Drill bit Sharpening

[Berta]

+1 for the Drill Doctor

 

[riggsp]

Make sure your grinding wheel has a flat smooth face...if in doubt, dress it before you start...keep a container of water close by and quench it often (as soon as the bit starts feeling warm)...don't let it get hot to the touch.

Practice, Practice, Practice...so you can get the faces even and the angles right.

Start practicing with a bit that's already sharp (preferably new), and hold it against the wheel while it's turned off...you'll be able to see how the drill should be held against the wheel while grinding.

Practice some more.

 

[bob vaughan]

Great advice above, but I'll add caveat. If the bit you're trying to sharpen is truly made from high speed steel, you cannot remove the temper with a grinding wheel. You can discolor it, for sure, but the temper will remain. If you heat the bit cherry red and let it cool, the temper comes right back. The bit may be crooked, but it still will be as hard as when you started. I'll always choose HSS twist drills for modifying to a woodworking brad point. Truthfully, I don't think I've got any drill bits that aren't HSS and I've got hundreds of twist drill bits.

Hand sharpening takes a little study and a little practice to get a metal working type tip, but not a lot.

Some cheapie twist drills aren't worth the time to sharpen because of their terrible flutes and lack of straightness.