Make life easy - keyless chucks!

[Steve]

After visiting Mike Smith and Reese Weiland, to learn to make a liner lock a few yrs. back and seeing the use of keyless drill press chucks, I've waited for the chance to pick some up. Travers Tool Supply has them on sale now and I got one for each drill press. Double check to price, as their flyer that I had, dated thru Dec. 31 is obsolete now but they kept the price on the two I got, at $24.89 for a 3/8" and $28.63 for a1/2" chuck. Now they for sure not the quality of an Albrecht, or a Jacobs, but are considerably cheaper and appear to be well built. Sales lady was great help. Be sure to get the taper that fits your spindle. They have other brands of course.
https://www.travers.com/index.asp

What a fun time in the shop, no looking for the key, no trying to make it fit and turning the key to open a stiff 30 yr. old chuck. If you haven't already, get one/some, you'll love em. Life in the knife shop just got easier. Now if I can get some of those auto switches that turn on the press when you lower the spindle...........

Maybe I should've put this in the Trick of the Trade thread...?

[Bob Sigmon]

Steve,

I got a Rohm Keyless chuck (from Enc) for my little Delta bench press and what a world of difference. It actually holds the bits tighter and I have yet to have a bit spin in the chuck.

I too like the fact that I don't have to look around for where I last set down the key. Every drill press that I ever get will have a key less chuck put on it.

I also have a 1/2 Milwaukee drill that came with a keyless chuck. What a treat it is to use that drill also.

Money well spent in a busy shop!

Bob Sigmon

[Steve]

I agree, Bob. No reason for a keyed chuck with the size drills I use in my shop. Maybe if you get into big drills, but that's pretty rare with the knives that I make.

[Don Robinson]

Check Ebay for whole sets of keyless chucks.

Last year I bought 4 different sizes at once, then went back and got another one. I paid around $60 for the set of 4.

They aren't Albrechts, but they work just fine. Now I have one on all my machines. Mill, drill presses, lathe.

You can even get the proper size shanks off ebay.

[Steve]

Thanks, Don. They look good to me. Wish I'd thought to look there back when I started looking for the two that I bought.

There are 5 of them on ebaY now for a current bid of $66: ebaY #7617514833