Re: Cheap keyless chuck

chapmanruss · Post by **chapmanruss** » Mon Aug 22, 2022 11:58 am

RuthScott,

Welcome to the Shopsmith Forum. I don't know of a "cheap" Keyless Drill Chuck for the Shopsmith tools. Shopsmith sells their 5/8" Keyless Chuck besides the regular keyed 1/2" Chuck. I have seen a 5/8" Keyless Chuck for sale on ebay which is currently for sale there. It is less than the Shopsmith one. I first have to ask do you plan to do any drilling with bits having a shank larger than 1/2"? If not is the only reason to step up to the 5/8" Chuck to have a keyless one? I have not seen a smaller capacity Keyless Chuck to fit on the Shopsmith's 5/8" spindle although I guess you could buy one and an adapter to make one fit. I have the Shopsmith 5/8" Keyless Drill Chuck but still prefer to use a standard Shopsmith 1/2" Chucks almost all the time. I have drilled mortises and that needs a standard Shopsmith Drill Chuck as the Keyless Drill Chuck is too large to fit with the Mortise holder. As for something "cheap" you get what you pay for. Any Chuck that uses an adapter to fit on the Shopsmith's 5/8" Spindle adds another possible problem point. The first Drill Chucks supplied with the Shopsmith Model 10E in the beginning in 1947 was a Jacobs 33B 1/2" Chuck on an adapter. One of those adapters I have it is bent at the threads, so the Chuck doesn't turn true. This is a heavy steel adapter so you would think this could not happen but somehow it did. I don't know how heavy duty the adapter used on the ebay Keyless Chucks is but that for me would be a consideration.

In referring to a 5/8" or 1/2" Chuck above I am of course talking about the diameter capacity of the Chuck and not the mounting.

DLB · Post by **DLB** » Mon Aug 22, 2022 2:58 pm

Ebay listings include 1/2", 5/8", and 3/4" keyless chucks from one supplier and a different 1/2" (adapted Jacobs) from another. All fit the Shopsmith 5/8" spindle. (I think all include an adapter.) I don't use any of them, so have no opinion on quality. When I want a 'quick change' capability I typically just use more than one standard Jacobs chuck and swap between them at the spindle.

- David

chapmanruss · Post by **chapmanruss** » Wed Aug 24, 2022 12:55 pm

Nice idea David.

When I want a 'quick change' capability I typically just use more than one standard Jacobs chuck and swap between them at the spindle.

I haven't done that but with all the chucks I have around I could. I'll remember that for next time I use more than 1 drill bit on a project.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Aug 24, 2022 10:34 pm

BTDT Try that with a stand alone drill press!

BillVan · Post by **BillVan** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 8:23 am

good chucks aren't cheap; cheap chucks aren't good. Buy a quality chuck from a reliable source and you won't go wrong and you will also not be dissatisfied.
Bill V

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 9:36 am

RFGuy · Post by **RFGuy** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 10:19 am

BillVan wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 8:23 am good chucks aren't cheap; cheap chucks aren't good. Buy a quality chuck from a reliable source and you won't go wrong and you will also not be dissatisfied.
Bill V

Well said...I don't use my Mark V as a drill press often for the type of work that I do, but when I do I smile

every time I take out the Shopsmith 5/8" Keyless Drill Chuck (part #556273) to use. Yes it weighs a ton, but it looks and performs beautifully. I waited until Shopsmith offered a sale on it which definitely helps with the price. I initially looked at the eBay 3rd party keyless chucks for the Shopsmith, but they were only slightly cheaper than what I paid for the sale price of the Shopsmith chuck.

https://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cat ... _chuck.htm

DLB · Post by **DLB** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:47 pm

RFGuy wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 10:19 am Well said...I don't use my Mark V as a drill press often for the type of work that I do, but when I do I smile every time I take out the Shopsmith 5/8" Keyless Drill Chuck (part #556273) to use. Yes it weighs a ton, but it looks and performs beautifully. I waited until Shopsmith offered a sale on it which definitely helps with the price. I initially looked at the eBay 3rd party keyless chucks for the Shopsmith, but they were only slightly cheaper than what I paid for the sale price of the Shopsmith chuck.

Do you happen to know the type and size of the mechanical interface where the adapter meets the chuck? From the reviews on SS' web page, I'm thinking tapered.(?)

- David

chapmanruss · Post by **chapmanruss** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 1:34 pm

RFGuy,

Like you I waited for it to go on sale before purchasing it. It does weight a lot.

David,

I'm not sure what the reviewer was referring to when he/she said

I just received my keyless chuck today and it comes in two parts -- the actual chuck and the arbor adaptor to fasten it to the Quill spindle. As near as I can tell the chuck just slips into the arbor adaptor. While I haven't used it yet, I suspect there will be slippage while trying to drill a large hole into something hard like oak. The chuck itself seems to be of high quality. Why not just bore another hole for a second set screw to hold it on?

Name: shopsmith user
Location: Walnut Creek, CA
Submitted on: 2014-04-25
Rating: 3 out of 5

Mine came fully assembled ready to use. Maybe earlier ones came separated. Unfortunately, I cannot find mine right now to check it out. It may be "lost" in all the Shopsmith stuff. Could I have too much Shopsmith stuff? No, that's not possible.

RFGuy · Post by **RFGuy** » Thu Aug 25, 2022 2:41 pm

DLB wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:47 pm Do you happen to know the type and size of the mechanical interface where the adapter meets the chuck? From the reviews on SS' web page, I'm thinking tapered.(?)

- David

David,

Mine also came fully assembled. It looks like a morse taper to me between the arbor adapter and the chuck itself, but I am no expert on this. Haven't attempted to take it apart.