How to use a drill chuck on a lathe

Last updated on January 11th, 2023 at 06:48 pm

The drill chuck has a morse taper shaft, which you push into the tailstock, locking it in position. The starting point for drilling with a center lathe is to use a countersink bit. It drills into the material and creates a starting point for other drills. 

Attempting to drill with a traditional drill bit without countersinking first makes the drill bit slip straight away. You cannot drill a hole successfully or safely without using a center drill first. A center drill produces the hole at one end of a long piece of material that has to be on a lathe. That allows the drilled end to be supported by the tailstock center. 

The machine twist drills can enlarge the hole and drill through. If a large diameter hole is needed, then a small hole is drilled first. The hole is enlarged approximately 2mm at a time. 

Trying to drill a large diameter hole in one go leads to the drill bit overheating and then jamming in the material. That is dangerous. Use soluble oil as a coolant. It had to be constantly fed onto the drill bit to keep it cool. That helps prevent jamming and overheating. Overheating will blunt the drill bit quickly.

How to install a drill chuck on a lathe

1. Set up clamps and work from the back of the lathe. Close the stock. Mount the piece to be drilled in the headstock and slide the tailstock into it to drill.
2. Patch a center stock as you work on your tailstock. Crank the handle counterclockwise, and the Morse taper with center pops right out of its place in the tailstock.
3. Drill the holes. Make sure the holes are centered.

Lathe drill chuck tailstock

Get precision centering and griping of your work at the tailstock end of your lathe. The tailstock holds mandrels, dowels, and tenons up to ½ inch in diameter. It features smooth, precision ball bearing operation. A tailstock enables a CNC machine to precisely and safely process shaft-type workpieces (Hardinge).

Drill chuck lathe headstock

Use a drill chuck with a threaded hole at the end of the Morse taper. That enables you to use a drawbar to secure it. A drawbar is a threaded bar – a piece of studding that threads into the Morse taper arbor on the drill chuck and passes through your headstock. 

It is held in place by a nut and washer. That keeps the drill chuck from working loose. It also helps to release the drill chuck from the lathe. Loosen the nut and give the bar a tap. Unscrew the drawbar and remove the chuck safely and securely. 

When using any Morse taper tooling, ensure that the taper and socket are clean and free from sawdust or chips. Do not overtighten a drawbar. If you do, it makes it harder to remove afterward. Use a screw-in tang that replaces the drawbar.

Lathe drill chuck mt2

Attach this lathe chuck to the tailstock of the 7 x 10-inch precision mini lathe for all drilling applications. The lathe chuck will not slip and is for hobby and light-duty work. It is more solid than dome chucks. This Chuck is of high-quality steel that will not rust. It is also a durable chuck.

Best drill chuck for lathe

PSI Woodworking Products TM32 1/2-Inch Drill Chuck with #2 Morse Taper Arbor (1/2″ 2MT)

The PSI drill chuck features a 1/2-Inch diameter 3-jaw mechanism for securing small turnings or pen mandrels at the headstock or a drill bit in the tailstock. It accepts a 1/4-20-inch draw bolt for safety and holds drill bits up to 1/2-inch in diameter. Drill chuck mounted in the #2 MT can be used in either the headstock or tailstock. It tightens with a chuck key for excellent grip and is removed easily with a knock-out bar.

Lathe drill chuck mt1

Secure your bits with the drill chuck. The MT1 arbor taper fits perfectly into any MT1 drill press, lathe, or mill and is installed with the simple tap of a rubber mallet. It features a key that securely opens and closes the 3-jaw-chuck around drill bits and shafts up to 1/2 inch in diameter. This set was designed specifically for the drill chuck’s headstock or tailstock.

Drill chuck for lathe

A chuck is a clamp to hold an object with radial symmetry, especially a cylinder. A chuck in a lathe holds the rotating workpiece. Chucks use jaws to hold the tool or workpiece. When it is in the tailstock, use it to hold drill bits for boring out lidded boxes or drilling tang holes in the ends of tool handles. You can use it to hold pen mandrels, buffing wheels, or a flutter sander.

While this chuck is convenient, it is not necessary for your turning. Most lathes come with a small faceplate. Using chucks with your lathe means getting the most accurate, centered, and precise sanding, cutting, and drilling job. A lathe chuck is mounted on the headstock of a lathe and can be actuated manually or under power (Triumptool.com). 

Harbour freight lathe drill chuck

It is a beginner wood lathe that is simple to operate and easily available, and parts can be obtained for repairs. You can modify the lathe if you have the ability. Add a Nova Chuck and a good Tailstock, and you are good to go with the right tools.

Know the thread on the headstock for accessories and the morse taper for headstock and tailstock. Know the morse taper for both the tailstock and headstock. You will want accessories that fit a morse taper for the wood lathe. 

This high-quality lathe is ideal for crafts, hobbies, and professional woodworking. The 3/4 HP motor on this lathe reaches up to 2,400 RPM speeds for quick and precise turning and facing. Features include a pivoting headstock to allow extra-large bowl turning capacity.

You also get a steel/iron faceplate that screws onto the headstock shaft. Pay attention to the shape of this faceplate because buying a faceplate might not get you the results you want because the back end of the electric motor sticks out far enough that the faceplate has to extend at least 1 inch more than standard woodturning faceplates.