Drill Chuck:
The Standard #2 Improved
Made by The Standard Tool Company of Cleveland Ohio
Update June 8th, 2000.
This is an antique style seen on many of the drill press advertisements from the early part of the 20th century. This chuck has an #3 Jacobs Taper (3JT) standard arbor-hole like many modern chucks. The chuck appears to be still very serviceable despite a very small crack found in one thread of one jaw after thorough cleaning and inspection. The chuck will grip modern straight shank drill bits from about 1/16th to about 3/4ths of an inch. The chuck consists of a main body, two threaded sliding jaws, a large double threaded screw and a cover plate and retaining screws. The photo at top right, shows the Standard No. 2 between two half inch Jacobs chucks for comparison. In this view is a No. 6A Jacobs chuck on the left fitted with a No. 2 MT arbor, and a No. 32 Jacobs chuck on the right fitted with a newer No. 2 MT Morse taper arbor. An arbor with a number 3MT has been inserted in the Standard No. 2 for comparison. Note the difference in size of these chucks. The Standard number 2 is a 3/4ths inch chuck while the two Jacobs shown beside it are 1/2 inch chucks. Of course Jacobs 3/4ths inch chucks are also quite a bit larger.
The photo at right, shows the Standard No.2
chuck disassembled. The working ends of the jaws are machined with a series of teeth which
are offset so that they pass through each other as the jaws are opened or closed. The
effect is to allow the 'V's of jaws to close around the shank of the drill bits. A square
hole is machined into the end of the double threaded screw which allows a simple key made
by the machinist or blacksmith to be used for tightening the drill chuck. A very
simple chuck, the jaws are basically two identical halves that slide apart, or together
when the double threaded screw is turned.
The photo at bottom left shows the bottom side or drill bit side
of the Standard No. 2 chuck. The chuck key is a square bar with a handle which can easily
be fashioned by any blacksmith in minutes.