Steel Guitar Builder

I turned my drillpress on it's side the other day to cut my roller nuts, it works a bit like a lathe that way. I also started the groove with the top side of a hacksaw blade it seemed to work alright. I also bought an oxy-accetylene yip cleaner it comes with a number of guaged sizes. I cut the nut & bridge on my lapsteel with one (idea off the STF). It lasted the project and that was it. I'll try it on the rollers..................... still experimenting.

Wow, Eldon, you're too much. Imagine, tip cleaners (slapping my forehead, why didn't I think of that!!!)

I (and I am sure all the others)would appreciate a detailed explanation on the hows of that one - accompanied with pictures.

Howdy Eldon,

A couple of things. Most drill press chucks are held on to the spindle by a taper. This facilitates plunging drill bits straight down for drilling but is big time dangerous when applying any kind of side loads....Putting a side load on the taper attachment while spinning is pretty much asking for the taper to work itself loose. When it gives, you may end up with a bent taper (and a trashed spindle, depending on the spindle design). Worse though is the broken face or other body part that could result from a flying chuck....don't ask me how I know this....I speak the truth though! Even if it didn't come apart doing the side filing you've done....it could very likely be loosened and could decide to take a flyer some other time when you least expect it.

You can buy gauged nut files from Stew Mac that will very closely match all your string diameters. They ain't cheap, but if you're nice to them (they only cut in one direction, so don't drag them backwards with the same downward pressure you push and cut with) they'll hold up pretty well. The thin ones are pretty fragile and will snap if they get bent very far.

Now go out to your shop. Open your drill press chuck all the way and whack the chuck's face nice and squarely, with a lead mallet or dead blow hammer to drive it firmly back onto the taper. That will help re-seat the taper and keep machine parts from unscheduled flights. You can use any old hammer, just make sure you use a piece of softer metal between the hammer and the chuck.

You're probably safer strapping a hand drill to a table or holding it in a vise to use as a faux lathe. Hand drills almost always have a threaded on chuck, and they certainly have less of the oomph necessary to huck a chuck.

Makin' stuff is fun, but it get less so quickly when body parts get damaged! My wife hates it when I run into the house bleeding!

Stay safe and Happy Holidays!
Ross

Ross Shafer wrote:A couple of things. Most drill press chucks are held on to the spindle by a taper. This facilitates plunging drill bits straight down for drilling but is big time dangerous when applying any kind of side loads....Putting a side load on the taper attachment while spinning is pretty much asking for the taper to work itself loose. When it gives, you may end up with a bent taper (and a trashed spindle, depending on the spindle design). Worse though is the broken face or other body part that could result from a flying chuck....don't ask me how I know this....I speak the truth though! Even if it didn't come apart doing the side filing you've done....it could very likely be loosened and could decide to take a flyer some other time when you least expect it....Roiss

I know this for a fact as well and trashed a bench top drill as a result. Unless you've modded the drill with a drawbar, or some other means (besides friction) to affix the tool holder, that taper will eventually work loose with side loading.

(Another issue is that the bearings in a drill press most likely will not be specified for side loading.)

This is becoming the 'HORROR' thread but it is rightly so. When I was in shop class in school we had a guy who thought it would be clever to put a chunk of metal in the drill press to speed up some filing. As others have said, side load - loose chuck = cracked skull. That kid never recovered. Unfortunately, neither did the shop teacher. We had been told, and the teacher was exonerated at the hearing but still, he always blamed himself for not being everywhere at once.
The school had to spend a small fortune replacing a lot of equipment with locking square threaded heads instead of the taper type fittings.
Just to make it clear, the reason that tapers are used is cost. It is tricky and difficult to balance anything else so as to avoid vibration caused by non-centric loading. A taper is axial and is balanced because of that.

Allan.....

Points well taken guys. THANKS! My bride isn't too partial to the sight of my blood either. Back to the drawing board.....................