anyone sharpen their drill bits anymore?

[CutterFarms]

I was given a large Christmas tin full of drill bits that came from the machine shop at a ford plant my wife's grandpa worked at. They were all used but had been sharpened and labeled with tape of all the duplicate sizes. We found it when my wife's mother passed away and I have been using them for years. They will go thru any metal on the farm, very convenient to have but some are getting dull and I was wondering if anyone uses a drill doctor or similar method to sharpen them. When I was a kid in school across the road was a place that sharpened bits and blades, haven't seen anything like that in 20 years though.

 

[Ign]

Sure, just my belt sander and my hands.

Anything less than 1/4" I don't always bother, plus the smaller bits are easy to kiss the opposite side and screw it up when sharpening. Larger bits are easier.

 

[Buckgnarly]

I use the drill doctor. Save a bunch, then sharpen at one time....the Dr. takes a little to get the method back, so I hate to randomly sharpen one.

 

[Shootinok]

I do
Haven't had to in a while now because my work has changed and at home I just don't use enough to require it.
When I was a working man, though - I had a drill doctor and was very happy - surprised really, at how well it worked.

 

[BPJOOP93]

Yes. Drill dr.

 

[rmack898]

Belt grinder

 

[6PTsocket]

The General jig works well for me

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[GTO]

I have an old(70's) Black & Decker,that I use,still use it now and then.

 

[Roberts210]

Absolutely. I've sharpened my own drill bits for over 20 years, ever since I got a Drill Doctor. Just this year I replaced the old Doc with a Lisle 91000. Here's a picture of the old Doc and his replacement:

 

[Zeke]

DD here as well but it's good to know how to do it by hand. For bits less than 3/16ths the DD does a better job as the cutting edge and flank are pretty small to deal with by hand. Very easy to lose the center.

 

[justanengineer]

Darex M5.

 

[BFBOB]

Been sharpening by hand on a bench grinder for decades.
As Zeke pointed out, the smaller ones are harder, especially as my eyes age. I may get a Drill Doctor one of these days just for the tinies. Maybe Roberts210 will be ditching his now that he has a (gasp!) Lisle!

 

[IndyGarage]

I use the drill doctor. Save a bunch, then sharpen at one time....the Dr. takes a little to get the method back, so I hate to randomly sharpen one.

Same here - I just throw them into a box until I have some extra time then go through the box with the Drill Doctor.

The trick to using the Drill Doctor is clamping the bit into the holder with the correct flute orientation and stickout.

I always seem to have to relearn to get it right. Once you do, the grinding part is a no brainer, and they do work well.

 

[oldwino]

The trick to using the Drill Doctor is clamping the bit into the holder with the correct flute orientation and stickout.

I always seem to have to relearn to get it right. Once you do, the grinding part is a no brainer, and they do work well.[/QUOTE]

same here…I do a stack once a year or so with the Drill Doctor 750 and it seems the first half a dozen or so aren't cut right. Practice, Practice, Practice

 

[2oolhound]

I never buy new drill bits. I've always grabbed those tins full of them at flea markets when they were cheap like $5 - $10 for 50 bits or so. I have so many now I don't buy any more but I sharpen them by hand on a bench grinder. I wear 2x magnifying safety glasses for the small ones.

 

[Engine]

When I was a kid in school across the road was a place that sharpened bits and blades, haven't seen anything like that in 20 years though.

I sharpen my drills on a bench grinder. Takes some practice like anything else.

Years ago there used to be a few little shops nearby that sharpened saw blades, drill bits, etc. No need for those services anymore since we have become a "throwaway" society, for the most part. It's cheaper to toss it out and get a new one than to pay someone to repair it.

 

[exmaxima1]

Yes. Drill dr.

+1
Just sharpened about 100 bits last week in about an hour.

 

[-Brent-]

I'm terrible at doing them by hand. I use a Drill Dr.

 

[speedfreek1210]

Drill Dr. About once or twice a year. Glad to know I'm not the only one who has to relearn the procedure every time I use it!


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[B_Bimmer]

I have always freehanded on a bench grinder, all the positive comments on the drill dr. have me considering it... If only it didn't have such a gimmicky name.

 

[larry_g]

A lot of discussions about the net on the Drill Dr. Some swear by it and others swear at it. I've had on for years, one of the first designed ones. I can make it work good. That said if you don't know drill bit geometry you will probably not get the best results. You cannot just throw bits at the machine and expect it to deliver a good part back.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[PJNJ]

Another vote for Dr. Doctor. Pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it.

 

[MShaw]

Grind by hand on a bench grinder. I learned when I was 10 yrs old. been at it for 66 years.

 

[Stadger]

Yep, Drill Doctor works for me very well.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I unfortunately do not. I only say that because I don't drill very much metal and when I do it's easier to just use a new drill bit and replace it with another one for cheap.

Sharpening bits saves money and makes a good drill bit last a long long time.

 

[2002maniac]

I was taught how to grind cutting tools by an old machinist when I was 18. It does take some practice, but the results can be pretty good. Drill doctor is probably quicker though.

 

[Bigbandguy]

Must have been the same old machinist who taught me. I saw him free hand a bit on a bench grinder and asked him how to do it. Never done it any other way since.

 

[kwoswalt99]

I've always done them on a grinder. Whenever I've seen people use drill dr.s, they usually don't do it right.

 

[PBCampbell]

My eyes have gotten to the point that even a 1/4" bit is difficult, not to mention the infrequency of sharpening has eroded the hand/eye coordination. I'm really thinking of purchasing a drill doctor of late.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

I sharpen anything 1/8 and larger on grinder


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[bubinga]

I sharpen anything 1/8 and larger on grinder


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my Grandfather was a union electrician, but could do many things.
He had the nack for sharpening freehand.
They were nice and even side to side too.
I tried a few times, and made them worse..........lol

 

[bubinga]

Sure, just my belt sander and my hands.

Anything less than 1/4" I don't always bother, plus the smaller bits are easy to kiss the opposite side and screw it up when sharpening. Larger bits are easier.

Ign, is there a nack to it on the belt sander, or just try to follow the old profile, removing metal evenly, side to side?

 

[southalabama]

Dad has some fine machinist bits that are dull. He never throws them away. I buy him toolboxes and he prefers the five gallon bucket method.

I bought a Huot cabinet. One day while he's out I'm gonna take his five gallon bucket with drill bits covering the bottom and sharpen and organize them. Among his Christmas gifts are a couple sets of new bits.

 

[mikegt4]

I use my DD often, it works great. My old eyes are so bad that I can't manually sharpen anything under 3/8" so I let the doctor do them all.

 

[Mastermind]

I've had a drill doctor on my "list" for a few years now, grandpa left me a couple coffee cans full of bits, and I've got a pile going as well, any preference as to wich Dr? Seems the "base" model is fine? I don't require lefty ability, though I do like a split point style...

 

[KnurledNut]

If you are working in the field, there is a lot better chance of someone having a bench grinder or belt sander than a drill doctor.
Its good to learn the freehand method for these times.

 

[CutterFarms]

What makes the drill dr. Hard sharpening the first few bits till you get the hang of it?

 

[Zeke]

What makes the drill dr. Hard sharpening the first few bits till you get the hang of it?

I don't know. If you follow the instructions it should be a o brainer.

 

[larry_g]

What makes the drill dr. Hard sharpening the first few bits till you get the hang of it?

The bits are sensitive to rotation in the holder. Get the bit in the holder wrong and your reliefs will be wrong. You must know how to inspect a drill bit to be able to determine if the DD is giving the results you want. There are different angles on a bit that are determined by a variety of things.

The DD is more suited to putting an edge on the bit. It is not for grinding a broken or chipped bit back into form. If I have a chipped or broken bit I will sharpen it on a wheel and then use the DD to put an edge on it. I read a good piece on why not to sharpen on a belt sander. The belt will set up a standing wave just in front of the tool and it changes giving a more rounded edge, not a keen edge that the grinder will give. It made sense to me and I have stopped using a belt sander to put an edge on a cutter. The belt is fine for roughing in but a stone or diamond is needed for the final edge.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[wxm]

+1 on bench grinder.