Drill chuck

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michaelperez

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Hello everybody, hope you're doing well.
I'm about to buy a drill chuck for my lathe and I'm between 2 options:
1 craft supplies turners select 1/2 keyless drill chuck
2 PennStateInd keyless 1/2 N2 MT chuck
do you have any experience with any of this chucks?
thank you in advance it will help me to take my decisio.
greetings
 
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I do not think that is a huge factor. I have had a keyed chuck for my lathe and drill presses. In my portable drills I have a keyless because that is basically all they sell and yes they all work just fine and happy with all. Mine is probably a Craft Supply item because when I started that was where I bought all my lathe tools.
 
jttheclockman said:
I do not think that is a huge factor. I have had a keyed chuck for my lathe and drill presses. In my portable drills I have a keyless because that is basically all they sell and yes they all work just fine and happy with all. Mine is probably a Craft Supply item because when I started that was where I bought all my lathe tools.
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Thank you very much.
 
I might be wrong, but I believe the PSI chuck will accept a draw bar, but the CSUSA chuck does not. If that is indeed the case, I would go with the PSI chuck.

Personally, I prefer keyed chucks, but that's just me. Many people prefer the keyless chucks, but the ability to use a drawbar to lock a chuck in place is very important for stability & safety.
 
Edgar said:
I might be wrong, but I believe the PSI chuck will accept a draw bar, but the CSUSA chuck does not. If that is indeed the case, I would go with the PSI chuck.

Personally, I prefer keyed chucks, but that's just me. Many people prefer the keyless chucks, but the ability to use a drawbar to lock a chuck in place is very important for stability & safety.
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I have the PSI and it is in fact threaded 1/4"-20.

I haven't tried a draw bar yet. Not sure how that would work when in the tailstock quill where I need to move it in and out.
 
d_bondi said:
I have the PSI and it is in fact threaded 1/4"-20.

I haven't tried a draw bar yet. Not sure how that would work when in the tailstock quill where I need to move it in and out.
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A drawbar is generally only used when the chuck is mounted in the head stock. It keeps the chuck from vibrating loose if the tail stock isn't being used to support the work piece.

I only buy threaded drill chucks so I can use them in the head stock or in the tail stock.
 
I've used both but I prefer a keyed chuck. In general the keyless chuck works fine but in some instances I need to get the chuck tighter and this is where the keyed chuck is better.
 
BCnabe said:
I've used both but I prefer a keyed chuck. In general the keyless chuck works fine but in some instances I need to get the chuck tighter and this is where the keyed chuck is better.
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Agree. I have a keyless chuck on my drill press and also in my cordless drill - they work OK, but I just feel more comfortable with a keyed chuck.

That said, the one thing to be aware of when using keyed chucks is to always remove the key before starting to drill. If you leave the key in the chuck, it can be flung out and into your face when you start up the lathe. And in a lathe application, there is the related issue where to put the key so that you can always find it when you need it. A woodturning workstation can get pretty cluttered - - - My solution was to turn a wooden handle that I glued the short metal handle on the key into, and then I made a holder that is attached to the end of the lathe bench that holds that handle. The handle makes the key much larger so that it's more difficult for it to get lost, while also providing the potential for applying more torque when tightening the chuck (for those who care about such things), and having a special place to put the key means that its less likely to get lost in shavings.

I bought the MT1 PSI chuck when I had my first lathe, and as Edgar said, it was threaded to receive a 1/4x20 drawbar. When I moved up to an MT2 lathe, I bought a replacement arbor from Little Machine Shop that allowed me to upgrade the chuck to MT2. The replacement arbor is threaded for a 3/8x16 draw bar which is what I normally use today. Lathes generally don't come with drawbars (they should), but its ridiculously easy to make one - just get a length of the appropriate all-thread rod from the hardware store, and then turn a knob with an embedded nut to go on the end. That knob can be as simple or fancy as you wish. I made mine in two pieces that fit together with a mortise and tenon arrangement, and embedded a t-nut at the point where they join.
 
I recently purchased a high-end brand keyless drill chuck and can't stand it. I don't feel like it holds a drill bit nearly as well as my old PSI keyed drill chuck.

Whatever you do, do not get this one that I got at a holiday fair this weekend. It is nowhere near sturdy enough. The drill bit is terrible as well. It seems like it is made of chocolate or something. :D It tasted pretty good though.

1701267682019.png
 
hooked said:
I recently purchased a high-end brand keyless drill chuck and can't stand it. I don't feel like it holds a drill bit nearly as well as my old PSI keyed drill chuck.

Whatever you do, do not get this one that I got at a holiday fair this weekend. It is nowhere near sturdy enough. The drill bit is terrible as well. It seems like it is made of chocolate or something. :D It tasted pretty good though.

View attachment 364027
hooked said:
I recently purchased a high-end brand keyless drill chuck and can't stand it. I don't feel like it holds a drill bit nearly as well as my old PSI keyed drill chuck.

Whatever you do, do not get this one that I got at a holiday fair this weekend. It is nowhere near sturdy enough. The drill bit is terrible as well. It seems like it is made of chocolate or something. :D It tasted pretty good though.

View attachment 364027
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hahahha, amazing, thanks for the picture and your recommendation.
 
monophoto said:
That said, the one thing to be aware of when using keyed chucks is to always remove the key before starting to drill. If you leave the key in the chuck, it can be flung out and into your face when you start up the lathe.
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My Dad only had corded drills, and he always insisted that the key had to be attached to the cord near the plug - he used electrical tape for this. His reasoning was that if the key was attached to the cord near the plug, then you had no alternative but to unplug the drill before using the key to loosen or tighten the chuck.

Looking back, that was a pretty practical way to enforce basic safety. I learned a lot from him.
 
jttheclockman said:
I do not think that is a huge factor. I have had a keyed chuck for my lathe and drill presses. In my portable drills I have a keyless because that is basically all they sell and yes they all work just fine and happy with all. Mine is probably a Craft Supply item because when I started that was where I bought all my lathe tools.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much
 
It looks like the keyed is the one to go, but it never was in my mind because in my experience I've only tried one and it's a keyless Röhm chuck that is in my drill press.
I got used to it and haven't had any issue and neither the opportunity to compare it
I wanted to buy another exactly the same but was kinda complicated and expensive because i also have to buy the arbor separately and it's difficult to find the one that matches.
Yesterday before I read all the recommendations I decided to go for the one in CS :turners select and placed the order.
This time around i couldn't take your recommendations I hope it works as my RÖHM 🙄
As always a lot to learn from all of you, I would like to thank everyone for the time and all the recommendations.
Greetings
 
monophoto said:
And in a lathe application, there is the related issue where to put the key so that you can always find it when you need it. A woodturning workstation can get pretty cluttered
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I just epoxy glue a small rare earth magnet about 3/8" x 1/4" to the handle shaft end of the chuck key. Done this for many years! I have a strip magnet above my lathe, and magnets and nailer plates on the shelf supports.
 
Drill chuck on lathe: I got one of the magnetic hooks from HF. I tied a yellow ribbon with a loop on the key and hang it next to the on/off switch. The ribbon is long enough to tell me not to leave it on the chuck just before turning. Almost did this once. I learn real fast!
 
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