I have a delta benchtop drill press -- works great for the $200 cost.
Lately I noticed that there was a lot of run out on the drill bits. Working
my way upward I eventually removed the chuck (at Jt33) and found the
spindle? had little to no runout. However I noticed that the taper had two
grooves around the circumference and when I looked into the Chuck there were
corresponding scratch marks there as well. So what to do -- my
recollection is that the taper should be clean and smooth and the chuck is
held on by a friction fit. At present the taper on the spindle has rough
spots so I figured a bit of sanding while the drill press is running will
take care of that -- I figure it is cheaper and easier to buy a new chuck
than to try to polish up the inside part but when I went on line it seems
that spindles and chucks are sold in sets.

Soooo the question is should I get a set, remove the spindle and replace the
whole shebang ? or are all the tapers the same and with a little sanding /
polishing make the spindle smooth again and use a new chuck ? Anyplace
better than another to buy the parts ? Would it be best to just order from
delta ?

Suggestions appreciated

Cheers
Eric


Rather than sanding the entire spindle stub, just look for any high spots or
burrs and take them off with a fine stone. Same with any burrs inside the
chuck taper.

Aggressive sanding could take off enough metal to prevent the taper from
gripping.

Clean both surfaces well and force them back together. Light hits with a
mallet - but not on the jaws - can help. Some people warm the chuck in an oven
to 200 degrees or so, then let it shrink on.

John Martin