How does a drill press hold and turn a twist drill?

A drill press holds and rotates a twist drill using a rotating spindle, which provides the necessary motion to cut into a workpiece. The method of attachment depends on the design of the drill's shank:12

• Chuck: Drills with straight shanks are typically gripped in a chuck, which features three jaws that move radially in unison to secure the tool.13
• Tapered Shank: Drills with tapered shanks fit directly into a matching tapered hole within the spindle. These are driven by the friction of the taper and a tang that fits into a slot in the machine.13

Once secured, the spindle rotates the drill, and the machine provides a mechanism to feed the tool into the stationary workpiece.13