If you have an electric drill, you know that it can be one of the most handy tools in your collection. And, if you've owned it for a long time it probably has a key-operated chuck. If so, there's a good chance that the key is missing. If your drill is in good shape you can remedy this with a keyless chuck replacement kit. It takes only a few minutes to make a simple conversion and, in many cases, at one-fifth of the cost of replacing the entire drill.

It doesn't make any difference whether the drill is AC powered or cordless; keyless chucks are available for just about every model.

CAUTION: BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THIS PROJECT BE SURE THAT THE DRILL IS UNPLUGGED. IF THE DRILL IS CORDLESS, REMOVE THE BATTERY.

Begin the conversion by removing the old chuck. This is a two-step process: 1) remove the chuck retainer screw, and 2) unscrew the chuck from the drill spindle. To remove the chuck retainer screw, open the chuck all the way. At the bottom, you should see the head of a slotted screw. You might need the help of a flashlight. Use a screwdriver blade or an awl to clean the screw slot. Cleaning will help to ensure that the screwdriver blade seats deeply into the slot for maximum leverage. With the screw head cleaned, close the chuck all the way, insert the chuck key into the chuck and strike the chuck key with a hammer so that it causes the chuck to spin in a clockwise direction. This will cause the chuck to tighten slightly on the drill spindle. At the same time it will relieve pressure that may be bearing on the chuck-retaining screw, making it easier to remove. Once again, open the chuck all the way to facilitate the insertion of screwdriver. Be sure that the screwdriver blade seats tightly into the screw head. Hold the chuck with a vise or a large pair of pliers to prevent it from turning while the retaining screw is being removed.

REMEMBER: THE CHUCK-RETAINING SCREW IS PROBABLY A LEFT-HAND THREAD. TO LOOSEN A LEFT-HAND SCREW, TURN IT CLOCKWISE.

Once the retainer screw has been removed, the chuck can be unscrewed from the drill spindle. Since the threads on the spindle are normally the conventional right-hand type, turning the chuck in a counterclockwise direction will remove it. To get things started, insert the chuck key into the chuck and strike it with a hammer so that the chuck moves counterclockwise. This should loosen the chuck enough so that it can be removed the rest of the way by hand, or with a small pair of pliers. With the old chuck removed, use an old rag and a bit of solvent or cutting oil to remove debris from the area surrounding the spindle.

Finally, reverse the removal process to install the keyless chuck.