Help needed: Sharpening drill bits

Anybody know of a kick ass drill bit sharpening system? Mine are in sorry shape, but all good Mac bits. Tried the "Drill Dr", but it was a P.O.S.

 

Vice and a fine file. Time and skill honed of experence.
I've sharpened mine that way for years.
BTW, I dig my Drill Dr.

 

I use my drill Dr with good results,,, there is something wrong with yours or your not doing it right.

 

Dr Drill works fine for me...but I still do it free-hand on my bench grinder

 

I have also had good luck with the Drill DR.

 

Bench grinder works fine if you know how to use it! I've sharpened my bits for years on a bench grinder and they work perfectly!!!

 

Drill Dr., hands down.
Bench grinder works in a pinch, but try doing that after downing a six pack!

 

czuch

Where the hell is Vail, AZ ....


Drill Doc works for me too ...




Jim

 

I use a bench grinder and have good results. If you can find a fine rock works best and there are two ways to do it. 1 On the side of the stone and 2 on the face of the stone. Hold the bit at a 30*to 45* to the face with the butt end of the bit pointing towards you not on the side and roll the bit as it would turn in the drill. If it is a broken bit grind down to get close to a flat surface then 30*to 45* on the face or side of stone! Try to knock down the heel a bit more to get the biting to be higher.

 

Drill Doctor works great for me,,

I can take a dull bit and throw it on a grinder and believe it or not,,make it duller! HRP

 

By hand on a bench grinder works for me ..... most of the time....

 

I had a Drill Dr. and sold it. I use a bench mounted belt sander now. It's alot faster than the Dr. for me.
28

 

There are lots of videos on Utube about this. One of the best skills you can learn. Drill Dr works well; also small bench grinder with a soft wheel. I preffer the one that you use the side of the wheel. There are also books [gasp] out there that teach you how. Good luck, you can learn this. Dave

 

you can also take them to your local sharpening shop. I do half inch and under in my drill doctor and above half inch i take to get sharpend. The same place that makes my band saw blades and sharpens my cold cut blades.

 

Bench grinder has always worked for me... Just start at the part opposite of the cutting surface and work your way forward until you see sparks roll over the front of the cutting surface. It sharpens them enough for what I do...

Pete

 

I had a project that involved drilling a couple of thousand 1/2 inch holes. Somewhere in the middle of the project I discovered that after sharpining a bit on my Drill Dr it cut better than the new bit that I had been using. Now if I have a need to drill a bunch of accurate holes step one is a visit to the Dr.

 

Ditto, I've done them freehand on the bench grinder for 50 + years. It does take paying attention to what you are doing and I sure wouldn't want to do a bucket full of them at one time.

When I had access to a drill doctor it worked pretty well on the bits I sharpened.

 

One of the first tasks in high school machine shop (1960's) was how to sharpen twist drills. On a bench grinder. I developed the skill and do all my own and for several other shops.

Now if the quality of the newer drill bits hadn't gone down the drain and I could see, like fifty years ago. My drills would be all sharp and perfect..

 

Bench grinder works but a pedestal disc grinder works best because of its perfectly flat surface.

 

I've done it a lot of ways - bench grinder, burr king, etc. My Drill DR. seems to work pretty well - but a guy could probably find one of these at a yard sale - sufficiently gadgety.

 

I was taught how to sharpen drills years ago as a 16YO apprentice. A good bench grinder with a nice square face, take a good look at the drill and offer the first side in, a gentle lick and while rotating it slightly, swing down in an arc at the same time. Do the other side and keep checking the two sides are similar. When I feel a drill is struggling, I sharpen it on the grinder, sometimes it is no better and I have another go, and it comes right.

I just had a quick look there are a few video's on youtube about drill sharpening.

Mart.

 

The first project we had when I apprenticed in the machine shop was to make a drill sharpening gauge. The we used the gauge to learn to sharpen twist drills on a pedestal grinder. I still use the same method 31 years later except there is a big lighted magnifier glass mounted next to the grinder now. I found out later that we could have gone to the local Machine Supply shop and purchased a 6" scale with a drill gauge attachment for $10.

 

We also made a drill gauge from galvanized steel. It is 3 1/2" by 6". The right side is cut out 1/2 " wide by 4 1/2" long for drill bits with a 58 (and 1/2) degree angle. After getting the angle right, you just need to get the 8-12 degree relief (search for a picture). You can add other angles as you need them.

 

Tried almost every way possible. Some good some bad. Drill Dr. is quick and easy and seems to do ok.

 

Belt sander works best for me.

 

Been doing them by hand since i was 14.We still use drill dr in our shop for most but sharpen some drills differantly depending on the material.Thinning out the web or changing the angle helps on some of the tougher materials.

 

OK, I'll take my beating now..... but I've got a sharpener from harbor frieght, much like the drill dr, works fine for what I do.

 

i don't need to add anythingabout free handing your bits the HAMB majority solves most problems but could add this, use 2 1/2" hex nuts. lay them on the bench, side by side point to point. between these nuts there is a pointed double angle. this angle is the proper angle for sharpening your bits

 

I have a 4" bench grinder that I use for drill bits only. I have never used a Drill DR, always by hand on the grinder.
Lee

 

All you gotta do is make sure each cutting edge is the same length and you have relieved the bit so the cutting edge engages the work first. Don't ask me how to sharpen a bit to drill Ampco bronze!!!