Anyone sharpen drill bits?

[Phisherman]

I don't bother sharpening twist bits, just replace them. Same with router bits.

[Steve B]

"RichK" wrote

Which begs another question. What speed is best for drilling? I always go low, and just watch for the chips or spirals to come out. I know that speeding things up with a various speed drill stops the cutting the faster you go. I always tend to go slow and watch for chips. I still turn some bits blue, but not many any more.

And when I do, I just throw them in the old cigar boxes with all the others that I'm some day going to do on my Drill Doctor 750 that I haven't used yet.

Trouble is, every time I go to yard sales, they are about a buck a dozen, or something outrageous like that, and I can't seem to run out.

Steve

[Phisherman]

There are charts you can use as a guideline to determine the proper speeds. When drilling metal I use some kind of lubricant, oil or water. Soft woods need a high speed to get a nice clean hole. When drilling deep, bits can easily overheat.

New twist bits or paddle bits are very inexpensive. Look for USA-made, HSS, for better quality.

[tinacci336]

Thats because you have not went through a depression, of not having enough money to get food or the necessities of life. If you had then you would have learned the lesson--Waste Not WANT NOT! But perhaps you will someday as it is a very good possibility.

[scott21230]

I use a cheap $20 sharpener from Harbor Freight. It's OK for home use. Drill bits do work much better when you keep them sharp.

it for $28, but wait for a sale.

[Tim Killian]

Drill Doctor is OK for larger bits,1/4" & up. For the small, non-carbide stuff, just toss 'em. IMO it's not worth the time to fiddle with sharpening a 79 cent bit, and the Drill Dr. doesn't do very well with the really small, expensive bits.

[Not]

Years ago I worked summers as a machinist, and we sharpened our carbon steel bits on a grinding wheel; its not difficult after you've done a few. Eye protection is essential.

We always sent carbide bits out to a contractor for sharpening as they require special equipment, I think a diamond wheel, but I'm not sure.

I can't tell from your post> Hi All,

[mm]

tHERE'S something different about plastic but I forget what it is! You have to go fast or slow, one of them. :) Even thin plastic backed up by a piece of wood.

I never see bits and rarely see any tools at yard sales.

[mm]

To answer myself, no it doesn't. After not's post, I remember what carbide is, and I haven't ever had to sharpen one. Those I did get free from folks who retired.

[mm]

Possible, but what's more likely is that even if no pensions are disowned, and no Social Security is bankrupt, retirement funds won't keep pace with inflation. And added personal savings plus compound interest would have made a big difference.

OTOH, I haven't had luck with sharpening drills, and I have no idea how to sharpen a router bit properly (Of course I got the router second-hand and haven't dulled a bit yet.)

[DP]

Here's a pretty good chart, from Wood Magazine (covers metal too...) for drill speeds.

DP

[Chris Lewis]

According to Not@home :

You can sharpen carbide bits with an ordinary grinder. However, there's a huge difference between the carbide bits you were probably grinding and the ones that most homeowners see.

Most homeowners see carbide in the form of masonry bits. Those are trivially easy to sharpen on a grinder. You do very little to them, you don't really need sharp edges at all.

The carbide that machinists use is sometimes a slightly different alloy, but more importantly, the precise shaping of the tips is fairly critical. Especially when used in automated machines.

As such, it's better to get them done with the right equipment.

Carbide tipped drills for wood, such as the Lee Valley carbide-tipped brad points are just plain difficult to shape right. As are the non-carbide brad points. Unless they're very large bits, you're best off trying with a dremel. Unless you're real good at it, it's better to replace 'em.

[Chris Lewis]

According to mm :

You generally can't go wrong by treating it as if it was wood. Same speeds, tooth counts usually. Goes for drilling and sawing.

Just _don't_ stop. Causes heat buildup and it'll melt or burn.

[Stormin Mormon]

I worked for a locksmith years ago, who used a bench grinder and a well practiced eye to sharpen drill bits. He showed me how, and I've been sharpening since then. Really money saver.

[indago]

I bought one of those flat grinding wheels at the hardware store that fit into a 1/4" drill motor chuck. I use just a regular drill motor to sharpen bits with. You can, somehow, fasten the motor down to a workbench and use both hands to hold the drill bit, or, as I have practised, hold the motor with one hand onto a surface, and then sharpen the bit with the other. Once you get the hang of it, it turns out quite well, and you can re-use the bits over and over again. It really is a money saver. Many individuals use drill bits at work, and when they become useless, throw them away. You can obtain quite a huge collection of bits by just retreiving old drill bits and resharpening them.

The flat grinding wheel that I use I can grind the bits on the larger flat surface. You wouldn't do this with a normal bench grinder, that is, grind on the side of the wheel, but with the small, 1/4" wheel in a drill motor, it is not as high speed as the bench grinder. I have used this method for many years with success.

------------------------------------------ I worked for a locksmith years ago, who used a bench grinder and a well practiced eye to sharpen drill bits. He showed me how, and I've been sharpening since then. Really money saver.

[zxcvbob]

My one extravagance in life is new drill bits. I use a drill bit once and throw it away and get a new one. Not necessarily one hole; one project, or one day of a big project. HTH :-)

Bob

[indago]

060616 2236 - Stormin Mormon posted:

I bought one of those flat grinding wheels at the hardware store that fit into a 1/4" drill motor chuck. I use just a regular drill motor to sharpen bits with. You can, somehow, fasten the motor down to a workbench and use both hands to hold the drill bit, or, as I have practised, hold the motor with one hand onto a surface, and then sharpen the bit with the other. Once you get the hang of it, it turns out quite well, and you can re-use the bits over and over again. It really is a money saver. Many individuals use drill bits at work, and when they become useless, throw them away. You can obtain quite a huge collection of bits by just retreiving old drill bits and resharpening them.

The flat grinding wheel that I use I can grind the bits on the larger flat surface. You wouldn't do this with a normal bench grinder, that is, grind on the side of the wheel, but with the small, 1/4" wheel in a drill motor, it is not as high speed as the bench grinder. I have used this method for many years with success.

[harleyron]

I have A Drill Doctor I received as A X-mass present A few years ago(Even came with a left hand chuck). It's ok but unless you want to set it up and make a day of it( I would just as soon sharpen them by hand and if smaller than 1/8 th inch out they go!)it's more work than it's worth getting out the case and setting up the tool.Then after your done you get to put it back in the case and stow it away again. They have A dimond grinding wheel inside. It needs to be replaced from time to time but on HSS should last many years. On carbide your results may vary. I prefer to sharpen my bits on A belt grinder. Nice,solid platen to hold the bit against, no chance of the wheel coming apart, runs much cooler than A grinding wheel so it won't take out the temper,easy to change the belts when they wear out and no tools needed,no need to dress the wheel.Easy!

Good Luck! H.R.