Keep Hands Free with Drill Press "Lock"

By Charles Mak, Calgary, Alberta Updated on: September 25, 2023 Published on: August 11, 2016

I use sanding drums with my drill press to sand the full edge of a workpiece. However, while lowering the head and holding the feed handle steady, I found it difficult to sand edges with only one hand, especially for small pieces where both hands are needed to hold the work safely.

To free my hands, I figured out how to “lock” the chuck on the spindle once it’s set at the right location. I lower the chuck steadily until the sanding drum is in position. Then I insert a small block that is cut to fit between the depth stop lug and the chuck set ring and release the feed handle. The block keeps the chuck fixed, freeing both of my hands to work on the piece.

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