Ward's Power Kraft Drill Press

[Ron T]

I was given the drill press without the key. Does anyone know where I can get one or what it looks like?

[SGW]

Shouldn't be a problem. I assume it's a Jacobs chuck, or look-alike. Get the chuck number off it, then see http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF...0&PMT4TP=*LTIP
(if that monstrosity of a link doesn't work see page 1633 at www.mscdirect.com )

MSC has a $25 minimum order, but it shouldn't be hard to find enough other stuff to add up to $25....

Or check your local hardware store; they may have chuck keys.

Or is this some kind of "key" to turn on the drill press?

[Al Messer]

Can you post a photo of it? The tailstock chuck that came with my Powerkraft Lathe is a Jacobs chuck.

[Ron T]

Shouldn't be a problem. I assume it's a Jacobs chuck, or look-alike. Get the chuck number off it, then see http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF...0&PMT4TP=*LTIP
(if that monstrosity of a link doesn't work see page 1633 at www.mscdirect.com )

MSC has a $25 minimum order, but it shouldn't be hard to find enough other stuff to add up to $25....

Or check your local hardware store; they may have chuck keys.

Or is this some kind of "key" to turn on the drill press?

Sorry if I didn't clarify the key. It is a safety key that goes into the body of the case that releases a lock so the on/off switch will work. The or device goes into a slot on the side of case. It is probably yellow in color and about an 1/8th of an inch thick. Any help will be appreciated.

[SGW]

I think it may be as simple as a straight rod. Try about a 16-penny nail and see what happens. I had a similar setup on a TookKraft table saw.

Or, I think I would be inclined to disassemble and remove the thing.

[ERBenoit]

Sorry if I didn't clarify the key. It is a safety key that goes into the body of the case that releases a lock so the on/off switch will work. The or device goes into a slot on the side of case. It is probably yellow in color and about an 1/8th of an inch thick. Any help will be appreciated.

Didn't Montgomery Wards become Sears? The Wards Power Kraft name sounds like the early days of Craftsman power tools. Perhaps the safety key is similar to the one used in the Craftsman line of tools from Sears??? If you have a Sears store nearby, maybe worth a look. I have an old Craftsman radial arm saw missing the safety key also. As SGW mentioned, I just eliminated the safety lock altogether.

[Ron T]

Didn't Montgomery Wards become Sears? The Wards Power Kraft name sounds like the early days of Craftsman power tools. Perhaps the safety key is similar to the one used in the Craftsman line of tools from Sears??? If you have a Sears store nearby, maybe worth a look. I have an old Craftsman radial arm saw missing the safety key also. As SGW mentioned, I just eliminated the safety lock altogether.

I have come to the same conclusion after talking to some local folks. That was my first thought, but I wanted to see if by some chance I found a source or a picture/diagram of the key since I don't have the ops manual that came with it.

[jrl]

They went bankrupt and were liquidated in the '90s IIRC. No successor.

Sears was acquired by K-Mart some years ago, which took the more prestigious Sears name for the corporation (sort of like Nations Bank did when they bought Bank of America) while maintaining Sears & K-Mart as separate divisions.

[Al Messer]

Glad you got the problem solved and can now make chips!!