# Homemade Tools > Basic Homemade Tools and Tips >  Losing the drill chuck key for your drill press?

## Powless Design

How many times do you take the key out of the chuck and put it down only to have to go looking for it as you change bits? I used to keep the key in a metal box in a drawer beneath the drill press but it took just as much time to open the box place the key then open the drawer pick it up again and use it.

I found an inexpensive solution that works terrifically.

I took a rare earth magnet (sample pack obtained from Lee Valley Tools) and epoxied it on to the side of the drill press. Even if I am not looking I can pick up the key, use it and put it back since the magnet is strong enough to draw it in from 1/2" away. Since doing that I have not misplaced the key again.

----------

Captainleeward (Dec 18, 2017),

Hotz (Feb 14, 2015),

Raven Sirius (Jan 24, 2016),

Workshopshed (Feb 16, 2015)

----------


## DIYer

Yes, neodymium magnets are very useful around the shop. Good tip!

----------


## Altair

Nice tip. Less profile than my lanyard.

----------


## FixJeeps.com

Here is a little tip that few people know about. Inside of a computer hard drive are crazy strong magnets. I do IT for a living so each time I get hold of a hard drive that has physically died. I rip it apart for the magnets. I have one on the side of my drill press that holds my chuck key. Works great!

Here is a vid on how to get them out. This can vary from one hard drive to another.

----------

Captainleeward (Dec 18, 2017),

Workshopshed (Feb 16, 2015)

----------


## jere

Good idea, I use magnets around the shop for a few things like this. A magnet hot glued on food cans make good pencil,scrub,center punch... holders. 

But use a retractable key reel for my hand held power drill. If it didn't go back by itself it would be lost somewhere ,its factory key holder broke the first day.

----------


## Workshopshed

Yup, I'm also using harddisk magnets for my chuck key.



Simple light for drill - Workshopshed

----------


## FixJeeps.com

> Yup, I'm also using harddisk magnets for my chuck key.
> 
> 
> 
> Simple light for drill - Workshopshed



Yep ... you nailed it. Thats exactly how mine is stored. Everytime I get hold of a dead hard drive .. I gut it for the magnets!!

----------


## crazypj

I use an old speaker magnet on side of milling machine head to hold the Allen keys for adjusting boring head, tool holders, etc.
As I almost exclusively use non magnetic materials it hasn't affected anything (I haven't noticed any 'problems' machining 'ordinary steel')

----------


## GlennR

I didn't realize how common it is to use a magnet for storing chuck keys. I do it too.

----------


## Raven Sirius

Why are people using epoxy to stick a magnet to the steel box around the drill> I haven't started using the magnetic chuck key trick yet, correction, as of two minutes ago I started using the magnetic chuck key trick> The point I'm getting at is: shouldn't the magnet be strong enough to hold itself to the drill, as well as the chuck key? The only reason I can see for the epoxy is to stop people from stealing my hard drive magnets! :Big Grin:

----------


## Workshopshed

Most of the time the magnet does stay stuck to the case by it's own force. It does come loose some times but not enough to warrent adding epoxy.

----------


## mklotz

Modern neodymium magnets are indeed handier than a shirt pocket. Even handier IN a shirt pocket...

If I have a repair around the house that involves removing and then re-installing fasteners, I stick a magnet in my shirt pocket. As I remove the screws/nuts/etc. I stick them to my shirt pocket. This guarantees that they won't get misplaced and will be immediately available when I need to replace them. This trick is especially useful when working on a ladder where there isn't any room to lay things down.

----------

Moby Duck (Jan 8, 2018)

----------


## Jon

Stunning how simple this is. I've been just putting the fasteners in my pocket, which means: remove-glove, fumble, poke, grab, look, oops wrong pocket, check other one, fumble, got it, glove back on. For decades!

I just glued two neodymium magnets inside a new mailbox so the door will close tightly.

----------


## mklotz

Sempstresses used to have pin-cushion bracelets which they wore while sewing. This is a generalization of this idea. I suppose, if one wished, you could glue a magnet to a defunct watch-band and achieve the same thing. (Although, many pins are brass.)

Harbor Freight sells a small tube of super strong mini-magnets about 1/4" in diameter. Glue one to the temple bar of your safety glasses and you can conveniently park them anywhere on your machines.

Rare Earth Magnets - Rare Earth Magnet Set, 10 Piece

Take a magnet with you when you go shopping for brass screws. A lot of the imports are brass-plated steel. A magnet will sort them out quickly.

If you want to glue two pieces of relatively thin wood at a 90 degree angle, use your machinist's angle plate and a magnet or two to hold the vertical one in position. Modelmakers use this technique all the time when assembling airplane and ship frames.

Be careful with those hard-disk magnets. Get two of them too close to each other and they can snap together with enough force to seriously pinch your skin.

----------


## Jon

Very interesting stuff. You gave me an idea for a followup to this week's Simple Tools newsletter thread: a "simple tips" collection with all of these bite-sized tips.

I only recently read that pincushions were filled with emery for sharpening. I've been trying to think if that technique has another application.

Agreed about safety. My wife is understandably paranoid about having these around my toddler.

----------


## mklotz

> Very interesting stuff. You gave me an idea for a followup to this week's Simple Tools newsletter thread: a "simple tips" collection with all of these bite-sized tips.
> 
> I only recently read that pincushions were filled with emery for sharpening. I've been trying to think if that technique has another application.



Some of the one-liners shown here...

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/inde...7.html#msg2647

are already on your site but you may want to review it and see if anything intrigues you.

----------


## Jon

Just saw this inexpensive magnet supplier on another site and figured I'd post it here. Haven't ordered from them yet.

7 cents each for these: products_id_330 | Neodymium Disc Magnets 1/4 in x 1/32 in N42 - Magnet4less - Applied Magnets

----------

WoodChip (Feb 4, 2016)

----------


## WoodChip

That's the best solution I've found too! I have magnets on both sides of my drill press! Old loud speaker magnets; no adhesive required! I store a pointed centering rod on one side, the chuck key on the other side. Having said all this, I still manage to misplace the key on occasion  :Frown:

----------


## cpttuna

I have hidden magnets hidden on all the cars in the family with spare keys attached. Three of my kids have used the spare key once, two have used it twice. The best laugh i had was when I asked my 36 year old daughter where she was when she had to use the spare key. She looked dumbfounded as she asked me how I knew. I never told her she left the magnet on the roof of her vehicle.

----------


## mklotz

Don't overlook the fact that magnets can be glued to cloth.

I have one of those articulated shop lights that has a magnifying glass surrounded by a circular fluorescent bulb. I discovered that a cloth-covered car wax applicator was just the right size to cover and protect the lens when not in use. However, placing the cover on the bench when the magnifier was in use would lead to it picking up all manner of oil, dirt and swarf to besmirch the lens. I glued a small magnet to the cover and now stick it to the steel arms that support the lamp while using the lens. It stays clean and out of the way.

HF sells bulldog clamps with attached magnet (item#98505, $1.99). Clip one to a shop towel and you can attach the towel conveniently to a machine. In fact, once done using the towel, I can just toss it at the machine base and it will stick and be at hand for the next time I need it.

----------


## Toolmaker51

Responding almost 2 years later, hadn't seen this til now. 
Epoxying is when there aren't decent flat or ferrous surface for size of magnet on hand. Hot glue works too, maybe better due to greater thickness. Also, some magnets are mounted which interrupts sufficient attraction to be secure.

----------


## cmolinel

I use magnets also to keep pencils at hand, together with the chuck key. It is very easy to place a nut in the pencil body.

----------

