[How do I?] Replace A Jt33 Locking Collar Chuck With A Keyless Model?

[MetalMuncher]

I have a Craftsman 13" 5 Speed floor model drill press new in 1985. It's stock chuck is a JT33 which has a locking ring threaded onto the arbor.

I'd like to get an (affordable) key-less chuck for it. But after hours of online searching, I don't ever see any mention of a threaded locking ring being on any JT33 key-less chuck. In fact, I don't see a locking ring mentioned on the available JT33 keyed chucks either. Is the threaded locking ring something proprietary to Craftsman (the original chuck is listed as no longer available now) or is it intrinsic to a JT33 style, such that no one bothers to mention it in the specs of a JT33 chuck for sale?

OR..... Is there no such thing as a JT33 key-less chuck with a locking ring to be had?

Hoping you good folks can shine a lot in this puzzle.

Aside from the convenience of going key-less I am also dealing with wear on either the key or chuck or both which is making tightening it hard to do, as the key slips a tooth just as it starts to tighten. Do these chuck teeth wear too, or is it likely just the key that is wearing out? If it is just the key worn down, I can replace it I guess, if it won't be possible for me to find a chuck to fit this press.

 

[David VanNorman]

Is that a lock ring or a ring to take the chuck off the arbor ? The Jacobs taper is normally self holding. I've seen the ring your talking about but I didn't think it held anything. The only chucks I've seen with threads are on the inside like for a threaded spindle.

 

[middle.road]

I chucked (pardon the pun) the lock ring chucks (33's) on both my Duro and Craftsman.
Duro has a Jacobs on it now and the Craftsman has an Albrecht.
I dry iced the spindles and warmed the chucks and slapped them together.
It's been 20 years now and no problems - besides the spring return always failing on the Duro...

 

[MetalMuncher]

Is that a lock ring or a ring to take the chuck off the arbor ? The Jacobs taper is normally self holding. I've seen the ring your talking about but I didn't think it held anything. The only chucks I've seen with threads are on the inside like for a threaded spindle.

In a word, "yes". (To both of your questions). I believe I have to unscrew that ring to remove the chuck. But I have never actually removed the chuck, so not sure.

 

[MetalMuncher]

I chucked (pardon the pun) the lock ring chucks (33's) on both my Duro and Craftsman.
Duro has a Jacobs on it now and the Craftsman has an Albrecht.
I dry iced the spindles and warmed the chucks and slapped them together.
It's been 20 years now and no problems - besides the spring return always failing on the Duro...

When you assembled them, it sounds like you had the spindles removed? I was hoping not to have to do that. It appears a lot of drill press chucks are just pressed on, with no other retention means. So if I went that route, virtually "any" JT33 taper chuck would fit onto my drill press spindle taper?

When I look at the back end of pictured keyless chucks online, on many I see what looks like a knurled ring. Some of these appear to have a locking screw tangent to the chuck body, and some have a set screw radial inwards toward the taper. What is the purpose of these arrangements? Are they supposed to "grip" the taper more tightly than just the usual friction fit?

 

[middle.road]

Nope. In place. I used a dead blow mallet to set them. Jaws retracted.
Not proper perhaps, however....

 

[4GSR]

Make a nut, screw onto the thread on the spindle and install a standard drill chuck. Later if you want to remove the chuck, back the nut down against the chuck and force the chuck off. No need for the nut to be a integral part of the chuck.

 

[MetalMuncher]

Make a nut, screw onto the thread on the spindle and install a standard drill chuck. Later if you want to remove the chuck, back the nut down against the chuck and force the chuck off. No need for the nut to be a integral part of the chuck.

Although the very first thing I learned on my lathe is to single point turn threads, I've never tried doing internal ones. I guess this might be a good reason to try that. Unless they happened to use some kind of standard thread.

I'm still curious about the "ring" and lock screw on the back end of keyless chucks, I mentioned above. Seems like that is set up to help hold the chuck in place.

 

[4GSR]

................I'm still curious about the "ring" and lock screw on the back end of keyless chucks, I mentioned above. Seems like that is set up to help hold the chuck in place.

That's pretty much what the locking collar is for. Also for easy removal of the chuck and change out the chuck for other attachments.

For the woodworking nuts, there were a few attachments made and sold by many that attached to the spindle using the thread on the spindle.

 

[chips&more]

Although the very first thing I learned on my lathe is to single point turn threads, I've never tried doing internal ones. I guess this might be a good reason to try that. Unless they happened to use some kind of standard thread.

I'm still curious about the "ring" and lock screw on the back end of keyless chucks, I mentioned above. Seems like that is set up to help hold the chuck in place.

To the best of my knowledge, you will not find “any” chucks made today that have that threaded collar, especially the keyless ones…Dave