Help Removing Drill Press Chuck

[Matthew Joe]

Hello!

I just purchased my first drill press, a mammoth 1/2 hp bench top model. $60 used. I've noticed that there is a discernable amount of "wobble" in the drill press chuck, and, as a result, during operation the drill bits appear somewhat blurry near the tip, and I find it difficult to center the hole. Not a huge problem, and the holes are drilled smoothly once centered, but still something I'd like to correct.

I'd like to take the chuck off of the spindle to determine whether the problem is with the chuck or the spindle. I've read a number of other threads about how to do this, but apparently most drill presses come with a wedge tool to assist with removal. I never obtained this tool from the seller.

Do I need to purchase this wedge tool, or are there other ways to remove the chuck?

Honestly, I'm not even sure if the chuck is attached using the standard morse taper system (again, I know very little about drill presses), so I've attached a picture of the drill press and spindle/chuck assembly for reference, in case I'm completely missing the idea.

Thanks in advance.

[David Christopher]

Matthew, if you dont have a wedge you can use a pickle fork

[Myk Rian]

Large screwdrivers on opposite sides of the chuck may do it also.

[Greg Hawthorne]

Your drill press looks almost identical to mine, which definitely has a morse taper chuck. Have a look at this website http://www.beautifuliron.com/mttaper.htm
which shows how to remove the chuck.

A piece of scrap iron shaped like the picture on the web page is all you need.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

use an open end wrench as a lever.

[george wilson]

A drill press that small uses a shotr taper that goes into the chuck. One of the most common ones is a #33 Jacobs taper. Does the chuck have anything like that stamped on it?

A pair of tapered steel wedges with a wide groove in them to go around the little shaft is sold to remove such chucks. You slip one on either side of the short shaft above the chuck,and squeeze them together with a clamp to pop the chuck off. Manhattan Supply and possibly Enco sells these chuck removal wedges.

[Terry Beadle]

I agree with George but if you don't have steel wedges use red oak. Red oak will really resist compression. Like George says, put a wedge on both sides of the space between the chuck and the spindle. Then gently tap each wedge evenly and it'll probably pop down into your hand easily. Some time the taper gets some rust in it and you may have to use a heat torch to break it free.

Another trick is to loosen the chuck and rotate the bit 1/4 turn and retighten. Each bit will have a certain position in the chuck where it will run truest. Put a black mark on the chuck and when you find the best position of rotation for the bit, put a tick mark on it. Then whenever you use the bit, you can aleign the two tick marks and get the best true bite to the wood.

I use WD40 on the taper to keep it from rusting up.

Good Luck!

[Fred Belknap]

Matthew, if you dont have a wedge you can use a pickle fork
What the heck is a pickle fork???:D

[David Christopher]

What the heck is a pickle fork???:D

Fred, a pickle fork is a tool to revove ball joints. ( kinda looks like a open end wrench, but wedged )

[Matthew Joe]

Thanks to all for your responses! I'll try some of the suggestions I can do without purchasing anything, but if none of those work I'll see if I can purchase some wedges. Hopefully I'll be able to fix the wobble without replacing the chuck.

And George, I do think that the chuck has the #33 stamped on it. The etched area is a bit worn, but that seems to be what it says.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Both Auto Zone, O'Riley's, and Advance will lend you a pickle fork. You pay a deposit, which you get back when you return the tool.

[Andy Sowers]

I recently had a similar problem getting a chuck off an drill press. What you want to use is the chuck wedges George referred to... they are fairly cheap and did the trick for me... you can get them at amazon (among other places, but amazon's shipping is free if your total order is $25 or more).

Here's a link to the size I used for my chuck which was also a 33 jacobs taper: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00065719C/ref=ox_ya_oh_product