Our Drill Press Runout - Fixed … for FREE ???
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Today on Bald Spot Garage, we’re tackling a common shop problem: a wobbly drill press. Is it a simple fix, or is it just a lost cause?
In this video, we’ll walk you through the troubleshooting process, share what we discovered, and show you how we fixed the issue-all without spending a dime. If you’ve ever wondered if your tools are salvageable or just junk, this video is for you. Stick around for some no-cost solutions to keep your drill press running smoothly!
I have the same type of vise on my Craftsman drill press. That vise is so versatile and handy that it never comes off the drill press. I bought my Craftsman back in the 1980's when the name Craftsman stood for something.
Thanks for sharing and for others doing the same thing. I have a drill press very much like the one in the video. I learned more about it then I ever knew. I bought it at my older friends auction after he died. Scrapers were there and were going to get for pennies. I out bid the scraper. It's something that reminds me of the great relationship I had with my good friend. I miss him dearly. One of the best guys on planet earth.
The Jacobs taper is for the end of the stud that goes into the chuck. The Morse taper you're looking at is the longer side with the tang that goes into your machine.
This video up only 7 days? Just this week, after many years of use, I noticed my old drill press has very bad runout. So I was considering what I might do with it. THANKS very much for your great explanation! I'll get right on trying this possible solution.
I checked mine yesterday as it was wobbling with a new chuck- it was over 20thou out- so tomorrow I'm going to take your advice and have another looksee. Thank you for taking the time to share this, as it was really frustrating trying to get holes sized correctly.
Never sideload a Chuck on a drill press by milling. There is a really good chance the chuck will drop out of the taper and jump sideways. Don't ask me how I know.
I came to say the same thing
Me too I bought an expensive drill press and all the milling bits plus milling vice. And nobody told me about the need of a drawbar bolt to hold the bit from falling out !!!
Just don’t mill with a regular drill press never !!!
Been there done that. DOH! 🤦♂️😎
You're absolutely right, but if somebody does want to try some light milling on the DP, some loctite 638 on the taper is sufficient to keep it from falling out. Another tip is no keyless chucks.
I use my drill press with end mills to cut mortises in wood. It requires less set-up than using a router, and the mess stays localized, so clean-up is easier. But I also tried some light passes on aluminum just to see if it would work, and it did. Not a great surface finish, but you can get fair dimensional accuracy.
Been there and done that with almost the same set-up. It wont work for milling.
YT put this video on my feed; I opened it up because it looked interesting. As I was watching this, I got to thinking how in tune is my 8” Harbor Freight budget drill press that I bought 15 + years ago, with a coupon, for around $65 ? I located my gauge and mounting clamp. I put in my biggest,best bit in the chuck ( I can’t even figure out how it’s coupled to the arbor), and much to my amazement it was 2.5 thousand out of round ! I’m not prefabricating space shuttle components here, I figure this is close enough for Government work.
Making sure the mating parts of anything are clean is one of the main enginnering shop practices. Also the tang is on the shank for ejecting the part out of the taper. Its not there to drive it, that comes from the taper. Good luck Ian
Exactly what I went through a year ago. Much newer WEN drill press that I wanted to change to a Jacobs chuck. Runout out was worse. Put the older chuck (uses key to tighten) and runout was almost dead zero. If it ain't broke......
Thank you so very much for this. I have very cheap TOWA I bought some 20 years ago. Has always had terrible run-out. The chuck did fall out the other day and I cleaned it a bit and reinserted it, but it still has the runout. I assumed it needed new bearings or something. Maybe not! I'm going to do your checks.
Great video! I also went down this path with my HF drill press. After a while, I came up with this method. I cleaned the taper on the chuck and inside the quill with solvent. I stuck the drill/taper in the freezer for a few hours. I reinstalled it and carefully indicated it. i 'adjusted' it with a lead hammer. It now runs straight and true with ~0.0015" runout. That's pretty good for the girls I date. The other place you want to make sure is trued up is the table on your drill press. I stuck an indicator in the chuck at an angle to tram the table. I had to use several pieces of shim stock to get it trammed properly. Drills straight and true now. An easy test is to take a piece of hard wood and drill a hole. Once drilled, shut the press off, try to pull the bit out with the press handle only. It should be difficult to remove the bit from the wood. This indicates it is drilling straight and true. There may also be other ways to do it. I'm no expert.
Got the same drill press. I converted it to a (very) light milling machine for aluminum with a Morse Taper 2 ER32 collet holder and made a mini drawbar using a long Allen bolt through the collet. Fabricated a cross saddle piece drilled and tapped for the Allen bolt that sits inside that oval slot in the quill. The Allen screw threads into the cross saddle and draws the collet into the taper. The ER32 holder does not have a tang like the drill chuck so the cross saddle piece clears the end of the taper. I know the issue with sideloading the bearings in the quill, so I go really light with the X-Y cross slide. Collected a dozen USA vintage presses, so not worried about this Taiwan machine.
I also have an old drill press with the same issue as yours. I am certainly going to remove the Chuck, sand it nice and clean, try to clean out the sleave as well and assemble it again to see whether it resolves my "run-off", thanks for the video
That is a big reason why professional workshops have a maintenance schedule specific to each machine tool, there would typically be daily checks, weekly, monthly etc etc right up to major rebuilds if the machine is worth the effort.
I've got an old Dayton drill press sitting in a storage unit waiting on me to get my shop put together. Bought it at an estate sale with a bunch of extras for 100 bucks. Will definately need cleaned up. Thanks for the video.
I have that same drill press head on a bench model. Mine is a 1970s? Jet. It had too much runout also. I put a test indicator on the bore of the spindle and there was close to zero runout there. I took it all apart, added new bearings, belts, made a much better quill lock, added a quick to set depth stop, new paint & a US made ball bearing chuck. Now has less runout but still not as good as it should be. I tried changing the the chuck seated positions. Helped a little. I use a gage pin to check runout.
i have seen even high end drill presses with a lot of run out, all you got to do is tap gently on the high side of the chuck where the key goes in with a mallet to get near zero runout can be done without a dial gauge just make sure you have the drill bit in the chuck your going to use .
I wouldn't be tack welding the handles, just use a little locktight (not too strong)
Much neater and easily removed again if you need to.
Good advice on seating morse tapers.
Ditto 👍🏼
If you have runout caused by dirt, you MUST clean the hole in the Quill as wee in case the dirt has stuck to it when you pull the tool out...
One REALLY good way to make sure the tool is clean is with an ultrasonic cleaner (VEVOR makes good quality, inexpensive models of various sizes)...
HOWEVER, if you scream-clean the tool, you MUST Grease the bearings/mechanisms and oil the rest of it to prevent rust if it's plain steel...
Not Johnson it is Jacobs.
Yes, I know it’s Jacob‘s, and I’ve always known . I didn’t even realize I said the wrong name while filming, and then it somehow made it through editing without being caught.
@@BaldSpotGarage Wow I must say this is one of the quickest responses I have experienced. Thank you. The only reason I mentioned it is because I had to look it up to make sure there was not a taper I was unfamiliar with.
@@RonBateman-vl2wz you beat me to it :)
Are you a professional checker upper?😂@@RonBateman-vl2wz
@@BaldSpotGarage
Those wedges are called drifts. You can easily make one from an off cut or scrap steel.
The handles are steel, the center receptacle is cast iron. Mine was all cracked and the handles impossible to deal with. I machined a new center tri-core out of aluminum, which was a bit of a project, but now it is good for eternity. Good primer on dealing with a drill press; I too, have taken mine completely apart and 'rebuilt' it.
@6:30 that tang on the Morse taper is not to prevent slipping, it is used to drive it out of the holder, that's why it is called the driver. If the taper doesn't hold, there is either too much (side)loading or the tapers are damaged or dirty.
I know it’s there to drive it out, but there is a slot at the top that it lines up with allowing it to only go in two positions 180* out from each other. That will prevent slipping weather or not it’s intended too or not
Actually it does BOTH as BSG notes depending on the spindle or tail stock you're using. MT drills have tangs on their tapers so that when they use for drilling on a lathe, they won't slip which can otherwise happen even with proper insertion if there is no tang.
Excellent video.
One thing often overlooked is the belt(s). You changed yours out (good call on your part) but.. When ever I work on a belt drive device I always consider replacing all the belts with link belts instead of the regular V-belt. They run much smoother and don't take a "set" like a regular v-belt does when they sit for a long time. They are also quieter. Not cheap but they last forever.
I have them on my drill press, table saw, band saw, old Atlas lathe, etc. They are a real life saver when you have a machine like he Atlas that would require the disassembling the spindle to change the belt. The green ones from HF are a good brand that work very well. Another plus, you usually have some extra left over from each project, you can link the left overs to make another belt...
I agree. I put link belts on my Jet when I first bought it. What a difference it made. They are still performing flawlessly 30 years later. Smooth, and they never take a set like a regular V-belt.
Morse tapers dont like side loads.
I tried the same arrangement with that drill press, that X-Y vice and milling cutters held in the chuck. You might get away with it, but the usual result is that when you least expect it the taper releases during a cut, dropping the chuck and cutter crashing into the work.
Not only that, the bearings in a drill press are designed for an axial load such as drilling. They will quickly lose all that runout accuracy you tried to achieve after only a few minutes when subjected to a radial (side) load. Even with light cuts. Plus all that height of your vise will guarantee severe chatter if you mill with it. Also, drill chucks will lose all accuracy and become useless when milled with. Bottom line, it's your drill press, do what you like with it but if you want it to remain a good tool to drill with, don't use it as a milling machine.
JT = Jacobs Taper, not Johnson. Jacobs-style chucks are not really concentric, but you can get 'em close. A lot of the runout is caused by the three jaws and the internal scroll gear.
Great video! Regards from Sweden
Great advice, verry helpfull.
If you want to do some milling you're going to find out that it causes the chuck to fall out, that is why a milling machiene has a drawbar.
My Sears Craftsman press, early '90's has a lot of runout. You don't need a dial indicator to see it. These were made in Taiwan. The castings are well made, but the machined quill assembly always seemed iffy. I tried cleaning and a new chuck. New drill bits. Same issue. I live with it.
Bugga ! now that's another job on my list ....... Thankyou for sharing ! ♥️😉🙃😎 NZ
I have a 1959 Delta Rockwell drill press I need to take apart and tune up. It absolutely needs a new chuck to. And the quill has up and down slop.
Sometimes when you do heavy work or a large drill hangs up, the JT3 or MT2 taper can slip and gall the metal. That usually ends up causing major runout.
I think I'm going to set my indicator up and check the run out on my 90s model Sears 15in 12 speed drill press. Not experiencing any issues but now I'm curious. Thanks for the video.
You need to use your hand to side load the spindle while you have the dial indicator in place. I’ve seen plenty of cheap drill presses that had a lot of slop in the spindle.
My wobble isn't coming from the chuck, it's from the non-rotating shaft that holds the chuck. When the shaft is all the way up, no wobble. When you start to lower the bit into your workpiece, that's when the drill bit wobbles. It's the loose fit of the shaft as it goes up and down. Any way to fix that? (Harbor Freight of course)
Great video, thanks for sharing.
Just be aware that if you use it as a mill, the chuck/morse taper has a tendency to fall out due to vibration... ask me how I know!
4:30 The Morse Taper Wedge Tool and Drillbit should work too as the drill will take up the extra space the wedge was just shooting through originally...
You must tighten the chuck with a key before you check the runout.
JT2= Jacob’s taper not Johnson taper. I hate to be picky, I’m sure you just made a honest mistake! Jacob’s taper like the chuck manufacturer Jacob’s chucks. 10:34
Yes I know, I just misspoke and didn’t even catch it in editing 🤪
@@BaldSpotGarage Two other observations:
The DTI you used is actually the wrong one. It’s for plunge measurements such as finding top dead centres on engines.
You need to use the one with the little articulating finger on the end. Forget what it’s called.
If you’re considering doing even light milling, you may need to add a draw-bar inside the quill to hold a modified chuck in and prevent it from coming loose.
My chuck has always had an issue with working loose. Really don’t know what the issue is. Could be an inaccurate morse grinding.
I bet you did this, but if not it’s also a good idea to clean the internal taper.
Now for the real reason for replying. During the video I saw glimpses of your car and thought MGB, but somehow, it just didn’t look right. Then I looked at your general information, and discovered it was, and you had modified it.
I’m in the UK, and drove one, same colour, must have been around the 70’s, so I expect you can understand my interest.
I’ve also got a belt drive pillar drill and will check it. One mod I’m going to do is add an inverter so I can change the speed by turning a knob, rather than having to slack the motor to move the belt, every time.
Cheers Noel’s
The green roadster belongs to my girlfriend, and other than non original paint (previous owner) so far we’ve only added 280z wheels, but it will get a 5speed trans and a custom interior. I have A BGT project that is heavily modified and will be on the channel when I start working in it again.
Hello from California!
Thanks for the info. And nice B. That’s the car I was driving back in 1978.
The chisel is a cape chisel. Don’t weld the handles into the arbor, screw a jamb nut on before you screw it in to the arbor to hold the handle.
Tack welding on the handles might not be best. I've drilled stuff where it was handy to be able to remove one so it could clear work or clamp. Maybe you could thread the rods further to allow adding a lock nut.
The threads are in bad shape. I would have to do inserts to keep from tack welding
I have that exact same drill press including the cross slide vise !!
You should also have split the chuck from the arbor to check the Jacobs end of of the arbor for runout…
Sometimes the chuck will spin on the Jacobs taper. There is a tool for popping the arbor out, looks like pickle fork for tie rods. Rarely will the runout be from the spindle itself unless the bearings are going. But if the chuck galled the arbor it'll go out like that. You'll want to indicate for runout farther from the chuck, somewhere around the distance of the tip of your average drill bit. Guide rods for old printers work pretty good if you don't have a length of drill rod. 0.003" runout on a drill press is plenty good and is typical of Jacobs chucks. Albrecht chucks can get darn near 0.0005" and maintain it. Remember drill bits rarely cut exactly to size anyway, the best I've been able to do consistently is +.005 hand sharpening. The tap drill for a 5/16-18 is 17/64ths. If you take a 1/4" drill and you're not good at sharpening it'll probably cut +.010, add the runout and you have a .263 hole which is .002" smaller than ideal. Most of us aren't tapping inconel so you'll never notice a smidge of extra material and this situation is better than the opposite of drilling a .278" hole and having weak threads.
Good cheap refurb. Well done. Two things, though. First, you're saying Morris, but that's a MORSE taper. Second, that chisel you had was ready to be cleaned up THIRTY YEARS AGO. The mushrooming is enough that it could send a chip out and eat your eyeball. I hope you put it up to a grinder (with face mask or safety goggles on) and get the mushroom off. BIG safety hazard, and it's a quick, free fix.
Old stuff made in Taiwan is way better than the new crap made in China
Funny how times change. Back then the Taiwan stuff was the low end tool, close to “junk.” These days I yearn for that Taiwanese “quality“ compared to the Chinese junk.
That classic Taiwan make drill press head was put on a lot of different machines wearing a lot of different colors and names. Mine is hammerite blue, short column, square table and badged “continental.”
Previous owner bent the quill (non-spinny thing that goes up and down) by stalling out a big forsener bit in a piece of cherry, using it to hog out mortises. Sold it to me cheap so his wife would let him buy a new one. I will check that set screw to see if I can get it to gitch less. I’ve had it for twenty years and not known about that adjustment. ☹
Thanks
Nice mg you got there
I have an old AJ Tools 5/8" 1 hp floor drill press. The mt spindle runout when mounted is good. It's the chuck runout. It's the old original rexon rj3-16h. I'm guessing it just needs to be sent to the "glue factory". I'm thinking that it would be better to just get a new chuck with a new mt2 spindle.
Good video. I bought a new drill press several months ago and paid more than I wanted to but it's a really nice drill press. Considering how much I paid I too want to check the runout. I don't see any perceivable runout but still wanted to know. I have the magnetic indicator holder and now looking for a good used indicator to complete my check. (Quality new ones are too expensive for my needs.) By the way, the wedge tool is a "drift". Thanks.
Thank you. We need this kind of practical advices. Subscribed.
It’s been my experience that most drill presses are not morse taper #2 but rather a JT#33
You don't really want to weld the quil handles on. I frequently run into a situation where those handles will hit your work or vice and prevent you from finishing your work. When that happens, you just unscrew the offending handle and continue on. Just a heads up.
Yes.. better to cut more threads on the handle round bar enough to add nylox nuts to the round bar . That way you can tighten the nuts to cause a tight interference fit. The fit will prevent loose handles. Same method used to prevent gearshift knobs from loosening.
Thanks for that tip. Good to know.
10:32 That Dayton drill press looks identical to my old drill press. What model is it? I ask because I have been looking for a replacement part. Also, what is the diameter of the motor shaft? I need to find a new or used step pulley for the motor shaft - either that, or make one.
Hi..Great video.. but you never "SIDE LOAD" a drill chuck with an end mill or even a wire brush attachment.. That will damage the chuck.. You can get a collet holder with that same m.taper. However that will transfer the side load to the dpress head. So that can cause the press head to spin or turn on the support post. While you're trying to mill.
Don't tack weld the levers, use jam nuts on them.
Well that is the way I'd do it, you can do it however you want.
Good informative video, thanks for sharing. 👍👍
Those plastic ends can break with age or accidentally. No need to weld the handles on, just use plumbers joint tape so they don't work loose.
I used Rivnuts.
appreciate the info
Mine shows good numbers while retracted but check again at full depth and a bit sloppy.
Inside splines.
It's no mill but nice to know where to expect some drifting.
Thanks for the interesting video!
With a pair of 'fox wedges' (thin wedges with a slot to go around shank) you can pull chuck off JT (I always thought it was Jacobs Taper?) and re-position it.
Sometimes that helps.
Yea, for some reason my brain spit out Johnson (as in lifters) rather than Jacobs ( as in chucks) and we didn’t even catch it in editing 🤷♂️
@@BaldSpotGarage in Britain we used to call it a 'brain fart' 🤯
Pretty sure everyone has done it at some time or other 😇
"Fox" or "Foxtail" wedges don't (generally) have slots, and the Jacobs chuck removal wedges do, and are wider... Fox wedges are often used singly, for splitting reluctant gear casings, etc, but chuck removal wedges ought to be used in pairs, entered into the gap from opposite sides and hit simultaneously, using two hammers, to avoid bearing damage... Ah, you hit the drift, from one side, releasing the JT?... You do, unless you have a "Pelican" drift... Not seen one for forty years, mind... th-cam.com/video/GQsNdnsgJFA/w-d-xo.html Found one here, though!
@ Thanks for reply, I'm glad to hear someone who actually knows what 'fox wedges' are. Most people think I'm making it up as it doesn't seem to be a common name for them.
I know the difference but decided to give a (bad) explanation.
Sorry
@ Don't apologise. I was introduced to Fox wedges in1968, by a fitter who suggested I use them to split my reluctant motorcycle engine cases... I told him no, since they'd damage the mating faces, and British motorcycles were already prone to leaking without that... But I did find many uses for them afterwards...
Later, in the late 90s, I was asked, by a manager, to make sets of Fox wedges for all the fitters where I worked since someone new (but old) had arrived with some, and everyone else thought they were a good idea to have... 20+ fitters, of various ages, not one had seen fox wedges before this guy arrived...
6 degree included taper = 1:10 ratio (is my choice of angle)
I have the same machine. Its gray and labled rockwood.
Great video. I'd caution you on using your drill press for a drill milling machine, because a drill press is designed for vertical operation. If you use an end mill, and the force of your material moving in a horizontal movement will take a toll on your quill bearings. Not made for a side force. Just saying. 👍🍻
Not just the bearings. Side loading of the Morse taper will likely cause it to "walk" out. Also, trying to hold the hardened shank of an end mill in the jaws of your drill chuck will not work very well. It may slip. That's why the shank of a drill bit is softer. Allows the jaws to bite into it and hold more firmly.
I had a Craftsman drill press for sale and a guy asked me to check the spindle runout. I did and it was .007", and I was kinda bummed that it was that bad. But the customer said "Wow that's damn good for a drill press, some are 20 thousandths or more." And he paid full asking price right then.
Later I set the indicator up on a old 1987 Enco round column mill and the runout was ZERO.
That's actually a pretty nice drill press. A lot better than the newer Chinese stuff from Harbor Freight.
Thanks! Great video! I'm hearing Owen Wilson.....👍
FWIW milling with a cutter in a drill chuck on an arbor is a bit sketchy. If only one of the two tapers unseat, you're probably looking at a broken endmill and a somewhat mangled part. TBF you can usually get away with some very light milling, but you're pushing your luck unless you can get a MT2 rigid toolholder or a collet chuck (doesn't cost much more than your new chuck BTW) secured by a drawbar in there which you usually can't because the spindle doesn't have a through hole. If it does, you can make a drawbar and start milling away.
On the other hand... did you clean the spindle taper _thoroughly_?
Nice!
I thought it was called a morris taper ?
It's Morse Taper. The Morse Taper was invented in 1864 by Stephen A. Morse, a mechanic.
Great content and explanation. Thanks.
You’re welcome, it would’ve been better if I hadn’t miss spoken about the name of the chuck though 😂
it is not uncommon for a generic chuck to show a few thou of wobbeling, for sure, the cleaniness of the surfaces is of a prime importance on any precision mounting.
good job on that drill
you gonna hate keyless chucks, just wait for it !
Bald Garage: the word you were looking for @ 8:25 is QUILL
The audio on this is really low. Almost can't hear you
Check out the receiving end 😉
...so hypothetically if the Chuck falls out it may just need tapped back in and not JB welded?
Jacob’s Taper, not Johnson
Everything you did will help. What you can do to fine tune both of those chucks is using your indicator find the extent of the or high spot of the runout on the chuck with it in the press. Then use a rubber mallet to tap sideways on the chuck lightly to move it on the spline’s where the tapered shaft enters the chuck. Recheck with the indicator until it is perfect.
9:36 mark... Never apply Lateral Loads, like an end Mill, on a MT arbor.
The taper will unseat and there will be blood.
Not even the lightest loads. NEVER !
I have done it before on aluminum with no issues
@@BaldSpotGarage Every workshop accident was "previously done without issues". There is nothing holding the end mill there except the friction from the Morse taper, which is not designed against prepedicular loading which the end mill produces. That coupled with vibrations from the end mill will knock thhe taper loose, it drops and something breaks or comes a projectile when the endmill hits the workpiece or whatever happens to be under it.
This is the Opitome of the "Dunning-Kruger Effect"
Russian Roulette, my friend. You are gambling with an accident.
Worst of all, you are telling others that it's OK. Not good.
If ya drive 100mph and don't get a ticket, does that make it OK?
@ Well said, J
@@BaldSpotGarage Russian Roulette
Your Dad probably didn't bend it. It probably came that way. I had the exact same one years ago and it was just like that.
You should not use s drilling machine for milling they sre not designed for side loading, also you should not use mill cutters in a drill chuck as they can.pull.out.
Considering that the hurty end of a twist drill is brittle, using it as a drift spacer with that end pointing towards you seems a little risky. Surely there were better options lying around the shop.
Thank You Sir!
What a GREAT video! I'll be 70 this year and learned a lot and now I'm subscribed!
Best Wishes,
Ol' Tom
replace the quill bearings, 99% of chuck wobble fixedd.
Very informative, Rob! Nice work!
👍🏻
No audio😢
Hmm. I know a lot of people have watched it with no audio problems. Your the first… I just watched the beginning again too just to check. I can’t find a problem 🤷♂️
It is "Jacobs" not "Johnson"
1st time in my life I had trouble hearing an Ohio State fan...just sayin'....
Extremely helpful! Thank you very much for sharing your experiences and instruction. You have a new subscriber. 👍👍
😎👍😎
the wedge is called a drift, JT is Jacob's taper and NEVER MILL WITH A DRILL CHUCK... I'm surprised you don't suggest the wearing of rings or gloves too
Good information, well explained and you have a good voice. No dumb, heavy metal music either. Thanks.