Drill Press Arbor Keeps Falling Out

[John Hays]

I bought the Porter Cable (PCB660DP) drill press a few weeks ago after reading many glowing reviews by fellow owners all over the net. I too was very pleased with it after tweaking out some of the minor vibration. Then a few days ago I was making parts for shop cabinets and the arbor fell out.

I know this can happen from time to time, so I thought nothing of it. I cleaned the arbor and tapped it back in. About 15 minutes later of continual use it fell out again. This time I made sure the arbor and spline were spotless (I wiped them down with acetone) and reinstalled. After about the same amount of time of use it fell out again. :eek:

At this point I'm at a loss of what to do. I must have cleaned and reinstalled that arbor 10 times now, but it keeps falling out. I also noticed some runout starting to appear and I'm becoming concerned that it's beyond repair.

Anyone have some suggestions on how to fix this?

[phil harold]

Anyone have some suggestions on how to fix this?
Return it while you can!
And buy a real drill press
For the 350 bucks you spent on this new drill press you cannot expect much
most of the money you spent was for the name
Porter Cable gained its fame from two inventions, the portable belt sander and sidewinder circular saw back in the 1920s
there drill press is not their claim to fame
Look for a used Clausing, Powermatic's 20", or an Allen

Most drill presses made 50 years ago are going to beat most Asian drill press bought new today

[Myk Rian]

Take the chuck back and get a new one.
If it continues, there is a problem with the SPINDLE.

[Dave Richards]

What really fell out? The chuck? Or the spindle?

[glenn bradley]

I'm betting spindle but, either way . . . side pressure will wobble a taper connection loose. What type of bit were you using and what type of drilling were you doing. If this was just with a typical sharp straight bit (not a circle cutter, sanding drum, etc.) then you probably have bad machining. I come to this conclusion since you have already cleaned things, dried them and reassembled.

I am curious where you found good reviews on this machine as I have only seen one and that was from a guy who had never owned a drill press before. A good drill press at home shop prices is as rare as hen's teeth at this point in history. Oddly enough, the Delta 17-959 was rated higher than cousins costing near double its price. The table is a heavier version of the woodworking table on the 17-950 which despite the name similarity is a different format of machine altogether.

If the 17-959 proves unavailable the 18-900 seems to be the new darling for under $2500 although its only about $800. The maker that comes out with a decent sub-$1000 drill press will have their name go down in history among the home shop woodworkers. I would dump my 17-950 in a heartbeat if I could find a machine under $1000 that was enough better to make it worth the effort of putting it together. . . . JMHO ;-)

[Morey St. Denis]

If you opt not to return this DP for refund, repair or replacement, then you will likely need to purchase a matching morse taper internal reamer. Assuming you've already closely inspected the external surface of the ejected spindle, the next likely culprit is a manufacturing defect to the internal taper of the quill. There should be a through-radial broached rectangular hole within the quill at the far extent of the MT. This exists to permit insertion of a small wedge to forcibly eject the spindle when changing or maintaining the tool. There may be a raised burr or some other surface defect impinging upon the female portion of the morse taper which could benefit from careful honing and a thorough clean-out. In a more crude, but potentially effective approach, you could also try smoothing the upper internal taper with a radius file, possibly like the fine toothed file one would use to resharpen a saw chain. If you're not prepared to take up the work of a skilled machinist, then return the DP as defective product.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I bought a Delta DP 20+ years ago and the chuck and attached arbor would occasionally fall out. I finally put some Loctite 638 retaining compound on it and it hasn't fallen out since.

[John Hays]

@ Dave: The tapered spindle (that the chuck is attached to) is what keeps falling out.

@ Glenn: I was using a common 3/8 twist bit. The reviews I found were from Lumberjocks, Lowes, Youtube and various other woodworking sites. Unfortunately, I can't really afford anything over $350, which drastically limits what is available to me on the market.

@ Morey: As far as I can tell there doesn't seem to be any surface defects in the quill or on the spindle (but my eye sight isn't as good as it used to be). However, the spindle does now have a few worn spots where it meets the quill (probably from reinserting it so many times).

On another note, I did discover that the newer presses have aluminum pulleys instead of the cast iron ones that the initial machines had when they appeared a couple of years ago, so who knows what else they changed to save a buck.

At any rate, I certainly do appreciate everyone's advice. I'm going to call Lowes and see if they will exchange the spindle. If that doesn't work, then I'll try the Loctite compound. If that fails, I'll just have to learn to live with my HF 38119 bench press.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

John
Freeze the arbor chuck and heat the arbor mating area no more then 100*. When you join the two together again, keep pressure on arbor chuck, drill column till both reach room temp. Tom

[ray hampton]

I have the same problem with my H F drill press and got a flat steel plate for the drill bit to rest on and apply as much force as I could to the press handle

[Myk Rian]

@ Dave: The tapered spindle (that the chuck is attached to) is what keeps falling out.
There should be a collar at the top of the quill, maybe 1" diameter. The spindle is held up with that. Should be a set screw to tighten it with.
If the collar isn't under the spindle pulley, it will be at the top of the quill.

[John Hays]

I think there is a disconnect with terminology here.

Take a look at the drawing below... the part (at the lower left) labled as "Arbor" is the piece that is falling out.

253155

[Martin C Wells]

Sometimes putting on a light coat of chalk dust works.

[glenn bradley]

@ Glenn: I was using a common 3/8 twist bit. The reviews I found were from Lumberjocks, Lowes, Youtube and various other woodworking sites. Unfortunately, I can't really afford anything over $350, which drastically limits what is available to me on the market.

I apologize. I didn't mean to rattle on about expensive alternatives John. I just get so frustrated that a decent machine isn't available at a reasonable price. Sorry for venting ;-)

[Phil Thien]

Are you cleaning BOTH mating surfaces? You need to take Q-tips, dip them in your solvent (I used lacquer thinner), and turn the press on. Now push the Q-tips (one at a time) up into the female portion of the taper and keep doing that until the Q-tip doesn't show any discoloration.

Then clean the female portion of the taper with a rag dipped in solvent.

Now give them about thirty seconds for any solvent to flash-off.

Then slide them together and with the chuck opened all the way, and using a block of wood to protect the chuck, tape the two together with light hammer taps.

BTW, make sure you don't have any burrs on either surface. If this wasn't done properly the first time around, the assembly may have spun and created a burr.

[Myk Rian]

Yes, there was a mis-ID of the parts. Arbor it is.
Instead of tapping it on with a hammer, put the block of wood on the table, lower the opened chuck to it, (jaws inside all the way) and press it on.
I don't like banging on drill presses.
As Phil said, look for burrs. There can't be any.

[Sparky Paessler]

I've had that problem with my delta drill press from time to time and will second the putting the chuck in the freezer. This causes it to slightly shrink. Warming up the spindle will cause it to slightly expand. Put them together and when they equalize it should not fall out.

[Myk Rian]

I've had that problem with my delta drill press from time to time and will second the putting the chuck in the freezer. This causes it to slightly shrink. Warming up the spindle will cause it to slightly expand. Put them together and when they equalize it should not fall out.
Like alloy auto engine cylinder heads. Freeze the valve seats in nitrogen, then place them in the head. Seats warm up, expand, and a perfect seal results.

[John Hays]

Glenn: No worries, I know what you mean. In fact, I spent months researching all of the upgrades I plan to purchase and most of the reviews are something like "Well you only paid a $1,000 for it, you get what you pay for". Well, where I come from a thousand dollars equals more than a month's worth of paychecks, so yeah... I expect a lot for a grand!

Phil: Yes, I cleaned both the quill and arbor with acetone in every instance of reinstalling... you could probably eat off those things by now. In each event, I inspected both taper parts and didn't see or feel any burrs. I'm beginning to think it's a machining error.

Myk: I even tried that a few times this afternoon in hopes that it was just an alignment issue... no luck.

Sparky: I'm not comfortable with heating or freezing shop machinery and would only try that a s a last resort. Not to say it doesn't work or will damage the tool, just sounds kind of scary to me. LOL

On a side note, I did call Lowes about getting a replacement arbor and they said that I'd have to bring in the entire machine and do a full exchange for a whole new drill press. Not sure I want to drag that beast back across town, but I may have no choice.

[phil harold]

I just get so frustrated that a decent machine isn't available at a reasonable price. Sorry for venting ;-)

I know the feeling
This why used equipment is so affordable, and can be of higher quality

I hope when you return it you get one that works!

I dont know where you live put you should check out craigslist.org

Good luck!

[george wilson]

Stick the arbor back in with Loctite. You may not have an easy time getting it back out again,though. Don't use the most permanent type Loctite. From the picture,I take it the chuck is held in with a #2 Morse taper shank? Those have no place on a wood working machine. They are really for metal working,where you are using taper shank drills at lower speeds on metal. My old 1963 Craftsman D.P. has a #33 Jacobs taper(male taper),but the chuck has a trapped collar that screws onto the spindle so the chuck can't vibrate and fly off. It is the best arrangement I've seen on a home shop size d.P..

If you take it back for exchange,they'll just give you another with the same problem. Loctite will fix the problem,but it will take some relatively mild heating to get the chuck off again.

[Phil Thien]

I think Paint thinner grade acetone isn't as "strong" as lacquer thinner. They will both leave some residue, but I'd trust lacquer thinner to clean different types of contaminants better than acetone. Do you have any lacquer thinner?

I know they use acetone to clean high-end optics, but they use something called "pure reagent acetone," which doesn't leave residue.

Try switching solvents, just in case the acetone you're using isn't getting the job done.

If that doesn't work, time to repack the unit and exchange it.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

[QUOTE=Sparky: I'm not comfortable with heating or freezing shop machinery and would only try that a s a last resort. Not to say it doesn't work or will damage the tool, just sounds kind of scary to me. LOL

John
The heat-shrinking of metal is a centuries old process. Heating your column to 100* or freezing the arbor will have no lasting effect on them. Keeping the two items together until they reach room temperature is the most important part. Just a note B747 main landing gear axle sleeve is heat- shrink pressed together. The only different is the sleeve is heated to 350* and axle is packed with dry ice for one hour, before start of process. Slides right together, just try and get them apart, if you make a mistake in correct positioning. Tom

[John Hays]

Quick update:
After pondering what to do with this thing, I decided that instead of trying to fix it (and perhaps go beyond the return deadline), it might just be better to shelp the entire machine back to the store and exchange it for a new one. And let me tell you, I'm glad I did! The difference between the one I had and the replacement is like night and day. The old one also had a slight rattle in the quill assembly, but I could have lived with that. The chuck and table lift gear were a bit sticky, but it wasn't a deal breaker. And of course the arbor started falling out. The new one has none of these problems. In fact, I was surprised when I started it up and there was hardly any sound at all.

I just finished drilling about 80 holes at a 2-1/2" depth with a 3/8 twist bit and everything turned out fine without any hassle. So far, this machine seems to be living up to all of the good reviews I read which lead me to purchase it in the first place. The other machine seems to be a classic case of 'made on a Monday'... go figure.

Anyhoo, I want to thank everyone who replied and I'm glad there are so many knowledgeable people on this forum. I really do appreciate the help and advice. :)

[Ronald Blue]

Glad it worked out well for you. If you have the chuck out for any reason such as to use a taper shank drill bit. When you put the chuck and arbor back in besides making sure things are clean retract the jaws on the chuck so they are hidden and do as a couple others suggested seat the arbor with pressure exerted with the quill handle downward on a block of wood.
These surfaces on the taper are meant to be clean and dry for a locking fit. It's okay to wipe with oil for rust prevention but wipe dry before inserting into the spindle. Good luck with your new drill press.

[ray hampton]

Quick update:
After pondering what to do with this thing, I decided that instead of trying to fix it (and perhaps go beyond the return deadline), it might just be better to shelp the entire machine back to the store and exchange it for a new one. And let me tell you, I'm glad I did! The difference between the one I had and the replacement is like night and day. The old one also had a slight rattle in the quill assembly, but I could have lived with that. The chuck and table lift gear were a bit sticky, but it wasn't a deal breaker. And of course the arbor started falling out. The new one has none of these problems. In fact, I was surprised when I started it up and there was hardly any sound at all.

I just finished drilling about 80 holes at a 2-1/2" depth with a 3/8 twist bit and everything turned out fine without any hassle. So far, this machine seems to be living up to all of the good reviews I read which lead me to purchase it in the first place. The other machine seems to be a classic case of 'made on a Monday'... go figure.

Anyhoo, I want to thank everyone who replied and I'm glad there are so many knowledgeable people on this forum. I really do appreciate the help and advice. :)


If I drill that many holes,I would need a new drill bit, you got a good drill press now

[John Hays]

Ronald: Yep, when I set up the replacement machine I press-fitted the arbor and then press-fitted the chuck. And just to make sure it was fully seated, I gave them a few taps with a rubber mallet.

Ray: Heh, the bit I used is amazingly durable and still sharp even after all of those holes. Funny thing is that it's from one of those cheap black oxide sets made by Black & Decker (which I picked up over 10 years ago). Now I did have to drill only 8 holes at a time, since the bit would heat up pretty good, but I expected that.

I'm still a little uncertain if the machine will continue to hold the arbor in place without falling out, but Lowes gave me another 30 days to return this one, so we'll see if it pans out.