into the DP head.

Here's my latest plan. Clean the hell out of everything with alcohol or mineral spirits. Freeze the quill for a couple hours in my Freezer (-4 F). Lightly oil and press back together.

Does that sound like it might work?

[Les_Garten]

OK, one more change...

Cleaned with Ether and it's in the freezer.

Won't use any oil.

Tap it on with dead blow hammer.

Press and hold the press while it warms up.

I also just read about some "filling" compounds made by Locktite if this doesn't work...

A common problem it seems...

[Mister X]

You should not need to freeze it.

Kinda funny because I was half expecting Mister Gilmore to suggest blasting it with liquid nitrogen.

Grab some Prussian Blue (you could also use grease), check the contact pattern and dress as necessary.

[kevin gilmore]

i'll talk to my master machinist tomorrow to make sure, but i think a light layer of oil is actually

required. Not too many people have access to liquid N2...

The prussian blue or equivalent is also a good idea, because if you see some really high spots

then no amount of freezing or pounding is going to work.

[Les_Garten]

The stuff I read tonight said no lubricant at all. Clean and dry fit. I'll know tomorrow when I try to swing a 5 1/4" hole saw with it!

Iffin' that don't work, I'll go the dye, file, and filler route.

[n_maher]

The stuff I read tonight said no lubricant at all. Clean and dry fit. I'll know tomorrow when I try to swing a 5 1/4" hole saw with it!

Iffin' that don't work, I'll go the dye, file, and filler route.

I don't know what you did but the belt used to slip on my drill press long before the quill/taper/arbor would have slipped and fallen out.

[Les_Garten]

I don't know what you did but the belt used to slip on my drill press long before the quill/taper/arbor would have slipped and fallen out.

Yeah, Very Strange, and Very Irritating!

I got a zillion holes to drill and don't want to use a hand drill.

On another note...

I saw a large step bit tonight at HD. Like up to 1 1/8".

If you were drilling in mild steel that size hole, would that be a better device than a hole saw?

I hate hole saws!

[Mister X]

If you were drilling in mild steel that size hole, would that be a better device than a hole saw?

A knockout punch.

[Les_Garten]

A knockout punch.

Yeah, Understand that one, just don't have the scratch for a set of those!

[cetoole]

Yeah, Very Strange, and Very Irritating!

I got a zillion holes to drill and don't want to use a hand drill.

On another note...

I saw a large step bit tonight at HD. Like up to 1 1/8".

If you were drilling in mild steel that size hole, would that be a better device than a hole saw?

I hate hole saws!

If you get the large step bit, I would be curious to hear if you like it. I don't particularly like my larger bit, my Irwin, which goes up to 1/2" is nice, but my 1-1/8th jerks fairly strongly as it makes a step, which leaves me with a less clean hole than would be ideal. Also, the spindle on my (craftsman) drill press seemed like it should be loose when I first installed bit, but like Nate, the belt will slip before it does now.

[Les_Garten]

If you get the large step bit, I would be curious to hear if you like it. I don't particularly like my larger bit, my Irwin, which goes up to 1/2" is nice, but my 1-1/8th jerks fairly strongly as it makes a step, which leaves me with a less clean hole than would be ideal. Also, the spindle on my (craftsman) drill press seemed like it should be loose when I first installed bit, but like Nate, the belt will slip before it does now.

Mine doesn't slip, the whole quill - chuck assembly falls out when I lift of the piece I am drilling.

[kevin gilmore]

master machinist says that one of the two pieces is likely machined wrong.

So get another arbor and if it falls out, then take the drill press back and get

it replaced because there is nothing you would be able to do about it.

No grease or lubrication unless there is some kind of rust problem.

Warning, DANGEROUS, wear safety goggles.

bolt down a vice to the table of the drill press. bolt it down very good.

make sure the table is very tight. put the arbor in the vice.

Turn on the power and slowly move the drill head to the arbor.

Go REAL SLOW. When it finally grabs, turn it off quick.

[Les_Garten]

Boy we're havin' FUN Now!

So got my nice 5 1/4" hole saw in da' mail.

Bolted 'er up and let her rip! Literally.

Then the Chuck dropped off, new problem as it were...

So the arbor, I guess that's what it's called, is tapered on both ends. Never seen one before, so I'm in a learnin' phase here.

My first problem was the arbor was dropping out of the quill. Froze the arbor last night for about 3 hours. Then pressed it together and tried it today. Now the chuck drops off, most likely becasue of the freeze job from last night!

Today, Chuck goes in the oven at 400 degrees fro maybe 30 mins and press back on the arbor and let cool.

I cleaned the arbor and chuck real well with carb cleaner. If felt light it had a thin layer of Cosmoline on both surfaces.

This is slowing down my hole cuttin'!

p.s. no takin' it back. A Craigslist special! Looks like it has never been used, and I would be happy as a clam if the pieces would quit falling off! All the surfaces look perfect on the Quill receiver, arbor, and chuck.

[kevin gilmore]

Yep, taper on both ends. I have one of those on my emco... Never has come apart.

You might consider a very thin coating of regular super glue... (not the void filling stuff)

If you are never going to need to take it apart...

[Mister X]

So the arbor, I guess that's what it's called, is tapered on both ends.

Like this one?

H1166 Drill Chuck Arbor - MT2/JT2

Machine taper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Les_Garten]

Yep, that's it exactly I think. Not sure about the taper sizes, but it's like that one.

Looks like the combo of heating in the Oven and the freeze cycle has worked. Been cuttin' holes this afternoon! It swung that 5 1/4" hole saw without breaking a sweat.

Any of you guys use the keyless chucks on a Larger type press? If so, do you like them?

[CarlSeibert]

Interesting. I always have the opposite problem with those Morse taper thingies. I'd have to use a nuclear weapon to get mine off. Glad to hear you got it going.

[n_maher]

I am not at all a fan of large diameter stepped bits. I have yet to get good results using one larger than 3/4".

And yes, I use a keyless chuck on the mill and it works great.

[Yikes]

I'm sorry. It must be me. I know that this is a serious DIY thread, but the title keeps coming up under New Posts. And for the life of me "Drill Press Spindle keeps falling out" sounds like the lead in for a Joke. So where is the freaking Punchline? Please, someone come up with a punchline.

Sorry for thread crapping.

[Les_Garten]

Nate, if I were to get a keyless chuck in the future, would I just buy an arbor with it and remove the current chuck with the arbor? There is a slot up in the quill to push a fork/wedge in there to dislodge the arbor, not sure how I would get a chuck off. Heat maybe?

[Les_Garten]

Like this one?

H1166 Drill Chuck Arbor - MT2/JT2

Machine taper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanx for the Wiki ref on Tapers!

[Mister X]

Yep, that's it exactly I think. Not sure about the taper sizes, but it's like that one.

I would bet it is just one taper with a groove in it.

From the link:

Long end: MT #2, Short end: J.T. #2.

(the chuck is mounted on the short end)

not sure how I would get a chuck off.

Depends on the chuck.

Open it all of the way up and see if you can spot an allen head screw in it.

Or (given the whole it keeps falling out thing) it may be a good idea to just snag one from eBay?

1/2" KEYLESS DRILL CHUCK NEW W/ # 2 MORSE TAPER SHANK - eBay (item 180485669423 end time Aug-21-10 15:27:25 PDT)

[Les_Garten]

No set screw. Just machine taper fit. I was looking over Enco tools site and they have a fork for it.

My arbor is a MT3 - JT4 and the chuck is a 3/4" chuck

Is there a big difference in good quality arbors and chucks like this Albrecht for instance:

Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Tools and Shop Supplies

This is a smaller overall chuck but goes down to a smaller minimum.