How to choose a keyless chuck with R8 spindle

josef

josef

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I have a PM-932 mill drill and I've been using the keyed chuck I got with it for 5 years. Now I'd like to get a keyless chuck. There are many out there and I"m willing to pay some amount of money, but don't know if there are brands that are better than others. Any recommendations would be helpful. Should I look for one with an R8 adapter or an integral R8 spindle?
 
I would buy one with a straight shank. .5 or .75 inch diameter.
Two reasons. You can swap it in and out with a lot less headroom on the mill than an integral R8 shank.
Second, keyless chucks can self tighten when drilling large holes or if there is a shock like when you break through. The can get so tight you need a strap wrench to loosen.
I would rather have a straight shank with a chance to slip in a collet and avoid that scenario.
 
I have two Rohm keyless chucks which I bought used, took apart and cleaned up. I put a R8 shank on one and a 3/4" straight shank on the other. I always grab the one with the R8 shank. I don't think I have ever used the one with a straight .75 shank on it. I guess it depends a lot on how you work and what you are used to doing.
 
In terms of performance, I use keyless and keyed chucks on both the mill and the lathe. I have a few Albrecht chucks that are OK, one that I got used that is marginal and can slip a bit, keyed Jacobs from little to 20N size, that always work, but several eBay cheapo ($25-$35) keyless that work very well. I have R8 shanks, straight shanks, MT3 shanks and Kwik Switch adapters. The mill uses Kwik Switch adapted chucks, occasionally an R8 shank, but rarely now. The lathe uses MT3 shanks but occasionally I put a straight shank chuck in the lathe chuck to hold smallish parts.

If money is a factor, I see no real need for Albrecht chucks. If money isn't a factor, could I get a phone number?
 
Well, money is a reasonable factor. I can spend $200 if I need to, but not sure I need to. I like to do good work but if I'm not a professional machinist, just an artist blacksmith who does machinist type work to build tooling and fixturing. I just finished what I call my monster square which is a take-off on fireball tools square, but using square tubing and flat bar.
I like the idea of a straight shaft because I do a lot of milling with a 3/4" end mill, and have made tap holders for 1/2" and 5/8" taps that fit in a 3/4" collet.
 
I really like the one I got from Precision Matthews…. so much so that I also got one for the Grizzly lathe and the second milling machine that I bought recently…

I have this one in the G0704

0-1/2 Ultra Precision Keyless Drill Chuck – Precision Matthews Machinery Co.

www.precisionmatthews.com www.precisionmatthews.com

And this one in the Wells-Index


And this one in the G0709 lathe…

 
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I have a few Albrecht's left in the arsenal . Never had any issues with them in the past 44 years . I have never used any other brand so I can't comment on them .
 
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