paulsomlo
Well-known member
Judging from the picture, you're a man who appreciates the finer things in life.
Drill Bits, Sharpen Or Replace?
- Thread starter Renegade1LI
- Start date
No idea what videos you watched but it takes almost no time to set up and get a factory fresh cutting edge on a bit. All the math is done for you and they sharpen to a like new cutting edge at the perfect angle.
paulsomlo
Well-known member
I'm curious - do you point split on yours?
I have to admit I'm a bit of an idiot with the nomenclature and rather running off to google I would ask you to explain it to me and I will answer.
paulsomlo
Well-known member
The one on the left:
The one on the left:
That's what I thought you meant but wasn't sure. No, you do not want to touch the point and it took me quite a while to figure that out. All your sharpening is on the pull stroke and you don't pull all the way through in order not to disturb the point. I'll get a picture when I get a chance.
whateg01
Well-known member
Huh? If the drill gets shorter because you are removing material, how does the point not get touched?
GaryM909
Well-known member
New bits are going to need re sharpened at some point. Best to practice before replacing them.
I learned how to sharpen them when I was 20 years old working in a machine shop. I have a couple good sets of bits and I will only buy any new ones if I break one or lose one.
I learned how to sharpen them when I was 20 years old working in a machine shop. I have a couple good sets of bits and I will only buy any new ones if I break one or lose one.
Great post!It's basically a rebranded MRCM MR-13D that I got from my local Travers on sale. Can be purchased for much less than I paid from Aliexpress or now Vevor. There are other models that are cheaper with less features (no web thinning, or split point)
I've used one, a friend in SC had a rebranded version. I agree, if I was looking for a sharpener I'd grab one of those or a rebranded version of it. His did not do split point, but he's a woodworker.
The basic grinders that will go up to 1/2" are down to just over $200 and they do a very nice job with sharpening geometry.
There are quite a few YT videos out there where the reviewer blunders through the setup, most of their issues are with setting the bit and rotating it in the collet to align the cutting edge of the drill with the flat on the collet.
The split-point would be nice for anyone with a collection of 135* bits who needs to drill into metal.
Yep, that's what I mainly use it for, 135° split point & more recently quite often for by cheap cobalt drills that I use at work. It's supposed to be capable of sharpening 90° - 140° but I have not tried 90° yet. I've been meaning to try resharpening a drill to to 90°.
It's so quick & easy to setup & sharpen. I have not had issues setting mine up, gave me great results the very first try I used it & everytime. I don't have a dedicated area for it so it takes me longer to pull it out the box than to actually sharpen. So much quicker than a Drill Doctor. The thing is pretty small but it is amazingly heavy.
I've got the optional diamond wheel also to resharpen my solid carbide drills.
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Pinemarten
Well-known member
I'm OK at sharpening 1/8-1/2 bits, but..........I had to sharpen a 5/32 LH bit. My brain and fingers got in an argument!
I finally managed to get it sharp.
I finally managed to get it sharp.
Like I said I will have to get a picture so you can see what I'm talking about. It doesn't work with bits that have been abused or ones with a chipped corner. Drill bits to me are a lot like chainsaw chains. If you use them just until they get slightly dull it's much quicker to touch them up. The TDR/SRD sharpener holds the bit to six or seven precise angles and you can sharpen a bit to factory fresh in less than two minutes.
whateg01
Well-known member
Have you seen the video of the bicycle with the handlebar that rotates opposite of the fork?
Haha. As I mentioned in a prev post, my brain wouldn't let me do it.
Plastikosmd
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- Nov 17, 2016
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I sharpen by hand. 30 seconds and go.
The one thing I struggled with ( as I practiced) is the fact the web thickens as the drill gets shorter from grinding.
So your results seem to get progressively worse as you practice sharpening the same bit. (The chisel naturally lengthens and thus the effort to drill with the bit increases.) Understanding this concept would have saved a lot of time and frustration as I assumed the web was consistent. I couldn’t understand how the bit was changing as I practiced, always better results with initial sharpening that worsened as the bit shortened.
Learning how to thin web or split point is key.
As I am self taught, I haven’t found great pics/ tutorial that explained this until I ran across this…
( you are welcome!)
Link:
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www.wisc-online.com
The one thing I struggled with ( as I practiced) is the fact the web thickens as the drill gets shorter from grinding.
So your results seem to get progressively worse as you practice sharpening the same bit. (The chisel naturally lengthens and thus the effort to drill with the bit increases.) Understanding this concept would have saved a lot of time and frustration as I assumed the web was consistent. I couldn’t understand how the bit was changing as I practiced, always better results with initial sharpening that worsened as the bit shortened.
Learning how to thin web or split point is key.
As I am self taught, I haven’t found great pics/ tutorial that explained this until I ran across this…
( you are welcome!)
Link:
Wisc-Online Learning Objects | WisTech Open
Discover a rich library of hundreds of expertly designed learning objects through Wisc-Online. Covering numerous disciplines and career clusters, each resource is available in engaging video or interactive formats, giving learners practical, accessible, and visually appealing ways to build...
www.wisc-online.com
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Needed to sharpen some drill bits this weekend, used my MR-13D shown earlier. I can be rough on drill bits at work. Sorry for the not so great pics, hard for me to get good pics & I'm no photographer.
This one is 1/8", as mentioned, is the smallest I will bother to sharpen. Let a coworker borrow one, of course he snapped it but later replaced it when he bought the same 10pk I have.
These are a couple of cheap China cobalt drills that I mangled this past week.
I'm no pro at hand sharpening but I'll hand sharpen drills at work when needed, they at least will cut again. Grinding a split point/web thinning by hand, nope I can't do it, never trusted myself to even try. When I get more than a few to resharpen I'll bring them home & sharpen on the sharpener.
My drill bits that I use at home, I always resharpen on the sharpener. These are always used in a machine, I take care of them so they don't need sharpening often. Anything over 1/2" I sharpen by hand cause that's the max capacity of my sharpener. Here's a cheap China S&D drill that I sharpened on my belt sander.
And that same S&D drilling Ti 6Al4V.
This one is 1/8", as mentioned, is the smallest I will bother to sharpen. Let a coworker borrow one, of course he snapped it but later replaced it when he bought the same 10pk I have.
These are a couple of cheap China cobalt drills that I mangled this past week.
I'm no pro at hand sharpening but I'll hand sharpen drills at work when needed, they at least will cut again. Grinding a split point/web thinning by hand, nope I can't do it, never trusted myself to even try. When I get more than a few to resharpen I'll bring them home & sharpen on the sharpener.
My drill bits that I use at home, I always resharpen on the sharpener. These are always used in a machine, I take care of them so they don't need sharpening often. Anything over 1/2" I sharpen by hand cause that's the max capacity of my sharpener. Here's a cheap China S&D drill that I sharpened on my belt sander.
And that same S&D drilling Ti 6Al4V.
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Needed to sharpen some drill bits this weekend, used my MR-13D shown earlier. I can be rough on drill bits at work. Sorry for the not so great pics, hard for me to get good pics & I'm no photographer.
This one is 1/8", as mentioned, is the smallest I will bother to sharpen. Let a coworker borrow one, of course he snapped it but later replaced it when he bought the same 10pk I have.
These are a couple of cheap China cobalt drills that I mangled this past week.
I'm no pro at hand sharpening but I'll hand sharpen drills at work when needed, they at least will cut again. Grinding a split point/web thinning by hand, nope I can't do it, never trusted myself to even try. When I get more than a few to resharpen I'll bring them home & sharpen on the sharpener.
My drill bits that I use at home, I always resharpen on the sharpener. These are always used in a machine, I take care of them so they don't need sharpening often. Anything over 1/2" I sharpen by hand cause that's the max capacity of my sharpener. Here's a cheap China S&D drill that I sharpened on my belt sander.
And that same S&D drilling Ti 6Al4V.
I have a couple drill doctors, I am going to give them a try again, maybe be a little more patient. Also want to practice by hand and now after seeing you use the belt sander I will give that a try.
Unless you have a good solid platen on your belt sander/grinder & decent belts, a bench grinder would probably be better. I made a glass platen for mine.
As much as I would like to have an industrial grade Darex sharpener, I use a much more affordable setup. I put together this rig using one of those commonly available old sharpening jigs. It bolts on to my vertical belt sander in place of the platen and the depth of grind is adjusted with the thimble from a Mitutoyo mic.
With the micrometer adjustment and a 1,200 grit belt it does a very respectable job of sharpening bits. It can't split points, but I can do pretty decent four-facet grinds with it. It's not top of the line, but does quite well for little money.
I also have an old drill doctor that works fine on common 118 degree bits.
My preference is Norsemen and Cleveland for drills.
With the micrometer adjustment and a 1,200 grit belt it does a very respectable job of sharpening bits. It can't split points, but I can do pretty decent four-facet grinds with it. It's not top of the line, but does quite well for little money.
I also have an old drill doctor that works fine on common 118 degree bits.
My preference is Norsemen and Cleveland for drills.
Jswain
Well-known member
Dude that's beautiful! Nicely doneAs much as I would like to have an industrial grade Darex sharpener, I use a much more affordable setup. I put together this rig using one of those commonly available old sharpening jigs. It bolts on to my vertical belt sander in place of the platen and the depth of grind is adjusted with the thimble from a Mitutoyo mic.
With the micrometer adjustment and a 1,200 grit belt it does a very respectable job of sharpening bits. It can't split points, but I can do pretty decent four-facet grinds with it. It's not top of the line, but does quite well for little money.
I also have an old drill doctor that works fine on common 118 degree bits.
My preference is Norsemen and Cleveland for drills.
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Looks like you bought it that way, very nice!As much as I would like to have an industrial grade Darex sharpener, I use a much more affordable setup. I put together this rig using one of those commonly available old sharpening jigs. It bolts on to my vertical belt sander in place of the platen and the depth of grind is adjusted with the thimble from a Mitutoyo mic.
With the micrometer adjustment and a 1,200 grit belt it does a very respectable job of sharpening bits. It can't split points, but I can do pretty decent four-facet grinds with it. It's not top of the line, but does quite well for little money.
I also have an old drill doctor that works fine on common 118 degree bits.
My preference is Norsemen and Cleveland for drills.
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Plastikosmd
Well-known member
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- Nov 17, 2016
- Messages
- 1,254
On a side note, you may have a tool hoarding problem
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
Read the room..lolOn a side note, you may have a tool hoarding problem
Jeff
Well-known member
I have a couple of different drill bit sets.
The cheap ones for wood, plastics and such I get from HD or online. Too cheap to resharpen.
My 'good' set is Norseman molybdenum. Only used for metal work. Since I'm a DIYer I've only managed to dull a 1/4" bit. I resharpened it. However, I do have duplicates in case I snap one off.
The cheap ones for wood, plastics and such I get from HD or online. Too cheap to resharpen.
My 'good' set is Norseman molybdenum. Only used for metal work. Since I'm a DIYer I've only managed to dull a 1/4" bit. I resharpened it. However, I do have duplicates in case I snap one off.
BillK
Well-known member
I have a barely used Lisle. I bought it mainly for large bits for balancing crankshafts but have since switched to replaceable tip spade drills. But I cant imagine what shipping would be to Canada.
Have you ever used one ? I find it very time consuming to set up. Does a beautiful job for sure.
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
I have no experience with a Lisle. I certainly do not need a Lisle. Shipping can be expensive. Some of the shipping companies like to tag on a $100 brokerage fee.
A Sterling set-up is less than a minute. I consider myself lucky to have found my Sterling.
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Alright finally got to spend a little time sharpening bits on the drill doctor, even read the instructions. After a little practice and tweaking I think the point came out good, drilled straight and clean. I'll have to do a few more and see if I can duplicate the results.
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Jswain
Well-known member
Looks pretty good from Alberta! If it drills it drills
As the saying goes, "it's like riding a bike". Well not for me!
Needed to sharpen some 1/2 drills for work. Just for the heck of it, decided to dust off the DD750 (literally, haven't even touched the case in years). I had no such luck & forgot all the little details/tricks I had learned about it. I also tried sharpening a LH drill that I needed & failed miserably too. Didn't have the patience today so back into the case it went.
I do remember it taking some time to learn. After that I got decent results with it, well only for sizes under 1/2". I forgot how loud the thing is & how much it vibrates, had to hold the thing down everytime I turned it on. Now I appreciate why my MR-13 is so damn heavy for it's size. But it doesn't vibrate like the DD & is nowhere near as loud.
I'm glad to have this MR-13. It's so much easier & quicker to use than the DD, no messing about either. I'm not knocking the DD, I'm still gonna keep it around but I realize I'm not a fan of thing much anymore having what I have now. For the price it's appropriate.... well both of them.
Needed to sharpen some 1/2 drills for work. Just for the heck of it, decided to dust off the DD750 (literally, haven't even touched the case in years). I had no such luck & forgot all the little details/tricks I had learned about it. I also tried sharpening a LH drill that I needed & failed miserably too. Didn't have the patience today so back into the case it went.
I do remember it taking some time to learn. After that I got decent results with it, well only for sizes under 1/2". I forgot how loud the thing is & how much it vibrates, had to hold the thing down everytime I turned it on. Now I appreciate why my MR-13 is so damn heavy for it's size. But it doesn't vibrate like the DD & is nowhere near as loud.
I'm glad to have this MR-13. It's so much easier & quicker to use than the DD, no messing about either. I'm not knocking the DD, I'm still gonna keep it around but I realize I'm not a fan of thing much anymore having what I have now. For the price it's appropriate.... well both of them.
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Just picked up an MRCM 13A drill bit sharpener of Amazon on a black Friday deal. After a little time getting acquainted the results were great. Quick and easy to set up and with a little practice the bits came out great. Just did a few 1/2 cobalt bits and they drilled great, just take a few minutes practice. This machine blows away the dd, same principle but way more precise. Have to sharpen some more but my initial experience is this machine is well worth the money and it seems to be well made.
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OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Thanks, once i run a few more bits and am confident I'm ordering the diamond. Just did another 1/2", cuts like butter. Now to get rid of 3 dds.
Haha, I'm an idiot, I just looked back in this thread & didn't realize that I already posted about the diamond wheel with the same pic.
I still have my DD & have no plans of selling it. My reasoning is that I have the LH chuck for it so I'm keeping it in case I ever need to try & sharpen LH drills. I tried to sharpen a LH drill once, my brain & hands did not agree with each other.
Man, I really feel like I have said all this before as well. Damn CRS!
I still have my DD & have no plans of selling it. My reasoning is that I have the LH chuck for it so I'm keeping it in case I ever need to try & sharpen LH drills. I tried to sharpen a LH drill once, my brain & hands did not agree with each other.
Man, I really feel like I have said all this before as well. Damn CRS!
whateg01
Well-known member
You know, they say the first thing up go with age is... Yeah I can't remember what it is.Haha, I'm an idiot, I just looked back in this thread & didn't realize that I already posted about the diamond wheel with the same pic.
I still have my DD & have no plans of selling it. My reasoning is that I have the LH chuck for it so I'm keeping it in case I ever need to try & sharpen LH drills. I tried to sharpen a LH drill once, my brain & hands did not agree with each other.
Man, I really feel like I have said all this before as well. Damn CRS!
seber
Well-known member
I use a Drill Doctor but the first time I used it was super frustrating. Finally called the factory to figure it out. Now I let the dull ones build up until I have at least fifty bits to sharpen. Then I put a split point on anything over 1/4". I can do them by hand, but no matter how good you are, you are never as precise as a machine. And doing split points by hand is almost impossible.
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Well after sharpening about 25 bits, this thing is a keeper. I was ready to buy a darex but I really don't see the need, I don't know how much better it would do. For 200$ this machine gets a bit sharp in minutes and the geometry seems spot on. If the bit is badly chipped or broken its faster to get it close on a wheel than finish it with this. But really for a dull bit, 2 minutes and ready to drill.
That's good feedback. I'm wondering if it would pay to spring for the one that will sharpen larger bits since larger bits are more expensive to replace. That said I find myself using annular cutters for most things over half inch these days.
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
I was thinking the same but really don't use twist bits over 1/2". I try and use a hougen whenever possible. Also the larger twist bits aren't bad to touch up on a wheel. If I used 9/16-1" more I would've went for the bigger grinder.
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
The 13A actually goes up to 15mm so it will sharpen 9/16" as well.