drill bit sharpening

[PILOON]

One thing when U know how to sharpen------------
Garage/yard sales often yield a good supply and being older stock very often good quality as well.

Very often U can even get a box full in the $5-10 range.
Buddy of mine must have about a gallon worth for literally peanuts as he is a shrewd buyer.

 

[yomax4]

I was at an estate sale way back when and there were 2 large drill index boxes sitting there. Both were full of bits. They were all Precision twist Drill brand and one box was 5/64 - 5/8 and had from 5 to 20 bits in each slot. 3 drawers. The other was letter and number bits from human hair size up to around 5/16. Never used them. So I asked and they said $10 for each. I asked if they were nuts and the gal said no but there is a bag over there with a whole bunch of packages of bits she would throw in if that would be better. I looked in the bag and there were a bunch of 12" assorted sized bits and 8-9 packs of the common sizes 1/8,1/4,3/8. Some had flutes on both ends and a bunch were cobalt. Turns out the guy was a sales rep for the bit company before he passed. Cha Ching.

 

[bigtiller]

Where is it?

just a couple days ago someone posted a short video of hand sharpening a drill bit. He used a protractor to verify the 118 degree angle and rested the bit on his left index finger.

I can't find it now.

Hah...found it!

 

[Industrial Toys]

I think that's ones best bet. Fine stone, work light, water and some practice. I knew a guy that could sharpen a bit that way in the time it would take for me to get the Drill Doctor out of the case.

 

[dstig1]

Yeah that was me. That's about the best video I have found for sharpening drill bits. I just wish he had focused his camera better...

 

[pmsmechanic]

I never sharpen on the face of the stone. I always do from the side. The side is a lot flatter than the face unless you dress the stone first.

And yes I know your not supposed to grind on the side of a wheel. If you push from the side hard enough to break the grinding wheel then your not sharpening drill bits.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Won't you have to dress the side then anyway? Can one use a bench belt sander for bits? Or belt and disk? Been looking for an old, high quality one. Nothing Chinesium.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Won't you have to dress the side then anyway? Can one use a bench belt sander for bits? Or belt and disk? Been looking for an old, high quality one.

I maybe sharpen drill bits 5 - 6 times a year. I don't sharpen in one place on the side. I'm constantly moving the drill bit back and forth along the side. It's also easier to hold the drill bit if you use the side.

I like your idea of a belt sander or a disc sander. Just swap in a real fine grit for sharpening bits and use that belt or disc only for sharpening drill bits.

 

[Industrial Toys]

The belt or disk surface should be fairly flat. So you go back to your drill press and if it doesn't cut, you try again. Beats, throwing them out. What have you got to loose?

 

[Oldpath05]

The trouble I have with Drill Doctor is it works good the first 2 dozen times then for some reason the chisel point on the drill bit starts to get rounded then it dont drill so good, maybe the stone wheres down to fast, a drill bit needs a good chisel point to drill.