Drill doctor

[Brian1963]

I was thinking about picking one up. Are they any good/work?

 

[kblazer87]

Yes, use it right and it works well.

 

[Hondarider]

I've had good luck with mine over the years. I suspect that the drill loses its temper and won't stay sharp for quite as long as when it was factory fresh, but it does a good job of making spent drills sharp again.

 

[dnschmidt]

I hate it. It does not do a proper job of giving a relief angle. I can sharpen drills much better on a belt sander or grinder than I've ever been able to sharpen one using my model 500 Drill Doctor.

 

[John in OH]

Yes, use it right and it works well.

Yep! I've got the 3/4" size unit and have had the same good experience!

However, I can't get it to sharpen bits smaller than about 3/16", but for larger bits it's fine. Don't expect it to be equal to an industrial grade sharpener so if you are planning to use it daily it probably won't survive. But, for the occasional bit in the home or small shop, it's a good tool.

Some guys have the skill and/or experience to sharpen bits free-hand on a grinder, but I've never been able to get good results at that.

 

[jgorm]

I've probably sharpened 100+ bits. I love it! A minute later and I have a brand new bit that will peel off steel spirals.

 

[Ohmthis]

I have the 500 model. It has been ok I guess. I had use of the 750 model that would also put a split point on a drill, it worked very well. This is what I based my buying decision on. It might be that some of the drills I've tried to sharpen were of questionable quality (think HF type). I too sharpen larger drills on a belt sander or grinder. If I were to buy another one it would be the 750.

 

[bwringer]

I hate it. It does not do a proper job of giving a relief angle. I can sharpen drills much better on a belt sander or grinder than I've ever been able to sharpen one using my model 500 Drill Doctor.

I've probably sharpened 100+ bits. I love it! A minute later and I have a brand new bit that will peel off steel spirals.

Every time the topic of drill bits comes up, a couple of you freehand sharpening jokers have to come along.

If it's so frickin' easy, then find a way to communicate your foolproof system to the rest of us.


I've read instructions and watched videos 'till my eyes bleed, and permenently ruined lots of bits in the process, but I've never been able to do a damn bit of good hand sharpening drill bits. I suspect I'm not alone.

 

[tdkkart]

Every time the topic of drill bits comes up, a couple of you freehand sharpening jokers have to come along.
If it's so frickin' easy, then find a way to communicate your foolproof system to the rest of us.
I've read instructions and watched videos 'till my eyes bleed, and permenently ruined lots of bits in the process, but I've never been able to do a damn bit of good hand sharpening drill bits. I suspect I'm not alone.

If hand sharpening was the best, fastest and most efficient way, shops wouldn't spend thousands of dollars on auto grinders, which admittedly takes longer than someone who is proficient at hand grinding. We sharpen hundreds of bits on an auto grinder, but it's not necessarily the fastest way to dress up a dull bit.
BTW, we sharpen brand new bits, changing their geometry so they are less likely to cut triangle shaped holes.

 

[larry_g]

A drill Dr in the the hands of the unknowing may or may not work. If you don't understand the geometry of the cutting end of a drill bit then your facing an uphill battle. I had to do a bit of tweeking on mine and learn that the alignment fingers didn't work perfectly and a bit of rotational bias was needed to achieve the desired results. Its like any tool, some operator knowledge is required to make it work right.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Farmall450]

I agree that it is a better idea, and money better spent, to master the art of manliness - sharpening drill bits by hand, on the bench grinder.

My drill dr just sits...

 

[xxaler]

Every time the topic of drill bits comes up, a couple of you freehand sharpening jokers have to come along.

If it's so frickin' easy, then find a way to communicate your foolproof system to the rest of us.


I've read instructions and watched videos 'till my eyes bleed, and permenently ruined lots of bits in the process, but I've never been able to do a damn bit of good hand sharpening drill bits. I suspect I'm not alone.

My method:
Vertical belt sander
Bright light
Find your angle, have it flat and run it in until both side are equal.
Run in at same angle, only lower to get a nice sharp edge (can't give you numbers, it's 100% feel).
I start at the lower edge and roll it up to the cutting edge.
Final angle, and side angle, run it in until you can hold it to a light, turn it and you don't see anything past the cutting edge for a couple degrees.

Works every time on regular drill bits, but drills with large cores I have a hard time since I've only been doing it for a year or so now. Doing the relief on the grinder for drills with large cores is something I'm still learning.

 

[plinker]

It's worth it to spend the extra on the 750x IMO, The main difference is it'll do up to 3/4 instead of 1/2 (500x). The newer ones are more user friendly then the older ones(my opinion), but there is a learning curve with any of them (watch the DVD). I find splitting points easier on the new one. Better depth control.

I'm happy with the results. I have no time for hand sharpening being on flat rate.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

I snagged a like new 500 from CL for $35. I figured I couldn't go wrong at that price and ended up VERY pleased. The only guys who complain about them are those who haven't learned how to use it properly to make it work. I ended up sharpening several hundred bits I had accumulated over the years and every one ended up perfectly ground. The grinding wheel is only supposed to last for approx. 200 uses, per the directions, but I've easily done double that and it still motors on and seems to attain a finer polish with more use. I love the thing!

One little trick is to use a grinder to get the approximate angle if the bit is ruined or broken. Follow the directions on the numerous Youtube video to attain the proper angle, then when you have it half way close use the DD to finish it to perfection.

Oh, the only thing I learned the hard way is you can't sharpen a left hand bit by turning the chuck the opposite direction. Don't do that.

 

[ajchien]

I sharpen bits by hand. And I still use the low end 250 model. The 250 only does smaller bits at 118 degrees. Perfect complement for me bc it's the smaller bits that I have difficulty getting equal sided geometry by hand grinding.

 

[plinker]

Oh, the only thing I learned the hard way is you can't sharpen a left hand bit by turning the chuck the opposite direction. Don't do that.

They do make a LH chuck for those bits, Picked one up off ebay for 10$. works well

 

[fanatic]

I hate it. It does not do a proper job of giving a relief angle. I can sharpen drills much better on a belt sander or grinder than I've ever been able to sharpen one using my model 500 Drill Doctor.

I agree that the Drill Doctor doesn't do as good a job as a belt sander or grinder but, it's not for someone that can sharpen bits on a grinder, it's for all the guys that can't, or don't want to take the time to learn and practice how.
I have friends that have shown me how to sharpen bits but, I'm not patient enough to do it as good as them, so I use my friendly Drill Doctor, which is good enough to keep me drilling.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

They do make a LH chuck for those bits, Picked one up off ebay for 10$. works well

Thanks! So far I've only encountered an occasional LH bit in amongst boxes of them I've bought at auctions and rummage sales, but I did finally break down and buy a broken bolt bolt extractor set that has a set of LH bits included, so I will need to be able to sharpen them.

 

[justme-]

I have had a 750 for over a decade - great for the average user. It's not going to give results a commercial setup like a manufacturer would have, but it's a million times better than most of us can do on a bench grinder free hand. Yes, a machinist of old could free hand sharpen perfectly, and many machinists of today can but it's a skill most of the world will never be able to hone. the DD has a learning curve - expect to make mistakes and get poor results at first until you get the hang of it. Trying to teach the guys at work to use the shop one instead of just tossing the bits in a drawer and buying a new one or just complaining how dull the bits are.

 

[mikegt4]

I too have had a DD 750 for a long time. IMHO, the 750 model is worth the extra $. I have had good results with it although I have to re-read the instructions each time I use it as I always forget the important details. The Drill Doctor is a great tool for the typical home shop.

I never was any good at sharpening a drill bit using a grinder, now days these old eyes can hardly see my hand much less a small drill bit.

 

[Adam.C]

+1 I too have a 750. It's allowed me to drill hardened steel that eats most cobalt bits in just a couple holes. Also, I now feel comfortable buying quality old us made bits. And one more advantage- I no longer stock piles of drill bits. Just one or two quality sets for each type: HSS, 118 and 135 split, cobalt 135 split. Don't need back ups since if I dull a bit, I can just sharpen it.

 

[John in OH]

One little trick is to use a grinder to get the approximate angle if the bit is ruined or broken. Follow the directions on the numerous Youtube video to attain the proper angle, then when you have it half way close use the DD to finish it to perfection.

thebeekeeper1 makes a good point here regrading pre-grinding damaged bits!

Get rid of the damaged portion and get an approximate correct angle on the bit by hand using a grinder or belt sander. No need to use up the fine-grit wheel of the Drill Doctor just cutting away waste material. Plus, it takes a lot of time on the Drill Doctor to remove any significant quantity of material.

 

[Major Ramifications]

I love mine. I bought one for work as well.

 

[trever]

My snap on bits didn't hold the edge after a couple uses. I ended up buying another set of bits.

 

[ttpete]

I agree that the Drill Doctor doesn't do as good a job as a belt sander or grinder but, it's not for someone that can sharpen bits on a grinder, it's for all the guys that can't, or don't want to take the time to learn and practice how.
I have friends that have shown me how to sharpen bits but, I'm not patient enough to do it as good as them, so I use my friendly Drill Doctor, which is good enough to keep me drilling.

I've yet to see someone who freehand sharpens drill bits get both lips exactly the same size. This causes it to drill off center and the hole is oversize as a result. It's very easy to see this because the two chips coming off are different. Sure, they'll cut, but forget about doing precision work.

At work, we just went to the crib and exchanged dull drills for sharp ones. The company didn't want people wasting their time hand sharpening drills when that could be done easily and quickly at cutter grind.

 

[Whitworth]

Drill Dr

Pros:
Better looking grind than hand grinding.

Once it's set up correctly you'll have consistently good rake angle.

Cons:
It's noisy.

It has a flimsy plastic feel.

I agree in that anyone can hand grind a sharp edge on a twist drill and declare themselves the Zen Master of drill bit sharpening. But a piece of sharpened metal does not necessarily make a proper drill bit.

Whether either hand or Drill Dr, get a twist drill gauge to check your work.

G

 

[ttpete]

Drill Dr

Pros:
Better looking grind than hand grinding.

Once it's set up correctly you'll have consistently good rake angle.

Cons:
It's noisy.

It has a flimsy plastic feel.

I agree in that anyone can hand grind a sharp edge on a twist drill and declare themselves the Zen Master of drill bit sharpening. But a piece of sharpened metal does not necessarily make a proper drill bit.

Whether either hand or Drill Dr, get a twist drill gauge to check your work.

G

Drill Doctor is owned by Darex, who also make professional drill sharpeners. Their cheapest model is about $1400.

 

[mdale]

They do make a LH chuck for those bits, Picked one up off ebay for 10$. works well

Do you turn the left handed chuck clockwise or CCW to sharpen left handed drill bits?

 

[plinker]

You turn it ccw to sharpen LH drills, splitting the point is done differently, the instructions would explain that better.

 

[NY_treeguy]

Agree with most of the above posts. Wife got me a 250 years ago for Christmas. December 26th that year I sharpened bits till I had a blister on my hand. I have sharpened 100's if not 1000's of bits with it. There is a learning curve, but once you get it worked out...no problems. I leave it plugged in next to the drill press.

 

[Elginz]

I wouldn't mind having one after reading this post.
Many years ago I started a new job in farm service. The second day I had to drill something in the shop, no sharp bits that size, so I went over to the grinder and sharpened one. The boss saw me do it and saw how it worked, then he pulled out a BIG wooden box of dull bits. They had been saving them for years. It took me a couple of week sharpening a few minutes here and there.

 

[a40lover]

I have one and it works well for me. I have tried to sharpen by hand without any luck.

 

[-Brent-]

It's funny to me that some folks really give the Drill Doctor a bad rep because it's not doing it by hand. I've had a couple folks give me **** about it, over the years. In fact, one guy was so adamant that everyone should do them with the grinder that I gave him my dull bits the next day at work and asked him to work his magic. He never gave me back the bits. He said he threw them away because I was lazy. The guys in the shop said what I didn't need to, he probably didn't know how to do it himself. A month or two later I found out the the Drill Doctor in the shop WAS HIS!

I actually understand how to sharpen a drill on the grinder, I'm not good at it and the DD is way faster than I am. Plus, the DD does a good enough job that now the bits don't sit around that long.

Recently, I called a guy about sharpening some cutters I found used. I asked him what his charge was for bits because I had some small ones to sharpen. He said, no charge, he'd have his kid put them in the sharpener while he did the cutters. So, even the pros use sharpeners.

 

[zendriver]

Maybe with luck, someday we'll have 10 cent plastic drill bits, that last almost forever, then we throw in the trash when they get dull, or, even better, laser beams that just burn through the metal.

That way, we will no longer have to resurrect a two (or 200) year old "Drill Doctor" zombie thread.

 

[vavet]

I have one at home and one at work. I have a new tech at work. I asked him to work his way through the bits in the cabinet to sharpen all of them. I don't know if I failed to instruct him on proper alignment in the chuck or if he missed that point, but a few days later, all the drill bits were terrible- wouldn't cut butter!
We had another block of instruction on it and a good laugh.

 

[PelicanPines]

Meh... Most of the people that complain about Drill Doctor... Won't admit they don't know how to use it.

 

[hangfirew8]

Mine paid for itself when I sharpened my collection of drill bits handed down through my family. That was about a decade ago. Soon I'll need to get it out again, the sharp pile is getting smaller and the dull pile getting larger.

Oddly enough I learned something of hand sharpening by owning one. If a bit is broken or badly damaged, you have to get it close to the right shape first to let the DD finish the job.

Years ago when they were still relatively new, some brilliant soul failed to sharpen a tight twist bit correctly on it (ended up with a negative relief) and posted a long dissertation on how bad they were and would never compete with hand sharpening. I posted a link to instructions at the company site on handling tighter twist bits. Curiously he never replied.

DD's work great for people who follow instructions. Mine does 118's, 135's, unsplit, split and LH. I forget the model number, but it's an older pre-X model. I can still get replacement diamond hones on eBay for it.

 

[FigureItOut]

After seeing one in action, I can say I think they're a worthwhile investment. I had a somewhat expensive bell hanger bit a couple weeks ago that I ruined on a job in a pinch. A buddy brought over his DD750 and fixed it right up, I have used the bit several times since and it's as good as new. Five incidents like that and a DD750 pays for itself.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[MikeF2316]

Maybe with luck, someday we'll have 10 cent plastic drill bits, that last almost forever, then we throw in the trash when they get dull, or, even better, laser beams that just burn through the metal.

That way, we will no longer have to resurrect a two (or 200) year old "Drill Doctor" zombie thread.

No, by then the "real men" will be ridiculing the guys using the laser sharpeners and explaining why the Drill Doctor is the best way to sharpen bits.

And I agree with most here - a good guy hand sharpening will do a better job than a drill doctor. But that guy isn't me, I get way better results from my golden oldie Drill Doctor.

 

[dodge610]

I have the DD750 also very pleased with the results. Might be the easy way uot have tried the freehand sharpening never had much luck. Guess its an art and I never took art classes back in the day lol.