Removing the chuck from the drill press

[Sparweb]

How do you figure out if the chuck is threaded on, or a taper-fit?

I need to get the chuck off of my drill press. It seems to be this type:
https://www.mcmaster.com/2805A61/
I can remove the whole chuck and arbor together as a set, but what I really want to do is split the arbor from the chuck. How do I figure out if the joint between the chuck and its arbor is another tapered fitting, or threaded? Jacobs makes both kinds. I've tried to apply some torque, the parts won't turn (if they are even threaded). I've tried to hammer them apart, the parts won't slide apart (if they even are tapered).

Been to the website but it doesn't narrow the possibilities down.

Jacobschuck,Power Tool Chuck,Industrial Chuck, MEDICAL CHUCK,Machine Tool Accessories

My chuck is a discontinued model so I can't figure it out by part number.
OTOH, the website does show me the method of separating them with a pair of wedges. That may be the trick.
But this could be a threaded combination, and the wedges wouldn't work if that's the kind I have here.
There's a big gouge on the neck of the arbor - perhaps somebody's tried the wedges in the past.

 

[mmcmdl]

Clutch fork , wedges etc take the chucks right off easily . I made up a tapered fork for just this job .

 

[Braeden P]

Preview
Preview



13:51
Making Jacobs Chuck Wedges Tips #519 tubalcain
YouTube · mrpete222
Dec 29, 2018

 

[Canus]

Open the chuck fully and look inside. If there is no through hole to the arbor odds are it is a taper shank UNLESS a previous owner drilled the chuck to allow using a drift punch to remove the chuck from the arbor. If there is a hole try to determine if it is threaded. If there is a screw in the bottom of the chuck remove it then unscrew the chuck from the arbor. Usually drill press chucks use a taper arbor.

 

[Dhal22]

Great thread, I want to upgrade my Delta drill press, recently purchased am Albrecht chuck and I want it installed. Following.

 

[Braeden P]

Great thread, I want to upgrade my Delta drill press, recently purchased am Albrecht chuck and I want it installed. Following.

my great grand father put an albrecht on his floor standing Rockwell which now is mine if i use a 2inch forstner bits i have to use strap wrenches to loosen it they will hold anything and everything you better have strap wrenches on hand and some force, and is your delta a new one or old one.

 

[Nogoingback]

What model chuck do you have? I have an old Jacobs catalog, so by looking it up it might be possible to answer your question.

 

[mikey]

Most decent chucks and all the high quality ones will have the taper of the chuck engraved on the rear of the chuck somewhere. Most chucks that mount to a MT arbor will have a Jacobs taper inside the chuck body. While threaded chucks do mount to MT arbors, they are not that common in sizes used on a drill press. Unless you can find some evidence of a threaded mount, I would assume it is a Jacobs taper in there and try wedges first.

 

[Dhal22]

my great grand father put an albrecht on his floor standing Rockwell which now is mine if i use a 2inch forstner bits i have to use strap wrenches to loosen it they will hold anything and everything you better have strap wrenches on hand and some force, and is your delta a new one or old one.

Dunno, it's a benchtop Delta. I will post photos. Thanks for the advice on the strap wrench needs, makes sense.

 

[Sparweb]

Hey, thank you - everyone!

It's a Jacobs No. 36 chuck. Capacity 3/16" to 3/4". One of the reasons to remove it is to be able to hold smaller bits on the drill press.
Attempting to remove the chuck has revealed many things.

I started by trying to remove the arbor's Morse taper but I don't have a proper drift, and the one I made only proved that these things are hardened steel. I also discovered that the chuck's arbor is in a holder, which up-sizes it to the taper of the drill press. If I had succeeded in removing the drill press's arbor, I'd still have the chuck's arbor assembled inside a sleeve.

Turning my attention to the chuck itself, I was able to remove it from its arbor. I don't have the wedges you're supposed to use, but I do have a bunch of cold chisels. They have a shallow enough wedge angle that two in opposite directions did the trick.



But then I noticed...



The tapers (both male and female) are beaten up pretty badly. I should wonder why I could get them apart at all - - or why it didn't fall off years ago. Well, what should I expect on an old drill press...