chuck key holder

[Little Rabbit]

Rather than throw out a retractable key ring with a broken belt clip, I fixed it to my drill press with some hard drive magnets. The only hiccough was making sure the magnets were spaced to the outside of the reel so they didn't cause the chain to bind.

Now I never loose my chuck key, by eliminating the need to never put it down in the first place.

[DIYer]

Thanks Little Rabbit! We've added your Chuck Key Holder to our Storage and Organization category,
as well as to your builder page: Little Rabbit's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Chuck Key Holder by Little Rabbit

tags: holder, chuck key

[bj sims]

I just attach a radio speaker magnet to the side of my drill press to hold the key.

[olderdan]

Having an aversion to magnets around machine tools this is my simple chuck key holder, just a spring clip fixed to to the motor cowl, its always handy with no strings attached.

[Little Rabbit]

Olderdan, what's behind your aversion to magnets around machine tools?

I'm assuming it's safety related, so i'm interested.

[olderdan]

Olderdan, what's behind your aversion to magnets around machine tools?

I'm assuming it's safety related, so i'm interested.

Not a safety issue its just a personal preference as I find them a swarf gathering nusance, I should have said unnecessary magnets as they do have there uses clock bases etc but they can be switched off for cleaning. I knew one guy who kept his drill bits on a magnetic wall strip made for kitchen knives but he mostly did woodwork. Each to his own I guess.

[mklotz]

Magnets have a seemingly magnetic attraction for swarf, chips and other shop detritus.

I have a keyless chuck but I stick my mill/drill depth stop quick nut to the frame using a magnet glued to the nut. Since it always stays up there away from the area where chip generation occurs, it works fine and doesn't collect whiskers.

However, there are uses where exposure to swarf is unavoidable. An extension magnet used to pick up stuff dropped on the floor (old guys like me with bad backs love 'em) will inevitably grow whiskers of swarf whenever it gets near the floor. I solve this problem by wrapping the magnet in aluminum cooking foil. When the whisker load gets too great, simply unwrap the foil over the trash can and the swarf falls into the bin. Rewrap with new foil and you're good to go.

It's handy to remember the foil trick whenever you need to get a magnet near the swarf hot zones. Magnetic bases for indicator holders stuck on the lathe ways are an immediate example; your work will suggest others.

[Raytonian]

Magnets might be useful to have around but swarf sticking to measuring instruments, drills and some other tools can be a pest. I therefore made a demagnetizer from an old contactor that I keep ready for quickly fixing items that unnecessarily got magnetized.