What Does a Chuck Key Do

A chuck key is a tool designed to tighten or loosen the jaws of a chuck, a type of clamp that is used to hold a cylinder object. On a lathe, the chuck holds the rotating piece—and on a drill or mill, it holds the rotating tool.

Is keyed chuck better?

Most experts and machinists would agree that keyed chucks are more accurate related to overall runout with some models as little as . 0006 inch. The jobs where the holes have no specific tolerance and are used for clearance allows the use of a keyless drill chuck for quick changes on manual milling machines.

What does the chuck on a drill do?

Drill chucks are devices used to hold a drill or other cutting tools on a spindle. They are available in keyed, keyless or hybrid systems, allowing for quick changes of a drill bit. … Rotating the chuck collar in a counterclockwise direction will loosen the tool.