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Problems using a drill chuck...

Raymond Scott

Raymond Scott

Member
Messages
80
Location
Hitchins, Kentucky (Northeastern part of the state
I finally picked up a 1/2" drill chuck to use in the tailstock of my Delta 46-460. My first couple attempts with it have not gone according to plans. The first thing I tried to drill was a pen blank with a 7mm bit. When I advanced the bit enough for it to start biting, it proceeded to bind, causing the quill to start advancing on its own, pushing the tailstock back. I tried adjusting the blank in the pin jaws of my chuck but it did not help, I could not stop it from binding and advancing the quill and pushing the tailstock back. (I don't have a drill press.) Later, I tried using a forstner bit in the drill chuck, but every time I would start to get a bite in the wood, it did the same thing. Has anyone had this issue before? I am pretty new at this, so I'm leaning towards operator error. Any pointers?
 
Ray, check your bed for alignment. Put your live center in the tail stock and a dead center or whatever center you have in the head stock. crank the tail stock until the points on each are just a millimeter apart...are they aligned? Start with this and we can go from there...post a pick of the set up if you can.
 
sounds like the alignment pin/ quill lock is to far out letting the quill to spin and therefore advance. Does the chuck spin? It shouldn't.
 
Here is a picture of the alignment.
resized alignment.jpg

The chuck started spinning when the drill bit was biting into the wood. I did check and the quill lock was not in the groove of the shaft. I'm not sure if it was like that before the issue or not, because it did come out at one point. I will have to try it again, tomorrow.
 
That's weird. I actually used my little jet midi lathe to do a little metal working this week. It required having a drill chuck in both ends of the lathe, and it worked fine.
 
Raymond Scott said:
Here is a picture of the alignment.
View attachment 77469

The chuck started spinning when the drill bit was biting into the wood. I did check and the quill lock was not in the groove of the shaft. I'm not sure if it was like that before the issue or not, because it did come out at one point. I will have to try it again, tomorrow.
Click to expand...

I just checked my jet 12-36 and if I disengage the quill lock far enough that the lock shaft comes out of the groove and turn the quill the quill will advance. So I think you need to have the quill lock in far enough to engage the groove then you shouldn't have a problem.
 
One other thing to check is your speed. When you're drilling, slow down to 200-400 rpm. That will help keep the bit from biting and pulling the tailstock. When I drill, I hold the drill chuck lightly to help prevent it from catching and pulling the chuck out of the tailstock. Every 10-15 turns of the tailstock, you'll need to back out and clean out the drill bit. Slow speed and cleaning the bit will also help it run cooler.
 
Dave Black said:
I just checked my jet 12-36 and if I disengage the quill lock far enough that the lock shaft comes out of the groove and turn the quill the quill will advance. So I think you need to have the quill lock in far enough to engage the groove then you shouldn't have a problem.
Click to expand...

This makes sense. This was my first time turning without the quill lock tightened down, so I probably had it too loose.

Steve Kniffen said:
One other thing to check is your speed. When you're drilling, slow down to 200-400 rpm.
Click to expand...

This is very helpful. I need to make a chart for which speeds to use for different applications.

One other thing, the back cover for my PSI live center keeps coming unscrewed while turning. Do I have to worry about it?
 
Raymond Scott said:
This makes sense. This was my first time turning without the quill lock tightened down, so I probably had it too loose.



This is very helpful. I need to make a chart for which speeds to use for different applications.

One other thing, the back cover for my PSI live center keeps coming unscrewed while turning.
Click to expand...
Blue thread lock on the threads the next time it comes loose!
Click to expand...
 
I'm having a problem with this question. When you advance your hand should be on the wheel of the tailstock. At the first hint of a problem you should have stopped advancing and backed off the bit. Then what you describe would not have happened. And, the tailstock moving back is near impossible it is locked properly. Several other factors could be at play. I'm thinking 'very soft wood' and/or dull drill bits.
 
Frank Fusco said:
I'm having a problem with this question. When you advance your hand should be on the wheel of the tailstock. At the first hint of a problem you should have stopped advancing and backed off the bit. Then what you describe would not have happened. And, the tailstock moving back is near impossible it is locked properly. Several other factors could be at play. I'm thinking 'very soft wood' and/or dull drill bits.
Click to expand...

If the quill lock was not engaging the groove the quill would be able to spin, when you advance the quill to start drilling the bit would catch on the turning workpiece and therefore start to spin ,also spinning the chuck its in along with the quill( because to lock is too far out). Since your hand is on the quill advance wheel the spinning quill will start to self advance and unless you have the tail stock extremely well locked down the force of the quill self advancing and not being able to drill will overcome the force of the tail stock lock pushing it back.
 
Dave Black said:
If the quill lock was not engaging the groove the quill would be able to spin, when you advance the quill to start drilling the bit would catch on the turning workpiece and therefore start to spin ,also spinning the chuck its in along with the quill( because to lock is too far out). Since your hand is on the quill advance wheel the spinning quill will start to self advance and unless you have the tail stock extremely well locked down the force of the quill self advancing and not being able to drill will overcome the force of the tail stock lock pushing it back.
Click to expand...

This is what it was. Today I was able to use it with no problems. Thank you for all of the help, this is a great community and I learn more every time I come here.
 
Raymond, when backing the drill bit out of the work, hold the chuck in your free hand. Most lathes have a self ejecting mechanism on the tail stock and you don't want to back so far out that you eject the drill chuck. It is kind of hard on a sharp drill bit as well as your project if the bit is still in the drilled hole!
 
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