Hello All,

I have a Delta drill press I bought used. Recently I needed to drill some metal. I really didn't know what I was doing, and set the speed way too high, burnig up several bits. In the process, the chuck came loose from the spindle and rotated some around it.

Since then, I have a tough time seating the chuck firmly onto the spindle. It wants to come loose when I raise the bit from drilling into wood. I tried tapping it on with a mallet, but it doesn't stay on. Would it be OK to put some kind of tacky substance on the spindle? Did I wreck it somehow?

Pete Collin

Hmm. You have me stumped on this one. Can you purchase a replacement spindle?

Good luck.

I supposed you could have damaged the male or female end of morse taper. I find it a bit unlikely. With the DP unplugged look and then feel the socket for any burrs in the metal, then do the same with the spindle, check it for round also.

You should be able to down load the drill press manual from the Delta website. if not your exact model pick one that is similar. The manual should have directions on how to reset the spindle.

After checking the usual suspects, dirt, grease , burrs ect... try a little loc-tite. put the chuck back on the morse taper and lower the feed handle down onto a block of wood for about 30 seconds for the loc-tite to cure. Should be fine. if you think its the morse taper that may have gotten damaged check it with a run-out dial indicator for alignment.

To remove the chuck someday, if the loc-tite works, lower the feed handle down as far as it will go, place a block of wood at the top of the shaft and just let go of the handle the sudden upward motion should pop the chuck loose and you wont damage the shaft.