I have a 12″ Delta benchtop drill press that’s giving me problems, and I’m hoping someone here knows something about woodworking power tools 🙂
kidding…
Seriously though, I tried emailing Delta for help and was referred to the 1-800 #. Trouble is they close about 1 minutes after I get home, and I’d like to be home when I call them so I can be standing in front of the drill press when they call, but work makes that tough to do…
It’s a relatively new drill press. I make sure to use the correct speed for the bit, I’ve cleaned the inside of the chuck and the tapered spindle it slides onto with kerosene, and I don’t try to drill too fast.
3 things are happening:
1) When I use a bit over 1/4″ and/or drill a deep (1″ or more deep) hole, the whole chuck comes right off the spindle and lodges the bit in the wood. With smaller bits, it almost looks like the bit is deflecting.
2) On long bits, if I look at the very center point (like on a long brad point bit) it looks as if the point is not staying centered while the bit spins, but actually wobbles in a small circular motion.
3) Drilling a hole with a 1″ spade bit last night, the hole measured 1.035″ with a dial caliper, but the bit was right on 1.000″
Is this what runout is? How do I fix it? Is it just a defective chuck? Misaligned internal parts on the press? Is my drill press table too loose and moving the workpiece?
Thanks for the help,
Kevin
Replies
Does the chuck say "JACOBS" on it anywhere? If not, return the drill press and buy one with a Jacobs chuck. Seriously, the new bench top Delta drill presses I've seen at Lowes have cheap import drill chucks that are sloppy and will probibly fall apart and hurt somone at high speeds.
Most drill presses are not precision machines. They are built so people can drill holes in things. You also have to use higher precision drill bits. You said you were using a paddle/spade bit. I don't know if that kind of bit is very precise
To answer so far:
Yes, I actually got it at Home Depot maybe 6 or so months ago, and I'll have to look at the chuck when I get home.
I have good sets of brad point and Freud forstner bits, but using the 1" forstner bit was just yanking the chuck right off the drill press. I ran a hole with the spade bit (which I would never normally use in a drill press) as a test because it's longer and I wanted to look at the tip as it spun.
Any other ideas?
Kevin
Kevin
Take the chuck off.
Bring the table up close to the shaft.
With a block of wood as a guide, hold it real close to the shaft, but not touching.
Turn the pulley by hand and watch to see if the shaft wobbles as it turns. (You might want to remove the belt.)
The block is to see better with.
You can use a set of feeler guages to tell how much wobble you have.
Or, if you have it, a dial indicator will tell you exactly how much.
Check the owners manual for the run-out spec and compare.
If good, put the chuck on and with a very straight rod chucked in it,
do this again.
It will tell you the differance and how much wobble (run-out) you have.
I use a piece of turned rod or a "know bit" to be very accurate.
Jeff
Well there you go.
Thanks a lot Jeff. I'll give it a shot in just a few hours...
Kevin
Are you pressing the chuck into the quill? The manual should describe it, but on my Delta floor model, you place a piece of wood on the table and press the chuck into it to seat it into the quill. Not a lot of force, just firm pressure.
What you are describing is run-out.
You said the chuck with the tapered shaft is coming out? Sounds as if the Chuck is not seated well.
Might get a dead blow mallet or block of wood and a hammer and give a good wack or two to seat the tapered shaft.
You know, the manual says to tap the chuck on to the spindle with a mallet (I use a rubber mallet), but the idea of pressing it on to the spindle by lowering the chuck onto a block makes good sense. If I can get the runout issue solved, I'll do that to seat the chuck... Then again, maybe I'll just seat the chuck that way and see if that effects the runout. I've cleaned the chuck and spindle immaculately several times, so that's not it...
Keven, if the chuck is not Jocobs ,deep-six it.
If the spindle shows appreciable runout, complain to Delta.
Check if the spindle bearings are worn. (Grab the stopped spindle while extended and feel for 'Slop'by grabbing and rocking the extended spindle shaft.)
It shouldn't have any noticable 'lost motion'. Have the spindle extended and running at higher speed and close to the table, then, hold a piece of chalk or a carpenter's pencil to just kiss the running shaft.
If the ring left by the chalk/graphite completely surrounds the shaft, it's TRUE. If only partially marked , it's not concentric (Bent)
Next, check the tapered hole in the spindle for burrs /dirt/bumps etc. If so, gently cleanwith steel wool wrapped around a dowel( Not while running)
A good way to insert a new Jacobs chuck, (USA) is to 'Wring' it onto the spindle 'till it seats, then with the spindle retracted to the top, open the chuck jaws fully, and with a block of hardwood and a hammer, rap the block a lick upside the chuck to SEAT IT. No oil, no WD ,no Kero. DRY! Stein.
Kevin
I had the same problem on my Delta 10". The chuck actually came off once. It required repeated forceful pounding to get it to stay on the quill. I'll be looking for a Jacobs too.
Kevin,
If the chuck and the spindle are both dropping out, there are two things that are most likely causing it. The first is that they need to be seated correctly - pressing the unit onto a block of wood on the drill press table is the safest way(for the machine) to do this. If you smack it with a mallet, there is a high probability that it won't be struck dead center. An off-angle hammer strike may do the machine more harm than good. The second possibility, is that there may be a burr either on the spindle or in the spindle housing that's preventing the parts from perfectly matching up. Carefully run your finger over the spindle and up into the machine. If you find something that's more than just a little nick, call Delta and have them send you new parts as part of your warrantee.
If you find nothing wrong and the chuck/spindle keeps dropping out, here is the trick to correct the problem! Lightly pass some high grit (320 or higher) wet/dry sandpaper around the spindle, and thoroughly remove any residue left behind. Next place the chuck/spindle into a large zip lock plastic bag, and stick it into the freezer in your kitchen. You'll want to leave it in there for an hour or two. The extreme cold of the freezer will cause the metal to contract. While you're waiting, set up the drill press to perform a press fit/seat on the chuck/spindle (block of wood on the table set to the correct height). After removing the parts from the freezer, immediately bring them to your shop and install them on the machine. Do not try and use the machine for a while. Because the metal was contracted, it was possible to seat it just a fraction farther into the machine. As the metal comes back up to the temperature of the shop, the metal will expand, only this time with a much tighter fit!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.
Is it not a Tapered shaft ? Then it looks to me that it would not matter being tapered it would center it self.
You may not get enough pressure to seat it- pressing it in with the drill press handle + If you put to much pressure on the feed you could screw it up. Smacking it a good sharp rap would seat it better and help get it centered.
But you know that's my thinking .
Ok I went and checked my manual-
Installing The Chuck
Clean out the tapered Hole in the chuck-clean the spindle nose.Make sure there are no foreign particles sticking to the surfaces. The slightest piece of dirt on the spindle nose or in the chuck will prevent the chuck from seating properly. This will cause the drill to wobble.
Push the chuck up on the spindle nose as far as it will go.
Turn chuck sleeve clockwise and open jaws in chuck completely.
Lightly tap the nose of the chuck with a piece of wood to insure proper seating of the chuck on the spindle.
Ron,
I agree with your manual - "Lightly tap the nose of the chuck with a piece of wood to insure proper seating of the chuck on the spindle". In my post, I was advising against whacking the chuck/spindle with a hammer. A hammer would work, but the machine isn't designed to take blunt force impacts. You're correct, it is a taper (Morse Taper specifically). The taper is made of hardened steel, driving it with unnecessary force could damage the socket, and cause premature wear and a sloppy fit. It is also possible to bend a spindle or damage the spindle bearings, thus rendering either useless. Added to this, is that an individual would most likely have to duplicate the applied force if there was ever a need to work/repair the chuck/spindle.
The freezing the spindle method I described works equally well on a machine being set up for the first time, or one that's dropping parts! Last winter, one of the new Jet 17" drill press' in my shop kept dumping its chuck and spindle (a major aggravation when it drops onto a beautiful piece of highly figured maple destined for a client's commissioned piece!) The only thing that corrected the problem was to place the chuck/spindle outside - thanks to a 5 degree New England winter day, I only had to leave it out for 20 minutes. It was reinstalled, allowed to warm back up to room temp., and voila`, no more dropping machine parts!Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.
Sounds to me like some chips or other junk or a burr is keeping the taper from seating properly. You can clean it out by using a mirror to inspect and an ice pick to pick out stuff. Also inspect the male side.
If there's a burr on the male taper, smooth it with minimal sanding with 400 grit SiC and a wood block. Otherwise, use valve grinding compound between the male and female parts and rotate against each other. Then, clean really really well and they should fit better.
Or, if it's a new drill press, take it back!
You said you used kerosene to clean with. That in effect has left lubricant on the mating surfaces. Go for cleaner than clean. Polish the quill with 4/0 wool or at least 2500 SC paper. Finer if if you got it. 5000 would put it to mirror finish. With a mirror finish, once the chuck is set, consider it there.
Do you have bearings or bushings on the quill? Bushings and run out are synomous. Bearings is poor tolerences, fit and finish. The #1 cause for the ckuck coming off is that it is not "set"
Only one more thing to add: Make sure the table is square to the chuck.
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