Drill Doctor

[crabo]

Anyone using one and how's it working out for you?

[otter5555]

i have 3. have used them daily in my machine shop. they make my life MUCH easier :)

otter

[twotoescharlie]

got one,had it about a year, should of had it 20 years ago.

TTC

[km101]

Bought one when they first came out years ago. Seemed to work OK on smaller bits, but not so well on anything over 1/4". Haven't used it in years.

[plmitch]

I have two for my crews to use and they work like a champ. Worth every penny spent.

[DCP]

I love mine

[10-x]

Sharpen mine by hand with a gauge, faster and better results. Once you learn how to do it, it's easy.

[Marvin S]

Im going to go with the two fellers that are not to impressed with it. I can do pretty well off hand but I also have a Sterling that does a fine job.

[oldred]

Not sure why everyone loves them so much I was not very impressed with mine and I tried everything to make it work right, does ok I guess but I have a small dedicated grinder with a guide and using a gauge I get as good or better results by hand and it's a lot quicker and easier.

[Glock Junkie]

I ended up making my bits worse with mine lol! Never could get it to work in my favor.

[ddaniel1]

Couldn't get mine to work either, its on my list to give it another try, so many people love them so I figure I must be doing something wrong.

[ddaniel1]

Glad to see I'm not alone tho! ^^^^^^^

[Phoenix]

Love mine. Sharpened 100s of harbor freight bits before sharpening my snap on bits even did my 5/8 & 3/4 bits have the pro model. Nothing but good results. Still haven't changed the wheel.

[mpmarty]

Got one as a Christmas gift. Piece of junk! I have always sharpened by hand and by eye.

[TreeKiller]

I have the basic model works great for me. But i think that if you have a dedicated grinder with the proper tool guide and rest it would be faster. I think the one with the ability to but a back grind or what ever you call it that reduces the drag on the back side of the bit would be better than the basic tool.

[smoked turkey]

i just finished drilling nine holes in a fairly thick steel top to mount some equipment in my shop. I used my Drill Doctor several times to freshen up my bits. I don't doubt that someone with experience can do a great job by eye and by hand. I simply cannot. I have tried and I seem to be challenged in that area. Without my Drill Doctor I'd be in a heap of trouble drilling holes in steel or wood either for that matter. I recommend someone who cannot sharpen by hand to give one a try.

[country gent]

My brother has one at his farm and loves it. Unless Dad or I stop by then he asks us to sharpen his bits for him. Machine shop where I started out ( age 15) had a contarct to sharpen bits for a plastics / fiberglass plant down the road. They brought them in in 5 gallon buckets 1/4" - 2" 4 flutes were the norm. Alot of practice there. After 35 years being a journeyman tool and die maker I just use a pedistal grinder by hand. Dad after 40 years does the same. All it takes is practice and a good teacher. The big thing to the back rake on drills over 3/8 is doing it so it thins the web also. In one interview I was ask to sharpen a drill bit. It was one of the "basic skills" we were taught first off.

[bushboy]

Love mine. Have had it for 12+ years. It paid for itself on the first job I had it on and is still going strong. I sharpen all the sizes up to 3/4" (you really have to stay ahead on the larger sizes - otherwise they take a long time to resharpen). Wouldn't be without it.

[dkf]

Works good for me. I sharpen solid carbide drills on it on a regular basis. Have the model that does up to 3/4". I can sharpen them on a bench grinder no problem but the consistancy is still better with the DD.

[oldred]

1/4" - 2" 4 flutes were the norm.


4 flute drill bits? I have seen 4 flute auger drills for wood but didn't know there was a 4 flute drill for metal, I bet those things are a real bear to sharpen and get all the flutes cutting.

[10-x]

It's all about being taught "how to" as mentioned above. Learned from an old US Navy M.M. that worked in the tool room many years ago. Have friends with a shop, I sharpen all their bits for them......I laugh when I'm there and they tell some body....."this is the guy that makes the drill bits so sharp"..........LOL......no big deal to me. IIRC, carbide needs a green wheel? There are expensive drill sharpening machines that large machine shops use to do large bits, 1"- 4" +, interesting to watch.

[cheese1566]

Good topic!
I have been wanting one for a while. Good to hear the good and bad. But I dont think I can sharpen on the grinder; been there and tried.

Anyone that doesn't like theirs want to sell or trade?

[PatMarlin]

I bought one some years back before I learned machining, and didn't have much luck with it so it's been sitting on the shelf since.
I should try it again here. Maybe have some better luck now. Back then I used a grinder and the pedestal jig and did a good enough job.

Now I just tune up all my drills as I go with an EZE-Lap Diamond hone. Have a set of 3 on every bench. Wish I could tune up mills that easy.

[theperfessor]

I have several three and four flute bits in larger 1"+ sizes. They are core drills, designed to enlarge a "cored" hole in a casting. A cored hole is often not very round or in the exact right place so a stiffer than normal drill is used in a lathe to drill out the hole to a larger size and hopefully straighten it out some. They aren't sharpened to a point, and they won't make a hole in a blank piece of material, but they will take out metal once you get going.

Edit to add:
Did a Google search and found a lot of references to core drills for cutting concrete and sheet metal.
Here is first link to metal cutting type I could find:
http://www.alvordpolk.com/standard-coredrills.asp

[backroad]

Sharpening drill bits by hand is not at all hard to do cutting edges must be highest point and the angles need to be close to the same.Use the side of bench grinder wheel where it's flat.

[SGTM9]

I have used a DD many times it works ok if you don't know how to sharpen by hand. I sharpen 99% of the bits we use at work and do them all by hand.

[David2011]

Hers'a a mixed review. The Drill Doctor seems to restore symmetry pretty well and is therefore great for re-pointing broken bits. My Grandfather taught me to sharpen bits freehand on a grinder when I was 17. I think I can ge them sharper on a grinder with a very fine stone but the Drill Doctor takes away the skill requirement and certainly gives acceptable results for me. I really like it for very small bits where the angles are harder to see. If you don't think you can sharpen bits by hand then get one.

David

[WILCO]

I have always sharpened by hand and by eye.

Same here.

[tryNto]

I did mine by Hand & Eye for 30+ years.
Now that my Hands & Eyes aren't so good, the DD sharpens good enough for my needs.

[oldred]

I think folks who have trouble sharpening drills by hand probably don't use a gauge, a simple gauge to center the point and get the angles right makes for a really easy and quality job. Get the point centered and the lip angles correct with a gauge and then make sure there is a relief cut behind the lip and it's done, VERY easy to do after getting the knack for it and a lot quicker than fumbling around with the Drill Doctor contraption plus a heck of a lot cheaper too! Fellas if you are going to use a drill learning to sharpen bits is just part of it and honestly it's easy to do, the Drill Doctor is a slow expensive solution for a nonexistent problem.

[FredBuddy]

I like mine - I do chain saw chains by hand but make a mess of drill bits so the DrillDoctor saves my butt.

I showed a maintainence shop supervisor how to use theirs. He was tickled.

[tryNto]

I think folks who have trouble sharpening drills by hand probably don't use a gauge, a simple gauge to center the point and get the angles right makes for a really easy and quality job. Get the point centered and the lip angles correct with a gauge and then make sure there is a relief cut behind the lip and it's done, VERY easy to do after getting the knack for it and a lot quicker than fumbling around with the Drill Doctor contraption plus a heck of a lot cheaper too! Fellas if you are going to use a drill learning to sharpen bits is just part of it and honestly it's easy to do, the Drill Doctor is a slow expensive solution for a nonexistent problem.

It is a problem if you are unable to hold onto any thing smaller than a 3/8" Bit.

And just because you find it easy to do, Does not mean that it is an easy task

[300winmag]

I have the pro DD, I like it. I can also do by hand, either way works for me.

[lylejb]

I've had mine for years. IIRC, there was some learning to it at first, but then it does a good job.

[chick]

Have to agree with mpmarty Had it for three hours and sent it back POJ

[smokeywolf]

Used to teach drill sharpening to the new machinists, welders and sheet metal workers at MGM Studios. Don't remember ever having to sharpen a 4 flute drill; did thousands of 2 flute and quite a number of 3 flute drills. With a loupe and a real fine wheel I used to be able to split the point on drills as small as 3/32" free-hand. I still sharpen everything free-hand but due to shaky hands I can't split points on anything under 1/4" any more.

My dad did have a Drill Doctor and liked it but, whenever I came to visit he'd have a pile of drills for me to sharpen.

smokeywolf

[mold maker]

I did it by hand all my working life, but old numb fingers and dulled vision changed all that. I think there is a DD in my future.

[Marvin S]

The problem with them is they dont roll off the releif behind the cutting edge which leaves the cutting edge unsupported and fragile also too aggresive. Plus the dont look right either.

[xs11jack]

Hey I am with Cheese 1566, I want one, those of you that have one and hate it, I'll take it off your hands and both of us will be happy, happy, happy!
Jack

[alrighty]

I have never tried one , but at my old shop we have a Darex.It worked well and for the money it should. I like most machinists learned to sharpen by hand, Unless you are working smaller than an 1/8" it is fairly easy.Drilling different materials calls for different angles.A sharp drill bit in soft copper doesn't work to well.

[10-x]

Always use a dressing stick to "true" or square the wheel. Never use the side of the wheel for anything, doing so will get you in big trouble when the wheel comes apart, think about it.......how many RPM's is it ....6" -8"stone in many pieces......no thanks.

[oldred]

I worked with a guy who had a bench grinder wheel come apart and hit him the face, it had been years since it happened but this fella was kind of hard to look at. The stone parts had crushed the front of his skull and the bone in his chin and even after several reconstructive surgeries he still looked really rough, his face looked more like a mask than a real face but fortunately his eyes were spared. NEVER, EVER, under any circumstances use a bench grinder without the wheel guards in place and even that is not a 100% guarantee! Grinding on the side of a wheel can cause it to shatter as can grinding the wrong kind of material, also when a wheel gets out-of-round STOP grinding and dress that dang thing! I have seen people trying to hold a piece against a grinder wheel with the part bouncing and dust flying but that's a good way to get hurt!

[firefly1957]

I was taught how to sharpen drills in 7th grade metal shop, When i saw a drill doctor at a yard sale for a couple bucks i bought it a year later i gave it to a coworker it worked well i just find doing them on a grinder easier.

[10-x]

Years ago, I met a crankshaft grinding machine operator(Landis) that had a plate in his skull, could not smell or taste anything, lucky to be alive. A wheel came apart on his machine, nearly killed him. Those wheels are about 6 feet in diameter and the width of the journal, be it rod or main. I stayed away from the grinding lines while in engine plants.

[oldred]

A wheel does not have to be large to kill or maim someone and even a 6" wheel can be deadly. I saw a wheel that had come apart, I didn't see it happen -only the results, on a 12" shop grinder and had it not been for the safety guards I am sure the worker would have been seriously hurt. The guards were deformed and the shaft bent but other than a few scrapes and bruises he was not hurt, amazing how much damage it did to those heavy steel guards.

[crabo]

Well, it sounds like if you have problems sharpening a drill bit on a grinder, the drill doctor is the way to go. I am gonna get one.