Drill Doctor 500, drill bit sharpener

[autoace]

I broke down and bought a Drill Doctor 500. If anyone has contemplated this, and held off. Buy one, if you dull alot of drill bits, from heavy use.

Get at least the 500, it has a better alignment feature, and you can split the tips of the bits. I bought some new VA cobalt bits, but put all my old dull cobalt bits of varied brands through this tool, and they cut steel like it is butter again.

You need to get used to the procedure, but once you learn it, the sharpening goes easy.

Everyone who uses drill bits alot should own one of these IMHO,

http://www.drilldoctor.com/pilot.asp

 

[35mastr]

This is something that I have been kicking around for some time.

I would like to get one of these as I have a box of pretty dull ones also.

There are 2 things on the list at the moment a Drill doctor and a Band Saw Blade welder.

 

[Lhorn]

I guess I gotta get mine figured out because I can't get it to sharpen consistently. I've got the 350 model. I've read the instructions several times and feel like I'm doing it correctly but 2 out of 3 times it's still dull afterwards. 1/3 times it works pretty good. I"ve heard great things so I guess I'm just doing it wrong.

 

[nate379]

I have the 750. It works ok, but doing it by hand works much better.

 

[walrus]

I've had one for 5 or 6 years, it takes a while to get used to it but once you get the hang of it, you can sharpen alot of bits real quick. I haven't been able to do small bits though. Need to sit down and figure that out someday

 

[Delray]

I just bought a 500 and only had a chance to sharpen a couple of bits but it seems to work fine. I found it on a clearance table at a Sears for $59.95 and could not pass it up. I have tons of old bits from garage sales and such so it will see plenty of use.

It's the one to go with as not only can you sharpen at 2 different angles and split points it also can take a 3/4" chuck as well as one for reverse twist.

 

[sberry]

I have a 750, its not bad but needs careful alignment or relief angle isn't great enough. I like it to keep angles consistent vs hand sharpening. I get a deal on small bits so I rarely sharpen, good bit for a dollar, after it cuts a hundred holes it doesn't owe me much.

 

[wreckercologist]

I'm glad you guys have good luck with these. My own experience is different. We had one(don't remember model #) at the shop I work at. It was junk. It now resides in a landfill. Just my two cents, please don't take that as an attack.

Now I sharpen all the drills in the shop. I usually wait for six months until we have a big pile and then come in on a saturday a spend a few hours grinding drills by hand. I also use a drill point gage, Starrett model #22C. You guys might be surprised if you checked your drills after sharpening.

When I was in my early twenties, I worked in a few machine shops. An old toolmaker I worked for had me sharpen drills 10 hours a day for a week straight. This was mostly done by hand and by eye. If any of you have the opportunity to learn this skill from someone you trust to be knowledgable, please do. There is a lot of technology packed into a drill!

As I said before, please don't take this an attack. It's just my own personal experience.

 

[aleccolin]

I'm torn, I'm going to have to find one to try somewhere. Maybe at a trade show or something. Gotta start looking.

 

[A_Pmech]

When I was in my early twenties, I worked in a few machine shops. An old toolmaker I worked for had me sharpen drills 10 hours a day for a week straight. This was mostly done by hand and by eye.

That meant he liked you.

Agreed on sharpening by hand. I got a DD for Christmas one year. I think I've used it twice. Until I happen upon that cheap and local Oliver drill grinder, I do it by hand with a well-dressed wheel.

If it makes two curls, it's close 'nuff!

 

[wreckercologist]

That meant he liked you.*

Yeah, He was a good guy to work for.* I learned a helluva lot from him.* Every day at the truck shop I work for I think of something he taught me.

 

[billymade]

You know; we sold these at Sears and I would hear people rave about them and some that never really got off to a good start with them at all..... seems like there must be a certain amount of a learning curve with these sharpeners. I know of a customer who complained about them but he was a older gentleman; seemed he didn't get the hand of it and didn't have the patience to keep trying to work with the tool... I'm thinking they can't be totally worthless or they would have come back to us; most worthless tools get returned in droves! These rearely if ever came back...

 

[autoace]

You know; we sold these at Sears and I would hear people rave about them and some that never really got off to a good start with them at all..... seems like there must be a certain amount of a learning curve with these sharpeners. I know of a customer who complained about them but he was a older gentleman; seemed he didn't get the hand of it and didn't have the patience to keep trying to work with the tool... I'm thinking they can't be totally worthless or they would have come back to us; most worthless tools get returned in droves! These rearely if ever came back...

I can see how someone can botch up the process real easy, I watched the DVD and read the instructions, came out perfect.

 

[Plombob]

Can you do a good job with one of those General drill sharpeners that you use with a bench grinder? I've got one, but haven't really given it a try.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Can you do a good job with one of those General drill sharpeners that you use with a bench grinder? I've got one, but haven't really given it a try.

The General ones I have seen (both in brand, and style), use the side of the wheel. Most common wheels, you are not supposed to use the sides of the wheel.

That said, I bought the 750x a few years back, when it was on a good sale. I would NOT recommend using it to grind a broken bit. I would first general shape the bit on a bench grinder, then do your final with the Drill Dr.
But I have a friend (hasn't the time to teach me), that can outdo these by hand. These are great for us average, self taught joes.

 

[evintho]

I bought the 500 a couple of years ago. Unless you're a machinist doing precision work for paying customers, the DD500 works great! Yeah, it takes a little getting used too but once you do, bit sharpening goes quickly. I had piles of dull bits laying around. Once I bought my DD, I took a couple of hours, seperated all the bits by size and sharpened away. Once they were all sharp I put them in a cheap nut & bolt holder/box/thingy, labled the drawers and now whenever I need a fresh bit I go to the appropriate drawer. When a bit gets dull, it goes in a coffee can until I have a decent pile then those will get sharpened and replaced back into the drawers. IMHO, it's $60 well spent!