Got a Drill Press, Where to Get Clamps?

[Scrounge]

Thanks! I got a VG $6 one on the way.

De Nada! Lots of good info in there. As you'll see! Especially good at provoking you to take a new look at stuff you probably already have.

Bill

[Scrounge]

I was just going over this thread again and noticed this sentence. This is a great nugget of wisdom, I had an old supervisor who had an operator fling a chuck key across the room when he started his machine. The thing embedded itself in the concrete and stuck there. He walked over to the circuit breaker, killed the power to the whole shop, and they had a safety meeting right that second.

I am thinking I will 3D print something to hold the key, but maybe a simpler solution will suggest itself.

A magnet from an old hard drive can provide such a place, too. Combine that with a piece of 1/16" aircraft cable to prevent it growing legs and wandering off.

Bill

[rbuck351]

Stick the handle of the chuck key in the chuck and hand tighten it enough to keep it from falling out.

[bangerjim]

Here are some ideas I used when building my press table/fence assembly

https://www.familyhandyman.com/proje...l-press-table/

https://www.wwgoa.com/article/shop-m...-table-plans/#

https://www.theaveragecraftsman.com/...l-press-table/

It is very versatile for both metal and wood working needs. No press should be without one!

[bangerjim]

For chuck key dangers, that is between you and your brain! Concentration should be 100% when operating ANY power tool no matter how simple.

I have my chuck key attached to one of those auto spring-loaded roll-up things guys use that clip on their belts for car keys. Keeps the key handy but always out of the way...........and it never gets lost.

There is not guaranteed way of preventing a key being left in the chuck! I hate those spring-loaded things that make drill press operation clumsy and frustrating.

I guess if someone is in the habit of turning on the press while the key is in the chuck..............well........some people were never meant to operate power tools, I guess!


If you want to eliminate the key all together do what I did on a couple of my presses......install a 1/2" ball bearing chuck with carbide jaws. They are not cheap! You can hand tighten the things extremely tight (if you get a quality brand!) and never use a key again. I still use keys on my 3/4" chucks on the mills and big floor drill presses.

[country gent]

After the years of hand fitting and working those plungers in chuck keys really bother my wrists. ( and my pride LOL).

The first shop I hired in to (at 15) had almost ll flat belt machines running open. You were expected to work accordingly.

I still remember the day He shut us down 1/2 hour early called us all back (all 3 of us) and handed out beers and gave me my first white apron. I took it home and Showed Dad even.

[Scrounge]

For chuck key dangers, that is between you and your brain! Concentration should be 100% when operating ANY power tool no matter how simple.

I have my chuck key attached to one of those auto spring-loaded roll-up things guys use that clip on their belts for car keys. Keeps the key handy but always out of the way...........and it never gets lost.

There is not guaranteed way of preventing a key being left in the chuck! I hate those spring-loaded things that make drill press operation clumsy and frustrating.

I guess if someone is in the habit of turning on the press while the key is in the chuck..............well........some people were never meant to operate power tools, I guess!


If you want to eliminate the key all together do what I did on a couple of my presses......install a 1/2" ball bearing chuck with carbide jaws. They are not cheap! You can hand tighten the things extremely tight (if you get a quality brand!) and never use a key again. I still use keys on my 3/4" chucks on the mills and big floor drill presses.

I'm too cheap to buy a chuck that's that expensive, and if you don't tighten it properly, it will spin and destroy your drill bits. I have a couple of Jacobs key-type chucks that are at least 50 years old, and in way better condition than I am. I'll just keep using them. And it's easy to find replacement keys for them if I lose one. Naturally, YMMV.

Bill

[bangerjim]

I'm too cheap to buy a chuck that's that expensive, and if you don't tighten it properly, it will spin and destroy your drill bits. I have a couple of Jacobs key-type chucks that are at least 50 years old, and in way better condition than I am. I'll just keep using them. And it's easy to find replacement keys for them if I lose one. Naturally, YMMV.

Bill

I have 3 German-made ratcheting type ball bearing chucks that have NEVER spun with just hand tightening on 1/2" shanks! But they are very expensive. Quality ball bearing ratcheting-type chucks will NOT loose grip. Hardened/diamond coated jaws never loose alignment or shape OR grip. Best chucks I have ever owned.

I have a drawer full of Jacobs and other key-operated chucks. I still pref fer the key-less ball bearing style ones. Please do not compare these wish the garbage you get on hand drills!

Albrecht is one quality brand I have several of:

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/08055287

[country gent]

When I bought out a friends shop I got 8-9 albrieght key less chucks in various sizes and shanks. Im slowly beginning to like them a lot more. One thing I have noticed with them is the range isnt as good as the keyed chucks.

A drill chuck can last a long time if cared for properly. with the better chucks it is buy once and when it gets loose a rebuild kit and a little time at the bench.

[country gent]

Another really nice addition is a small chuck (0-1/4 or 0-3/8 P on a straight shank to fit the machines drill press. A po;pt drill and the small chuck are about the same length as the big drill so it saves cranking table up and down. We had the, with 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" and 3/4" shanks, these worked in drill press but also saved collet changes on the mills.

[Scrounge]

I have 3 German-made ratcheting type ball bearing chucks that have NEVER spun with just hand tightening on 1/2" shanks! But they are very expensive. Quality ball bearing ratcheting-type chucks will NOT loose grip. Hardened/diamond coated jaws never loose alignment or shape OR grip. Best chucks I have ever owned.

I have a drawer full of Jacobs and other key-operated chucks. I still pref fer the key-less ball bearing style ones. Please do not compare these wish the garbage you get on hand drills!

Albrecht is one quality brand I have several of:

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/08055287

I tend to replace the chucks on powered drill motors with decent brands. Though I rarely buy them new. If I ever win the lottery (hard to do when you don't buy tickets) I will build and equip a shop with new or professionally rebuilt tools and tooling. So far, I've done OK with DIY refurbs, though. This is another thing where YMMV. Your addictions are not mine, and vis versa, so you may have more or less money to spend on the goodies than I do. I did quit smoking many years ago when I found that I could get 5 used paperback books for the cost of the 3 packs of cigarettes I was smoking each day. Back when cigarettes were $0.35/pack. Lots of books around here, these days.

Oh, gotta say that the chucks on Ryobi cordless drills are pretty good for a cheap power tool. I like them much better than the Dewalt stuff my work was using.

[tdoor4570]

Was wandering around a yard sale and picked up some welding clamps made by vice grip, both long and short they work just fine to hold down what I'm working on.

[Mal Paso]

Was wandering around a yard sale and picked up some welding clamps made by vice grip, both long and short they work just fine to hold down what I'm working on.

They can be set one handed while you're using the other to align the work. I use the welding ones too.

[jonp]

I figure there is no point in going halfway on things, so I ordered this from Harbor Freight:
https://www.harborfreight.com/58-pie...amps-5952.html

Hopefully the included T-bolts or nuts will fit! Thank you guys, I will report back with success or failure.

I didn't know they sold a set like that. I've been using my HB press with an XY Vice and small clamps https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-QUICK...amp/1003172496

[jonp]

I have 3 German-made ratcheting type ball bearing chucks that have NEVER spun with just hand tightening on 1/2" shanks! But they are very expensive. Quality ball bearing ratcheting-type chucks will NOT loose grip. Hardened/diamond coated jaws never loose alignment or shape OR grip. Best chucks I have ever owned.

I have a drawer full of Jacobs and other key-operated chucks. I still pref fer the key-less ball bearing style ones. Please do not compare these wish the garbage you get on hand drills!

Albrecht is one quality brand I have several of:

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/08055287

Looks like a quality product but at $548 each I'm not sure someone with a HB Press for use as a home hobbiest is going to get the value out of several of them.

[Daekar]

I didn't know they sold a set like that. I've been using my HB press with an XY Vice and small clamps https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-QUICK...amp/1003172496

Those are great! I have two small ones and two large ones, and I use them for all kinds of things. If my drill press table were smaller, I would be tempted to just use them and dispense with the other clamps, but mine don't reach far enough.

[Mal Paso]

I didn't know they sold a set like that. I've been using my HB press with an XY Vice and small clamps https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-QUICK...amp/1003172496

They work great until the frictions wear out, then they are junk. I've switched back to all metal bar clamps.

[Daekar]

I am happy to report that the clamp set I bought works great and fits the channels on the press no problem. Thank you guys for all the advice!

[country gent]

Glad to hear that they work Now your looking for some holes to drill.

Now a good sharp scribe, lay out ink, center punches, and a small precision hammer

[Scrounge]

Glad to hear that they work Now your looking for some holes to drill.

Now a good sharp scribe, lay out ink, center punches, and a small precision hammer

I've grown fond of the automatic center punch, too. You don't have to worry that the punch will slip before you strike it with the hammer. It's also easy to drift an off-the-mark punch to the correct location with an automatic center punch, as well. Let it reset with out lifting the point, angle it in the direction you want it to move, and punch it again and again until it's where you want it, just like doing it with an ordinary center punch and hammer. It's easy to deepen a properly located punch, as well. Just keep hammering it without angling the punch.

They aren't the best thing for every situation, but they are handy. You should have both automatic and standard center punches and a proper hammer.

Bill