Need advice on removing the chuck.

[vaking]

Yesterday needed to drill few holes in a tight spot. Normal drill would not fit. I have a Craftsman 90 degree drilling attachement. I am supposed to remove the chuck, install the attachement then put the chuck on it. The instruction describes the process of removing the chuck - remove the screw in the center of a chuck, insert a key in a certain way and strike the key with a mallet. Here is my problem. I have 3/8" corded drill, 3/8" 18V drill and 1/2" hammerdrill. Hammerdrill is the only one with the key. Sure enough - method works but the gizmo works with all 1/4" or 3/8" drills, would not fit on 1/2". My other 2 drills have keyless chucks and they would not come off.
Any advice? Anybody knows how to remove a keyless chuck?

[scorrpio]

Do you know if the chuck is threaded or on a tapered shaft? With tapered shaft, you need to secure the drill (in a vise, with padded jaws), with chuck pointing down, place a steel bar between chucj and drill body, and strike the bar near the chuck sharply. This will usually dislodge it. If threaded, you need some way to secure the shaft - it will usually have flats for wrench - and screw the chuck off. On reversible drills, chucks almost always have a retaining screw.

Keyless chucks often have a rubber sleeve for better grip - retaining screw is sometimes hidden under that sleeve.

[os1kne]

On the few chucks that I've replaced, it's been fairly simple -

1. open the chuck as far as it will go
2. look in the chuck with a flashlight to see if a phillips or slotted screw was used.
3. using the appropriate screwdriver, remove said screw (turning the reverse of what is normal, i.e. clockwise loosens) - don't lose the screw
4. once the screw is removed, the chuck will unscrew (you can use the drill motor to speed up the process)
5. install the new chuck in reverse-order

Good luck!

[JimD]

I would look for a cheap chuck and just put one permanently on the 90 degree attachment - that is what I did. HF should have something is Sears doesn't. It's too much trouble having to remove a chuck every time you want to use the 90 degree attachment.

Jim

[ted van halen]

I agree w/ Jim. Buy a cheap chuck. Otherwise for removing, I've found that an "L" allen wrench tightened into the chuck works very good for a striking surface to loosen the chuck. For some reason I think the retaining screw is left-hand thread and the chuck is right-hand. Not sure, anyone?

[os1kne]

Here's a link to more instructions.

http://www.onthehouse.com/wp/19960325

Also, you can usually get a decent chuck from a cheap drill from HF.