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Thread: Losing the drill chuck key for your drill press?

  1. #1
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    Powless Design's Tools

    Losing the drill chuck key for your drill press?

    How many times do you take the key out of the chuck and put it down only to have to go looking for it as you change bits? I used to keep the key in a metal box in a drawer beneath the drill press but it took just as much time to open the box place the key then open the drawer pick it up again and use it.

    I found an inexpensive solution that works terrifically.

    I took a rare earth magnet (sample pack obtained from Lee Valley Tools) and epoxied it on to the side of the drill press. Even if I am not looking I can pick up the key, use it and put it back since the magnet is strong enough to draw it in from 1/2" away. Since doing that I have not misplaced the key again.

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  2. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Powless Design For This Useful Post:

    Captainleeward (Dec 17, 2017), Hotz (Feb 14, 2015), Raven Sirius (Jan 24, 2016), Workshopshed (Feb 16, 2015)

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    Yes, neodymium magnets are very useful around the shop. Good tip!

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    Nice tip. Less profile than my lanyard.

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    FixJeeps.com's Tools
    Here is a little tip that few people know about. Inside of a computer hard drive are crazy strong magnets. I do IT for a living so each time I get hold of a hard drive that has physically died. I rip it apart for the magnets. I have one on the side of my drill press that holds my chuck key. Works great!

    Here is a vid on how to get them out. This can vary from one hard drive to another.
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  6. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to FixJeeps.com For This Useful Post:

    Captainleeward (Dec 17, 2017), Workshopshed (Feb 16, 2015)

  7. #5
    Supporting Member jere's Avatar
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    Good idea, I use magnets around the shop for a few things like this. A magnet hot glued on food cans make good pencil,scrub,center punch... holders.

    But use a retractable key reel for my hand held power drill. If it didn't go back by itself it would be lost somewhere ,its factory key holder broke the first day.

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    Yup, I'm also using harddisk magnets for my chuck key.



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    Andy from Workshopshed
    "Making and repairing things in a shed at the bottom of the garden"
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    Quote Originally Posted by Workshopshed View Post
    Yup, I'm also using harddisk magnets for my chuck key.



    Simple light for drill - Workshopshed
    Yep ... you nailed it. Thats exactly how mine is stored. Everytime I get hold of a dead hard drive .. I gut it for the magnets!!
    1991 Jeep Wrangler, 1984 Mustang GT, 2003 Honda Shadow 750
    1994 Suzuki GSX 600 <-- about to get chopped to a "Street Fighter"
    1980 Yamaha XS650 <-- been raked, lowered, bobbed and mono-shocked (still under construction)
    http://www.fixjeeps.com/
    My YouTube Channel - lots of good DIY stuff
    http://www.poweraddicts.com/

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    I use an old speaker magnet on side of milling machine head to hold the Allen keys for adjusting boring head, tool holders, etc.
    As I almost exclusively use non magnetic materials it hasn't affected anything (I haven't noticed any 'problems' machining 'ordinary steel')

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    I didn't realize how common it is to use a magnet for storing chuck keys. I do it too.

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    Why are people using epoxy to stick a magnet to the steel box around the drill> I haven't started using the magnetic chuck key trick yet, correction, as of two minutes ago I started using the magnetic chuck key trick> The point I'm getting at is: shouldn't the magnet be strong enough to hold itself to the drill, as well as the chuck key? The only reason I can see for the epoxy is to stop people from stealing my hard drive magnets!

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