find closure
It is not uncommon for a chuck to become slightly out of adjustment and as a result not fully close. At best, this lack of closure can be off-putting; However, more often than not, it can really slow down your productivity. This is not OK. – Keep your drill tight and your mood afloat with these few steps that will help you quickly close your chuck.
The first is the first:
As you know, you will find a chuck screw in the center of an open chuck. This screw is responsible for a large part of keeping your chuck where it’s supposed to be. However, like all things that have a job to do, occasionally these little screws can lose their way. Sometimes the screw can be lost entirely, but in any case, it just needs a bit of direction. Since a loose or missing screw will prevent the chuck from fully closing, the screw must be tightened or replaced. Remember, this screw is reverse threaded. So, to tighten the thing, you have to move that wrist to the left (counterclockwise) and turn the screw counterclockwise. Once the screw is fully tightened, the chuck should close and grip properly.
Going back for seconds:
If the chuck remains loose or continues to return to the off-center position after you have tightened the chuck screw, there are a few other factors that could be at play: first, the screw or the screw hole itself (inside the chuck) may have threads peeled. This would prevent the screw from staying in place, which, in turn, prevents the chuck from holding tight. If the screw threads are worn, replacing the screw should do the trick. However, if the screw hole inside the chuck is worn, you probably need a new chuck.
For one reason or another, the chuck may also be locked or rusted in a loose position, or fingers inside the chuck may have slipped, twisted, or broken, preventing the chuck jaws from gripping a bit. – In these cases, you practically need to replace the chuck or have it professionally inspected.
Now that we’ve come to the end of this story, I think the moral of the story is, “keep your screws tight (or you’ll end up with a screw loose,” yes, pun intended). Good luck with your chuck and remember tight drilling requires a tight drill (chuck).