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.

[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.

[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!