desmobob

I just bought a new (el cheapo) drill press from Sears.

I tapped (as in with a mallet) the chuck into place on the tapered drive shaft as per the assembly instructions. I'm noticing some run-out when spinning a drill bit. Should I attempt to remove and re-install the chuck, or is the run-out par for cheap press? If I should remove/re-install it, how does one get the chuck off?

(I don't have a run-out gauge so I can't tell you how far out it is; only that I notice it when lowering a large bit into a hole to enlarge it. It's not too severe.)

Thanks for any tips!

Good flying,
desmobob

twodawg

My Feedback: (81)

Hi desmobob, Hate to say it but it's pretty much par for a cheep drill press. The tapers are usually not the problem, it's bearing alignment.
I normally use a wedge to pull a drill chuck, somtimes a litte heat helps too when the tapers are stuck.
TwoDawg

twodawg

My Feedback: (81)

Hi again desmobob, got to thinking about your problem again and your right, it could very well be one or both of the tapers are ground out of concentricity. If you know the chuck is good the only fix I can think of is a re-grind on the drill press shaft or replacing it.
Good Luck, twodawg

mikenlapaz

Try moving the table up to shorten the lowering distance required. The lowering of the bit makes the runout greater.

Return it for replacement and take a long bit with you to test the replacement before you take it home! Does Sears still stand behind their products?

rcuman

If it is a craftsman brand drill press do not mess with it. It has a lifetime warranty. Just get the part replaced.

dicknadine

there should be a slot in the main shaft, above the end of the chuck. instal a tapered piece of flat bar in the slot and tap it lightly. the chuck shud drop out. if no slot ? make a piece of wood with a slot the width of the drill shank and put it on top of the chuck and tap down. make sure that you have rags under the chuck jaws to cushion the jaws when it drops. otherwise - call SEARS quick. dick

Nashcat

My Feedback: (1)

There is a possibility that both the shaft and the chuck are ground off-center. If you get the chuck loose, you might try rotating the chuck 180 degrees and trying again. You might be able to get the runouts to cancel out.

Nashcat

sscherin

My Feedback: (1)

Does it have a seperate arbor from the chuck?

If so mount the arbor without the chuck and check for runout..
If that passes you know it's the chuck.

r degen

desmobob


There is usually a slot in the quill that you can put a drift punch in and knock it out. Randy

KW_Counter

Idelbert,
Only Craftsman hand tools have a lifetime warranty, not their electrics.
They are so anal about this I had a chuck on an electric drill, the mechanical part, go bad and they would not replace it because it was on an electric drill.
KW_Counter

desmobob

Thanks for all the helpful information, everyone.

I didn't notice a slot in the quill for removing the chuck, but I'll examine the whole thing more carefully this evening. I can live with the run-out that is present, considering what I paid for the press, but I'd like to get it running straight if possible.

Sears warranty just ain't what it used to be, by the way. Some Craftsman power tools I've looked at in the past few years have a notice printed on the box that they are NOT covered by the Craftsman lifetime warranty. [&o]

Thanks again for the help,
desmobob

linclogs

Sears isn't the same as it used to be. I recently had to order a part for my Sears Craftsman edger at searspartsdirect.com and they couldn't come up with the part for over 2 months. Kept telling me it was out of stock. That really sucks because they are the "only game in town" when it comes to odering parts for Sears equipment. I was really worried for awhile and thought I'd have to buy a new edger. If that had turned out to be the case, it definitely would NOT have been a replacement from Sears. I had to repeatedly ask them every week if my part was in yet (they had already charged my credit card and, while they offered a refund, I needed the part). I also asked if this had anything to do with the acquisition of Sears by K-mart. I told them I'd expect such treatment from K-mart but NEVER from Sears. Now I have second thoughts about buying anything from Sears. Some may think I just wasn't patient enough and should not have complained but to me, that's why you spend the extra money and buy a good brand - because then you can count on them for support. When you don't get it, that changes things IMO.

rcuman

hmm that is odd. I purchased a Craftsman 14V drill cordless for my father at Christmas. He had the battery charger go bad about 2 years later and they replaced it. He also ahd something else go wrong with the actual drill and they replaced the part also. They may have changed the policy.

desmobob

Exactly... the whole reason I used to shop at Sears for tools was the quality, availability of repair parts, and no-questions-asked warranty service. Both the quality and warranty service have changed for the worse. I have had pretty good luck with the on-line ordering of repair parts for Sears products recently -- I easily found the part numbers on line, ordered them, and the parts were in my mailbox in two or three days. Maybe that is changing, too....

Good flying,
desmobob

Duane867

Ibelieve this to be either a quill tube defect or the bore the quill tube slides in to. Its more then likel ynot your chuck or your bearings.
Its quite common on cheaply made drill presses out of China (Craft junk<man> is mostly out of China any more BTW ).
You only have two options unfortunately.
Return it and try anothe rone or order a new quill tube assembly and hope the femal bore in the head assembly isn't the one out of round.
Once in a great while you can get away with adjusting the tension nut on the side of the head that aligns the quill tube. But it doesnt work more times then not.
To do this you'll need to remove the return spring assembly on the left side and then remove the handle and shaft as one piece. Once the hande is removed the quill tube and spindel shaft will drop out as one unit. Once removed lossen the nut holding the tension screw on the side of the head (lower right just under and in front of the handle and directly in line with the quill tube and spindle assembly). Then turn the tension screw in 1/2 turn at a time (making sure to line it up in the grove each half turn) while test fitting the quill tube.
Chances are it will not work but if you feel like trying thats how you do it.

use a large diameter open end box wrench to remove the chuck from the tapered spindel. Just wedge it in there and pry down. Be sure to have something soft down there to catch it though when it releases.

</man>

dhal22

dude, this thread was 3 yrs old.

Duane867

And now it has a 1 day old answer.

dhal22

i wonder if he waited this long?

Insanemoondoggie

LOL!

Duane867

Hey thanks guys !

Glad to be a new member here.

dhal22

i know, i know. tough way to break in a new member. most of us are just kidding, as i was.

TEBerg

My Feedback: (1)

I’m going to make this thread even older…

I love stuff like this – If you use the “search” function it lets me go back years to find good information. After all, if you just post a question, you’re going to get hit with the “Did You Search First” replies.

Any way – Last night I was fighting with my $99 bench-top drill press because the bit was just wobbling up a storm. I looked up all kinds of information and found out that most setup problems come from the Chuck, not the actual press. Eventually I found that if you have a tapered spindle, you can just knock the chuck back off. However, I learned all kinds of stuff along the way…

I had checked the top of the chuck with my dial indicator and it was dead on. Well maybe some movement, but I could not even see 1/1000 off the dial. However, about 2-inches down on the bit (as measured on a solid rod) I was seeing 14 to 17/1000 runout – what a mess!!

So, I found out a few things. Relating to this thread, I had a Taper spindle on the press and the easiest way to get the chuck off is to use a hardwood block and knock the chuck off from the back. BTW, you need to have something soft underneath to catch it!! This worked like a charm, one quick smack on the back of a 1X2 and the chuck popped right off. Then I dial-indicated the drill shaft and it is dead smooth with no runout at all. I was very glad to see that.

Next I learned is that the “name brand” drill chuck with a JT33 taper X ½- inch jaw is $100 – WOW, that is as much as the press [laugh]. And, you can spend much more than that if you want a “good” drill chuck. The drill chuck that comes on these things is something like $7-14. Just a cheap piece to get the drill press off the shelf.

So, after looking around today I found a “mid-grade” chuck which says it is quality controlled with no more than 0.001 runout. I just ordered that for $50 and hope it gets me to where I can drill something and not tear up the work… I did not want to spend another $100 on a $90 drill press. We’ll see how it turns out.

I’ll post back after I get the new chuck in and check it with my dial indicator.

AviationNut

Yeah, please let us know as the chuck on my cheapo press is pretty bad as well. Would like to get a decent replacement myself.

foodstick

Threads may be dead, but the info never is

kenh3497

I found out the hard way that only the hand tools, wrenches, sockets etc., have the lifetime warranty. Anything that has a motor, drills, impact wrench (air or electric), saws, etc., have the typical 90 day or whatever warranty.