Quick Drill Press Chuck Key Holder

For years, I've had a neodymium magnet on my drill press, to hold my chuck key. About 5-10% of the time, the magnet comes off with the chuck key, instead of staying on the drill press. It's a minor inconvenience for sure, but one I finally got around to resolving. And it only took 60 seconds!

You'll need:

• ~3/4 inch neodymium magnet. I got mine at Lee Valley.
• 1 package of Sugru, a putty-like product that cures to a rubber latex

I got a bunch of free Sugru from the Halifax Makerspace when they had a Sugru build night.

Wrap the Sugru around the magnet. Use your finger to make it slightly concave on one side, so that the magnet is just barely covered in the middle. You want the curve to approximately match the curve of your drill press column. The Sugru on this side will do two things. It will make it so the magnet can't rock as you pull the key away. And the thinness of the Sugru up the middle will ensure a strong connection to the column.

Make sure the Sugru is thicker on the other side, but not so thick that the magnet won't attract your key strongly enough. The goal is to pad it enough that the magnetic bond is significantly stronger between magnet and drill press column than magnet and chuck key.

Put your chuck key holder on the drill press column and gently press it in place. Allow it to cure overnight before putting your chuck key on it.

Congratulations, you're done! Just remember to use it!