drill bit sharpening

jeepcj7 · Apr 27, 2020

I'm apparently getting old an feeble minded. I'm having trouble sharpening drill bits smaller than 3/16" by hand on the bench grinder anymore. Are the Drill Doctors I see advertised worth the money?Re there better brands out there?

Sawyer Rob · Apr 27, 2020

I have a drill doc, it works very good. (there is a learning curve)

BUT, any small drill bit I have that's dull, I pitch it and buy another... They are just too cheap to deal with...

SR

Industrial Toys · Apr 27, 2020

My Ex gave me a Drill Doctor 3/4" as a parting gift. I had better luck at first and then it all went for a crap for unknown reasons. Since you can't see exactly what it's doing as with other sharpeners, you just have to take out the drill and determine if it looks better than it did going in.

I should revisit it as I have accumulated a lot of dull bits, but my faith has been shaken and I don't have much patience. I kind of feel like it's one of those gadgets that a pitchman can make work wonders but not me at home.

Saw Boltr did a review of the Drill Doctor sharpener. He thinks a lot of thought and engineering went into it. He compared it to a few others and I am not sure he thought the higher cost was worth it.

radios1 · Apr 27, 2020

the drill doctor works good, but a bit of input is required, you can buy much better drill bit sharpeners that are foolproof, but, you'll pay dearly for that!!..

Redlands Okie · Apr 27, 2020

Drill doctor works, bit of a learning curve. Sharpened bits probably not last as long as original. Small bits 3/16 or less i have little luck with.

downsizingnow48 · Apr 27, 2020

I buy good drill bits and do not abuse them. They last for a long time and I just replace them when they get dull.

oosik · Apr 28, 2020

I have a Drill Dr. Works OK. On bits smaller than 3/16 or 1/8 it's a waste of time and requires more "talent" than I have. There is a learning curve. I've resharpened many bits six or more times.

Biggest benefit - saves a trip into town if you are dealing with a specific bit size/type.

sea2summit · Apr 28, 2020

radios1 said:
the drill doctor works good, but a bit of input is required, you can buy much better drill bit sharpeners that are foolproof, but, you'll pay dearly for that!!..

Names man, we need names!

fidowanttobe · Apr 28, 2020

Love the Drill Dr.750X but I agree that everything previously said is true about re-education every time you need it and not good for smalls. I don't even try them anymore. Definitely worth it for the bits that cost $5 to $25 tho! Even to just touch them up, I've had good luck. I've done a few for friends and family and they agree also.

mcfarmall · Apr 28, 2020

Anything under 1/4" gets tossed. 1/4" and up gets a trip across the Darex XT 3000. Sharpens a huge range of point angles, thins the web and splits the point.

metalbender · Apr 28, 2020

Small bits are cheap enough, even good ones. Frustration and time wasted trying to sharpen them, only to get poor performance. Life's too short.

Industrial Toys · Apr 28, 2020

I seem to drill holes endlessly. I can't just justify buying new bits. BUT, the times wasted trying this bit and that out of a box of hundreds mostly dull bits is frustrating.

Funny, how the ODD industrial black bit, given to me by friends outlast any of the INDEX type sets I have bought, by a huge margin.

Fuddy1952 · Apr 28, 2020

My 2 cents is older I get I just need more light and good headband magnifier. I've always used a grinding wheel, small one for small bits, getting the angle and taper right.

PILOON · Apr 28, 2020

Well as much as possible I like to stay with well known brands such as Dormer.
That being said I also eyeball sharpen or 'touch up' the over 1/4" ones frequently.

The main trick is to not over heat them when sharpening and , like an old welder guy did, I keep a jar of water to cool them as I proceed.

For the smaller sizes I like to buy offshore assortments for cheap and have often been totally surprised as to the quality.
Often their main flaw is to be overly brittle but then brittle generally means hard and sharp.

Ford850 · Apr 28, 2020

I use a Craftsman 6677 with my grinder and it works really slick. I don't bother with the really small bits either, since new price is reasonable for decent quality.

vlcakc · Apr 28, 2020

Which Drill Bit Sharpener is Best? Let's find out! Chicago Electric, Drill Doctor, Bosch, Goodsmann - YouTube

BrokenTrack · Apr 28, 2020

I use a hand held power belt sander to sharpen bits with good results, but only down to about 3/16 on an inch.

My method is to grind own the lip evenly, then on the last grind, at the last second, give the bit a quarter twist to take down the heel, and I am done. (Doing the same to the other side.)

pmsmechanic · Apr 28, 2020

For many years I have sharpened all sizes by hand. To drive 40 minutes round trip just to buy a new bit when I can sharpen the old one doesn't add up. Even if I have to sharpen several times to get it right is still faster than going to buy a new one. I do keep several different sizes in stock but they only get used when the old ones are done.

Ford850 · Apr 28, 2020

Ford850 said:
I use a Craftsman 6677 with my grinder and it works really slick. I don't bother with the really small bits either, since new price is reasonable for decent quality.

vlcakc said:
Which Drill Bit Sharpener is Best? Let's find out! Chicago Electric, Drill Doctor, Bosch, Goodsmann - YouTube

There you go. That General Tools sharpener jig is a copy of the old Craftsman 6677 that I use. Since it relies on your own grinder, the results vary depending on the wheel you use. Also, he went heavy handed on that bit and blued the steel. It still performed very well.