Keyless drill chuck hard to turn by hand

[mrkozmic]

Hi! I bought a keyless Rohm Spiro-I drill chuck. The chuck is really hard to turn. I must use both hands and apply a fair amount of force to turn it to open or close the jaws. This is very inconvinient when changing bits. Is it supposed to be like that?

 

[deverett]

Is the collar that is at the head of the arbor hard up against the body? It can be adjusted by slacking off the set screw and moving away slightly. The set screw just tightens the collar.
If that is not the problem, try a few drops of thin oil that run down between the jaws and body. Manually turn the body in and out a few times and maybe it will loosen up a bit.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

 

[mrkozmic]

Is the collar that is at the head of the arbor hard up against the body? It can be adjusted by slacking off the set screw and moving away slightly. The set screw just tightens the collar.
If that is not the problem, try a few drops of thin oil that run down between the jaws and body. Manually turn the body in and out a few times and maybe it will loosen up a bit.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

Thanks for the quick reply!

There is only one set screw. It is on the body about one inch below the collet. Slacking it does not help. The jaws are already fairly lubricated.
Turning the chuck feels as if the bearing was packed with thick grease.

Michal

 

[deverett]

Does your chuck look anything like this one:
See the set screw on the knurled ring? Have you tried slacking this and moving the knurled ring away from the jaws? Even with the screw slacked off, the ring will be tight.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

 

[mrkozmic]

No, sorry. There are two holes on the ring but no set screws. There is one set screw on tve body itself.

See Spiro-I
https://www.roehm.biz/en/products/drill-chucks/spiro-series/

 

[tornitore45]

I had the same problem with a Makita drill. It was fine new but it got tight. It was dirt and it required to take the chuck apart. The drill chuck sleeve is press fit and require some fiddling to come apart. Google Chuck Repair.
When I took one apart I though I broke one of the inside parts. Turns out that is the way they make the part, they make it and then break it in two pieces to assemble it.

 

[mrkozmic]

Mine is brand new so I want to know exactelly what is wrong before taking it apart.

 

[Peter Twissell]

My keyless chucks all get stiff in the winter as the grease or oil in them thickens, particularly effecting the fine threads.

 

[mrkozmic]

Thanks Peter! I took the chuck inside over night to get it up to room temperature. It turns much better. I can now turn it with one hand. The drill press still turns a little, but I can live with that. I find it strange that a high end(?) chuck cannot be used as intended in a cold shop.

 

[Peter Twissell]

I assume that 'high end' kit is aimed a 'professional' heated workshops.
It's certainly annoying trying to adjust the chuck while holding a drill bit in place and applying the 'manual brake' to the spindle at the same time.

 

[packrat]

QUOTE" I find it strange that a high end(?) chuck cannot be used as intended in a cold shop.

Any high end chuck any high end chuck is going to be hard to turn in the cold shop and your hands being cold dose not help any. I hate to work in the cold its not much fun..