Is there a right way to tighten a drill chuck?

[soundman]

It would appear that simple engineering theory states that one hole tightening is sufficient.

But nothing is ever simple.

perhaps in a perfect example of a well machined chuck that is properly lubricated there would be very little difference.

but in a real chuck in the reel word, experience tells me that the three hole tightening method does definitely make a big difference particularly in old, worn or nasty chucks.

unless you have realy pushed drilling machines hard, you will have little practical experience in the matter.

If however you have had the misfortune of working with flogged machines in heavy work you will know that it makes a significant difference.

the place to look for obvious examples is worn hammer drills....the chucks get an absolute pounding, get full of gritt and are very rarely cleaned or lubricated for the life of the machine.

I have my much loved AEG hammer drill that my mother baught me for my 18th birthday ( I can see 50 comming) ... it has done lots of hard work and sits in the cupboard these days..... because the only way you can get the chuck to hold is to work over all three holes, and if it is hard going you need to go around twice.......I must give it a refurb and a new chuck......it still snots on my B&D industrial (now called dewalt) on hammer.

Fact proven fact.....three hole tightening makes a difference on worn chucks.

cheers

[pjt]

A lot of different opinions and ideas, I didn't read all of them, for me Soundman's is what I would have said pretty much.
I am fitter machinist and have drilled a few holes, I'm not sure I was even told at trade school to use 1 2 or 3 holes but from my experience, it becomes a thing that u make a judgement on at the time, something like this.... no, that didn't feel right so, round to the next hole, got a bit more, round to the next hole, a bit more until I can't tighten anymore, this was usually on an old misused dry worn out chuck, (be that lathe or drill)... a new chuck was more like.. drill in, tighten by hand, 1 hole tighen, that is as tight as i'm gonna get it so that was it. It felt right. I think something has been lost with these new systems of trade training, group apprentice training, even block training, the feel for how something should be,something that the masters know thru years of doing which now doesnt get passed on in the same way , mind u, I do come across older tradesman who can't/don't/won't recognise when a drill bit is blunt just from the sound the drill is making or the swarf turning blue or the burr that is being raised up around the hole, perhaps they wern't encouraged to examine and ask y do u do it that way....just told do it this way and that's all and thus perpetuating a workshop myth.. but that is a whole other rant...

I spose ther's fores and against for the new training systems tho probably only from a bean counter's point of view cheaper to get the group apprentices in

Peter

[Waldo]

Following a "discussion" about the right/wrong way to tighten a keyed drill chuck I thought I would seek the forum's advice.

Back in the days of black and white, when I was a kid and my Dad first allowed me to use his drill he "instructed" me to tighten all 3 holes as evenly as I could - the reasons he gave was that it centred the drill bit properly, applied even pressure to all of the fingers, made for easier removal when undoing.

same

[Harrison]

I think ive herd that keyless cucks loose their grip after a while. But thats what ive herd

[soundman]

Yeh see how long a keyless chuck stands up on a hammer drill.....admittedly keyless chucks have improved a bit.....but lots of blokes still wont have em on a hammer drill.

cheers