Can drill bits be re-sharpened?

[pertnear]

I have a bucket of various old drill bits that won't penetrate wood much less steel. I heard that some craftsman can resharpen these by hand on a grinder. I never knew or met anyone that could. Do the drill bit sharpening gadgets like the Drill-Doctor work?

Thanks for your thoughts & comments!

[mattw]

The drill doctor really works! But, read the instructions until you have it down or you will eat drill bits. Get the large unit that will do a full range of sizes and don't look back.

[Rick Hodges]

The drill doctor works.....so do the hands of a craftsman and a grinder head with a standard wheel, dressed and a narrow wheel dressed at a 45 degree angle for relieving the web of the drill. I can sharpen drills. It is a learned skill.

[farmerjim]

I have been sharpening them on a grinding wheel for over 50 years. I guess the sharpeners work fine too, but I have a bench grinder with a fine wheel.

[mattw]

My hands are not steady enough to do it on a grinder. When I was in my 20's and 30's I could, but not now.

[oldred]

I too have been sharpening drills by hand for around 50 years and it's my honest opinion that with a small grinder, a little practice and a drill grinding gauge for larger bits and maybe a guide attachment for smaller ones you will do a better job than any of the tools like the Drill Dr, I have one of those for up to 3/4" bits and while it does ok it is not the best way to do this, besides it's pricey anyway. Look on the 'net for tutorials (Youtube has several good ones) on how to sharpen bits, it's not rocket science but there definitely are some things you need to know before trying this.

If you don't care to spend the money a Drill Dr "will" work but learn the art of doing it on a grinder using a simple gauge and you will not only do a better job but do it MUCH cheaper!

[kywoodwrkr]

I'd echo oldred's advice.
Different metals prefer a different included angle on working end.
In my experience 'Systems' don't allow fast on the run cleaning up of a drill.
Good wheel, I repeat, good wheel, will do as good or better than system-in my opinion.

[country gent]

It is a quickly learned skill, especially if a person is available to guide you thru the first few. Look at a new drill and see the various angles cutting point, relief. You need to maintain these angles. No for the kicker the relief varies for different materials to help stop grabbing.
I have hand sharpened drill bits and lathe tools by hand my whole career as a toolmaker. Most tool rooms have a couple pedestal grinders (8"-10") with an 80 grit on one side and a 120 grit on the other. Dress the wheels flat and tru as needed. As mentioned a simple drill gage helps keep angles right and web centered.

For big drill we used a drill sharpener. These were normally drills over 3/4"-1" and up. slower to set up and took longer, Same with the drill doctor type sharpeners.

[bob208]

when I ran the tool room I sharpened the drill bits for the whole plant. had a darex . I also have one in my shop that will do up to 1 inch bits, over that I have to do them by hand. I have also used one othe general drill sharpeners I modified to work on a surface grinder. there is nothing more madding then a drill that will not drill.

[mozeppa]

with jeweler's goggles i still regularly sharpen #60 and larger bits by hand.

[Hossfly]

I’ve never thrown a drill bit away. Fellows ask why, i said some day i will learn how to sharpen them. Well that day came at 30 yo. Had an old Chief out of Navy show me and have hardly bought one since that day 38 years ago. Shape it wrong and you get no drilling, shape it right and your good to go, except if somethings made out of sit and spin.

[oldred]

with jeweler's goggles i still regularly sharpen #60 and larger bits by hand.

I know someone else who can do #60, etc drills by hand and do a fantastic job on them unfortunately it's not the fellow I see in the mirror! I have tried but normally anything smaller than about a 3/32" I just toss them, you sir have my admiration for your skill!

[JSnover]

I've used a Darex and another neat little rig made by TPDR (if I remember) but doing it by hand is pretty easy. As a newly minted apprentice years ago, the boss handed me a bucket of worn/broken/burnt drills. By the end of the day I was so good at it, he handed me two more buckets full.

[reivertom]

You can sharpen one down until there is no spiral left if you want to. I have a Drill Doctor and it has saved me a lot of money. I buy used bits now for cheap at estate sales, etc. and make them new again.

[Wolfer]

While I use a bench grinder at home when I'm at work there is no grinder. For years Ive kept a small abrasive wheel on an arbor in my bit bag. Holding the cordless drill across my knees I can touch up a bit against the flat of the small wheel.
I despise a cutting tool that won't cut. Drill bits are no exception.

[Petrol & Powder]

I've been sharpening them for years with a grinder.

Now, for the kicker, Not all steel is the same. The run of the mill bits can be sharpened if you don't get them hot and take your time. These make up the bulk of the common drill bits.
The titanium coated bits are junk in my opinion. Once you get past that cheesy coating the steel under that coating is generally softer than even the cheap non-coated bits. Sometimes you can find a good coated bit but most retailers just use it as a marketing tool.

Then you have the top of the line Cobalt bits. If you need a really good bit, spend the money for a cobalt steel bit.

[CastingFool]

For general drilling, you should maintain a 118° on the drill point. I have made my own brad point drill bits on my grinder at home on several occasions. Also, by grinding one flute longer than the other, you can make a drill bit cut oversize.

[dbosman]

I'm envious. My grandfather showed me a few times, but I could never get the hang of the angle. Now I buy bulk bits from Harbor Freight and count them as a cost of work.

[country gent]

The first shop I worked in sharpened drill bits by the bucket full every 3-4 months for a local factory from 3/16 - 1 1/2" 2 flute to 4 flute. The big job wasn't sharpening them but sorting them so all of one size could be done together. These were for a fiberglass plastics plant and side webs would wear on them also making it a taper drill if you didn't take enough off. have hand ground brad points, flat points, 118*, and some specials for forming a needed flow surface.

[Bazoo]

I've used the drill doctor and it worked well for the larger sizes of bits round 5/8 size, 41/64 I think it was. The small sizes, less than 1/4 didnt do as well. Dunno if I just never got the touch for it or what. I've sharpened the occasional few by hand, and gotten it good enough to finish a job, but certainly not as satisfactory as new.