I just purchased my first drill press (Delta 12" benchtop DP-300L). I'm
not totally new to drill presses as I used to fool around with my dad's
when I was a kid.

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What
little common sense I have wants to tell me that the laws of physics
work against this thing staying put. Can somebody explain the reasoning
behind this design? I now have visions of the chuck flying off at high
speed and ricocheting around the garage like a top.

In article , "Charlie M. 1958" wrote:
I just purchased my first drill press (Delta 12" benchtop DP-300L). I'm
not totally new to drill presses as I used to fool around with my dad's
when I was a kid.

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What
little common sense I have wants to tell me that the laws of physics
work against this thing staying put. Can somebody explain the reasoning
behind this design? I now have visions of the chuck flying off at high
speed and ricocheting around the garage like a top.

Friction fit. It isn't going anywhere. Don't lose sleep over this.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Charlie M. 1958 wrote:
I just purchased my first drill press (Delta 12" benchtop DP-300L). I'm
not totally new to drill presses as I used to fool around with my dad's
when I was a kid.

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What
little common sense I have wants to tell me that the laws of physics
work against this thing staying put. Can somebody explain the reasoning
behind this design? I now have visions of the chuck flying off at high
speed and ricocheting around the garage like a top.

Make sure the tapers on the shaft (trunnion) and inside the chuck
(bore) are squeeky clean.
A light tap upward, and it will stay on....like REALLY stay on.
Google Morse taper for more info.

r

With your kit you have a wedge. Do not loose it. It is used to remove the
chuck assembly.
After a while it becomes impossible to remove the Morse taper assembly
without using this wedge and tapping lightly with a hammer.

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
et...
In article , "Charlie M. 1958"
wrote:
I just purchased my first drill press (Delta 12" benchtop DP-300L). I'm
not totally new to drill presses as I used to fool around with my dad's
when I was a kid.

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What
little common sense I have wants to tell me that the laws of physics
work against this thing staying put. Can somebody explain the reasoning
behind this design? I now have visions of the chuck flying off at high
speed and ricocheting around the garage like a top.

Friction fit. It isn't going anywhere. Don't lose sleep over this.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Charlie M. 1958 wrote:
I just purchased my first drill press (Delta 12" benchtop DP-300L). I'm
not totally new to drill presses as I used to fool around with my dad's
when I was a kid.

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What
little common sense I have wants to tell me that the laws of physics
work against this thing staying put. Can somebody explain the reasoning
behind this design? I now have visions of the chuck flying off at high
speed and ricocheting around the garage like a top.

The Morse Taper dates back to about 1864. It is the standard method of
attaching many rotating shafts together, including chucks on drill
presses. If you tap it solidly into place, it won't fall out.

DonkeyHody
"Even an old blind hog finds an acorn every now and then."

Charlie M. 1958 wrote:

I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft.

Yes, it's a miracle it works. Frequently they don't.

This _isn't_ a Morse taper. There's a short taper in the back of the
drill chuck and there's a double ended shaft that joins it to the Morse
socket in the quill shaft. The short taper is usually a B16 these days,
older ones may be 0, 1 or 2 JT (Jacobs Taper).

More details.
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk....396bc199fd189e

On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 09:02:25 -0600, "Charlie M. 1958"
wrote:

I just purchased my first drill press (Delta 12" benchtop DP-300L). I'm
not totally new to drill presses as I used to fool around with my dad's
when I was a kid.

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What
little common sense I have wants to tell me that the laws of physics
work against this thing staying put. Can somebody explain the reasoning
behind this design? I now have visions of the chuck flying off at high
speed and ricocheting around the garage like a top.


It is a friction fit. It is very important to thoroughly clean both
mating parts before you tap the chuck in place. Do not put any
fingerprints on the metal.

"Charlie M. 1958" wrote in message
...
I just purchased my first drill press (Delta 12" benchtop DP-300L). I'm not
totally new to drill presses as I used to fool around with my dad's when I
was a kid.

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What
little common sense I have wants to tell me that the laws of physics work
against this thing staying put. Can somebody explain the reasoning behind
this design? I now have visions of the chuck flying off at high speed and
ricocheting around the garage like a top.

I bought a barely used drill press and was really shocked when the drill and
chuck fell out. They are balanced so they don't shoot anywhere, and really
don't have all that much energy anyhow.

Turns out they were all greasy; apparently the guy didn't read the assembly
instructions. I cleaned them up with acetone (mineral spirits weren't
adequate to the job) and it has been fine since.

Don't worry. Just clean the taper and the hole and put it together. As I
recall my instructions told me to put a block of wood on the table, clean
and insert the tapered shaft; lower the chuck onto the wooden block and use
firm pressure on the plunge-handle to press the taper into the hole. I did
that with mine about 25 years ago. Still there.

RonB

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What

Before tapping the chuck onto the taper, OPEN the jaws so they are inside
the chuck body, hit ONLY on the face of the solid body.

In article . com,
"Andy Dingley " wrote:

Charlie M. 1958 wrote:

I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft.

Yes, it's a miracle it works. Frequently they don't.

This _isn't_ a Morse taper. There's a short taper in the back of the
drill chuck and there's a double ended shaft that joins it to the Morse
socket in the quill shaft. The short taper is usually a B16 these days,
older ones may be 0, 1 or 2 JT (Jacobs Taper).

More details.
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk....396bc199fd189e

My old drill press has a JT-33 right on the end of the quill shaft. No
double-ended intermediate at all.

"Charlie M. 1958" wrote in message

Can somebody explain the reasoning behind this design? I now have visions
of the chuck flying off at high speed and ricocheting around the garage
like a top.

The reasoning is that it is simple and works. Do not, however, apply a lot
of lateral force for some reason (like trying to use a drill bit like a
router) as than can make it come off. No, it won't go flying around, it
just sort of drops.

Charlie M. 1958 wrote:
I just purchased my first drill press (Delta 12" benchtop DP-300L). I'm
not totally new to drill presses as I used to fool around with my dad's
when I was a kid.

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What
little common sense I have wants to tell me that the laws of physics
work against this thing staying put. Can somebody explain the reasoning
behind this design? I now have visions of the chuck flying off at high
speed and ricocheting around the garage like a top.

From "Machinery's Handbook" 15th Edition 1954

"Certain types of small tools and machine parts, such as twist drills,
end mills, arbors, lathe centers, etc., are provided with taper shanks
which fit into spindles or sockets of corresponding taper, thus
providing not only accurate alignment between the tool or other part
and supporting member, but also more or less frictional resistance for
driving the tool."

From what I can tell the key reason is this method provides easy and
certain alignment.

A.M. Wood

In article ,
Rick Samuel wrote:

Having never assembled one before, I was shocked to discover that the
chuck is installed by simple tapping it on to the tapered shaft. What

Before tapping the chuck onto the taper, OPEN the jaws so they are inside
the chuck body, hit ONLY on the face of the solid body.



I don't think the OP will hurt anything either way, but on a common
Jacobs plain bearing chuck it's better to strike the JAWS than the
SHELL of the chuck.


--
For every complicated, difficult problem, there is a simple, easy
solution that does not work.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland -

Thanks to all who replied. I feel better knowing that the chuck isn't
going to come flying off like a projectile. I did follow the
instructions to clean the surfaces, and it seems to fit securely.