How to ensure a drill bit stays in?

[julesg]

Hello,

I have a battery operated drill. My problem is I always have trouble getting a drill bit to stay in the drill. I screw it in tight but it always wobbles whilst drilling, then falls out?

What am I doing wrong? Please help anyone. Thank you.

Julie

[JacobZ]

Hi @julesg,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

If the drill bit is wobbling, then it is likely not seated perfectly centrally in the chuck. I'd suggest you slowly tighten the chuck by hand so the drill bit is centred by the closing action of the jaws. 

Most drills with a keyless chuck have a locking mechanism that is activated by tightening the chuck to tighten it and then rotating it backward by one click. Once you are confident the drill bit is centred, tighten it as tight as you can, then rotate the chuck backwards by one click. This should lock the chuck in place, so it won't loosen during operation.

Give this a try and let me know how you go.

If this doesn't help, please let me know what the model number of your drill is so I can investigate further. Some photos of the drill and drill bit would also be handy. Let me know if you need a hand with this.

Jacob

[Nailbag]

Hi @julesg 

all drills will have 3 jaws (grips) either exposed or more hidden within the chuck. The smaller the drill bit the more difficult it can be to centre the drill bit. One trick is to slightly wobble the drill bit as you tighten the chuck which will help to centre it within the 3-jaws. How the check is fully tighten can then vary between types. A photo will help advise the best way to tighten yours.

Nailbag