very basic question

[Kragman71]

I have a bunch of drill bits in various stages of dullness.I bougt four,and saw a drill bit sharpener for 50 dollars. A better one was for 80 dollars;both plus tax.
Are these practical tools? do they sharpen as good as new?Can the stones be replaced,when worn?
Thanks
Frank

[carpetman]

I have a Craftsman drill bit sharpener but find it to be faster and as effective to sharpen them with a bench grinder to include forming a new point on broken bits.

[badgeredd]

I have a bunch of drill bits in various stages of dullness.I bougt four,and saw a drill bit sharpener for 50 dollars. A better one was for 80 dollars;both plus tax.
Are these practical tools? do they sharpen as good as new?Can the stones be replaced,when worn?
Thanks
Frank

To answer your question, yes they do work and as always you get what you pay for. As for the wheels, some are easily replaced and some are pretty much a PITA. I sharpen all of mine on a bench grinder with a drill point gage as a guide. A good drill point gage is about $40 new but they can be found at garge sales and can be bought from tool makers who are retiring and liqidating their stuff. I've found that the hand sharpening is best for me, but the machines are pretty good for just touching up bits. If you keep them touched up the little machine are pretty quick too. I have seen fellows not set up the sharpeners correctly and then it is a mess to resharper the flawed drill points.

[Bret4207]

I bought a Darex Drill Dr. years back when the larger model was still over $250.00. I think they're down around $125.00 or so now. I use it all the time. If you follow the video and the instructions you can't hardly help but get a sharp drill. It won't be perfect for every application, but for general work they're fine. For special apps you at least have the same angle and length on both sides to start with. Thats a help for the blind and nearly blind like me. On the larger drills it's quicker to free hand it with a drill gauge, but no more accurate.

[shooter575]

If you can locate a old machine hand that can show you how to do a bit freehand it will save you reading a million words or so.Then get a drill gauge and a new grinding wheel.
I need some eyesight help for it now but it is still faster than a machine for me.General makes a cheep steel drill gauge for 10-15 bucks that will work just fine for most usage

[725]

I've got one that attaches to a grinder. Takes too long to use so I just do it on a grinder, freehand, or on a one inch belt grinder. Seems I get better results when I do it by hand. Easy to change from steel cutting to wood cutting point shapes. Keep a cup of cold water handy to quench the hot tips.

[Antietamgw]

I sharpened on a grinder in the past and did OK with 5/16" and larger bits. Problem was I couldn't keep the same angle each time. A couple years ago I bought a "Drill Doctor", the larger one that goes to 3/4", as I had gotten a bucket of dull bits at a sale. I wouldn't go back. Expensive? Yes, but it takes seconds to set up, works in any light and the results are repeatable. I like it! My only gripes - you are limited to 118 and 135 degree and the minimum size is 1/8" , it won't do #31, the tap drill size for 6X48TPI.

[danski26]

Another vote for the drill doctor machine. It works well for me.

[Wicky]

+1 for the drill doctor although I still use the bench grinder if I'm too lazy to dig out the drill sharpener.
A man needs gadgets but!

[Kragman71]

Ok thanks for the responses
What is a drill gauge,and wher can I get one?
Also,how much does a Drill Doctor cost?
Frank

[shooter575]

I just did a quick "google" on drill point gauge and here are a couple hits.The cheep US General one I spoke of I did not see listed.But there must be some somewhere.As you can see there are many types around.Check the online machine tool stores or even ebay.

http://www.tpub.com/content/construction/14251/css/14251_319.htm

http://www.tpub.com/content/construction/14251/css/14251_319.htm

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/categories/hand-tools/measuring-and-layout-tools/dr
ill-point-gages

http://www.nolansupply.com/bysubcategory.asp?category=Precision+Tools&supercateg
ory=Drill+Gages&subcategory=Pec+Tools+Drill+Point+Gages%26nbsp%3B&type=False&specs=
True

[Kragman71]

I located a sharpener attachment;#32H44 on the Grainger webpage,for 32 dollars.
Can that be used with a small,6 inch grinding wheel?
Frank

[Hang Fire]

Do you have a bench grinder or a belt sander? (which I now prefer) With a little practice, one can become very proficient at free hand sharpening. I have done so for decades and like being able to sharpen bits specifically for, steel, brass or wood applications to obtain best results.

[Kragman71]

I have a grinder.It's only a 6 inch model.I think that it cannot puta straight face on the bit,unles I use the side of the wheel.I understand that using the side of a grinding wheel is not advised..Is this so?
Frank

[shooter575]

A 6" will work OK.I like a 8" though.Remember you are only touching on one plane of the wheel at a time and you are moving and rotating the bit at the same time.Be sure to true the wheel across. I sometimes use the side of the wheel for real light kissisg cuts even though it is not recomended.
Onec you get a wheel set up to sharpen bits do not snag on that wheel. ie general rough grinding of misc steel.Also only use that wheel for steel.

[floodgate]

Kragman:

For the light grinding you will be doing on drill bits, it is perfectly OK to use the side of the wheel. I have one sharpening set up to mount this way on my Sears 6" grinder. With the General type jigs, remember to "back off" by hand the trailing edge of the pint; this is necessary on the larger bits (3/8" & up) or the "heel" of the point will drag and prevent the leading edge from cutting. For brass and wood, I take a slight swipe, dead parallel to the bit axis, with a stone across the cutting edge, so it hits the material at 90*; this prevents digging in in brass or copper, and - for me - also gives a cleaner cut in wood. I keep one of those 135-piece drill sets stoned this way just for these materials.

floodgate

[MtGun44]

I can hand grind bits pretty well, but the Drill Doctor is the way to
go if you are sharpening very many or need them to cut straight and
true rather than just punch some sort of a hole thru a 2x4.

Bill

[Antietamgw]

+1 for the drill doctor although I still use the bench grinder if I'm too lazy to dig out the drill sharpener.
A man needs gadgets but!

I'm too lazy to put my drill doctor away so it's always handy :-D

[trevj]

The drill sharpeners that seem affordable, are mostly a waste of time and money, as have been several that cost our shop well into the thousands of dollars spent. The Darex Drill doctors work OK for some drills, and worse than poorly for others, depending on the helix of the drill and the actual profile of the tip of the bit. The Plastic "chucks" that hold the drills have been a source of a lot of issues, too. We have had two different higher end Darex drill sharpeners in the shop, and I doubt that they will ever pay their keep.

Best advice I can suggest, has been given already, which is to learn to do a decent enough job by hand.

The General swing type sharpener can be made to work with some patience, but suffer from a lack of rigidity, as well as difficulty in getting the grinds the same on both lips.
Look around and you can find this type of sharpener for about $10. Worth that for the education it gives, when you try to figure out how to get it to work.

Remember also, that drilling is not about making a precise hole. If you want that, drill under size, and ream the hole, or if it requires accurate location, drill then bore the hole on a milling machine.

For all purposes that a drill is adequate for (most things we would expect to use a drill for) as long as it cuts equally on both lips, the hole will suffice.

Spend a couple bucks on a decent metal protractor similar to http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31W67060B8L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

Or you may already have a combination square set with a protractor head on it.

Good stuff, them. Angles the same is way better than the right angle on only one side, eh.

Do a search online for the term "four angle drill grind" or "four facet grind". Very simple to do, and quite the same as is provided on almost all the small carbide drills I use. Rather than having to coordinate the twisting of the drill, and the changing angle as the drill twists, all it requires is the ability to flip the drill bit, and pass it along the tool rest on the grinder in a straight line to get each pair of facets the same. Worth a look, and a jig and large flat tool rest can be cheaply built, but quite good results can be got from freehand grinding.
I have found that having a chalkboard, or a whiteboard, with some angled lines on it, on the wall behind the grinder, is a great help, as you can stand there and hold the drill bit out at arms length and compare the angles.

http://www.newmantools.com/machines/drillpoint.html

http://books.google.ca/books?id=uiM56pDFdqsC&pg=PT595&lpg=PT595&dq=four+facet+drill+grind&source=web&ots=hCTw3teRuK&sig=m9mPIOaz0MJSA7k0IIXOOjdtDu4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result#PPT594,M1

http://www.gadgetbuilder.com/DrillSharp.html

http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/068901.html

For the guy with time on his hands, that wants a really good tool, something like this will meet the need...
http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Worden_Mk3_Tool___Cutter_Grinder.html

Learn to hand grind your tools, and you wil always be able to use sharp tools!

There's something to ruminate over, anyways.

Cheers
Trev

[Red River Rick]

I've worked in the Tool & Die industry for over 25 years and have managed, all these years, without some fancy drill sharpener. Bottom line is.............................learn how to sharpen a drill by hand on a bench grinder.

RRR

[10-x]

1+ for RRR comment........
30+ years ago hand sharpening drill bits with a drill gauge(cheap) and a bench grinder was one of the first things taught.
One can compare it to shooting.....takes time and practice if you want to be good:drinks: