Drill Bit Sharpener

[cecil dean]

Thinking about buy a drill bit sharpener and wanted some suggestions. I mostly use bits from 1/8 to 3/4 inch in wood and some time mild steel.

[Cary Falk]

I have the drill doctor and it does a great job. I have the cheap one and think it only goes to 1/2". I think there is a more expensive one that does 3/4".

[daryl moses]

I have the 3/4" drill doctor and if used correctly does a great job. It takes quite awhile to sharpen anything over 1/2" so i'm not sure the extra expense of the larger unit is worth the price.
I've seen people who can freehand sharpen them but i've never been able to master it.

[Ben Rivel]

Do those Drill Doctors sharpen brad point bits? Or are they just for standard twist bits?

[Tom M King]

You didn't ask about budget, so there is always Darex. I have an M2 that will put a factory edge on almost any drill bit. There is a big difference in a properly sharpened bit, and lesser quality sharpened ones-especially for metal. I would never have paid what they cost for one, but it was in a bunch of machine tools left to me. They do pop up used on ebay, but still in the hundreds of dollars. I had a cheap one years ago, but it was pretty pitiful, and it never saw much use.

[cecil dean]

With the price of a Darex there is a budget. LOL I could buy a lot of bits for that, I was thinking in the 100 to 200 range at tops.

[Bruce Page]

I was a journeyman machinist and was trained to hand sharpen. I received a Drill Doctor 750 for Christmas one year and for kicks ran a slew of bits through it. The DD750 does an excellent job sharpening but it does require some patience. I can hand sharpen 8-10 bits in the time it takes to do 1 with the DD.

[Tom M King]

Yeah, I looked at the left handed collet for the Darex, and decided I would never buy enough left handed bits to be worth the $389 for the adapter. It does an amazing job, but I always have to read the manual to set up for any unusual bit. I would never have bought one either, but do appreciate using it.

[Randy Heinemann]

The Drill Doctor is OK, but I found it very difficult to get the smaller bits oriented to get the correct angle. 1/4" and larger bits were much easier to sharpen correctly. Although I've had the Drill Doctor for at least several years, I found I really don't use it much. The question I have now is whether it's really worth it. The bits I use a lot, could easily be replaced relatively cheaply and the other bits, rarely used, don't need sharpening very often.

[tom lucas]

I bought a DD used off of CL for $20. I doubt I would buy one new. It does work, but as was said, not used that much. Now if you do a lot of drilling in metals, it might be more valuable. Anyway, for what it cost me, I'm happy with it.

[glenn bradley]

I also have the DD that goes to 1/2". (model 750 maybe). As others state, not used that much but, I have definitely paid for it in sharpened drills. Once you get the hang of it, very quick and easy to use.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

Well I know this is ancient and probably not the most desired method, but I have a Craftsman drill bit grinding attachment (part #9-6677) that does a very good job but takes some getting used to. Paid $10 for it on Craigslist and the guy threw in one of the original Craftsman grinding wheels (part#6429) that are compatible with grinding on the side of the wheel. They work with bits from 1/8-3/4" and adjust to all angles. If you have a bench grinder you can pick up one of these attachments for under $20 on eBay or Craigslist. I don't know if grinding wheels that are safe to use on the side are made anymore, but some CBN wheels are available that allow for grinding on the side of the wheel.

[Bill Dufour]

You didn't ask about budget, so there is always Darex. I have an M2 that will put a factory edge on almost any drill bit. There is a big difference in a properly sharpened bit, and lesser quality sharpened ones-especially for metal. I would never have paid what they cost for one, but it was in a bunch of machine tools left to me. They do pop up used on ebay, but still in the hundreds of dollars. I had a cheap one years ago, but it was pretty pitiful, and it never saw much use.

Or better yet is a Black Diamond drill sharpener. used it will run around $300. but you need a set of collet inserts which will cost about $90 per set. You need a different set for fraction, letter, and number. metric if you want. they make an attachment for web thinning as well.
Bill D

[johnny means]

Does anyone just use a grinder? Fast and easy. Plus, I like being able to easily grind a custom angle.

[Ron Selzer]

bought a Drill Doctor 750 about 5 years ago now. BIG PIECE OF GARBAGE watched the video's, read and reread the instructions it will not sharpen a bit right only ruins them. No help from the company when I asked what I was doing wrong. JUST told to watch the video again.
No way, No how would I ever wish this piece of crap on any one

[Edwin Santos]

Do those Drill Doctors sharpen brad point bits? Or are they just for standard twist bits?

Good question because brad point bits are very good for woodworking. Unfortunately the DD is not designed to sharpen them.
I have one of the DD models, cannot recall which one at this moment. It works very well for standard bits. I use a Jessem Doweling jig quite a bit, and it is very convenient to sharpen the twist drill bits and get back to work in short order.

Your question reminds me - If you have a traditional bench grinder, there is a video FWW put out starring Michael Fortune where he demonstrates how to re-shape a conventional inexpensive twist drill into a brad point. He makes it look pretty easy, and I've been meaning to give it a try.

[Edwin Santos]

Does anyone just use a grinder? Fast and easy. Plus, I like being able to easily grind a custom angle.

I hear that's the way it was done for a long time, but apparently nobody under the age of 95 knows how to do it anymore. Thanks Drill Doctor.

[Tom M King]

For cutting wood, it's not that critical. All you really need is sharp edges, and some clearance behind that edge. When drilling into metal, the minutia becomes more important. Now some holes in metal don't matter that much.

In another thread recently, someone posted a video of a person sharpening a bit by hand, and then wallowing out a hole drilled in metal. Some holes require a better prepared end on the bit.

I use a Dremel, with little grinding wheel sometimes to sharpen some woodworking bits, and sometimes small files. If I'm drilling out a broken Grade 8 bolt in an engine block, as in the bolts that hole the front end loader on a tractor, I don't want to use a bit sharpened by hand, and eye. A metal drilling bit, if not properly sharpened for the job at hand, will, at best, dull quickly, wallow out the hole, or at worst, break off down in the metal.

[Al Launier]

Similar to Bruce Page I was a Class I Machinist and a Tool & Die Maker for quite a number of years. Early on in our trade craft one thing we all did was learn to sharpen ours drills This is still a very handy skill to have as it strays over to other needs requiring similar skills. Once you learn this skill set you'll not need an expensive drill grinder, or even want one for that matter.

[Frederick Skelly]

Another satisfied customer here. I have the DD500. It works well for me.

[Mike Kreinhop]

I have the DD 750 and it works great for me. I bought mine in the States and brought it to Germany with me, so I had to change out the motor and switch to work on 230V 50Hz without an external transformer. The manual is not the best, but once I learned how to set it up and use it properly, my HSS and cobalt twist drills are always sharp. I learned to hand sharpen on a grinder, but I can't match the consistency and quality of the DD.

[Rod Sheridan]

I Have a Viel sander/grinder and I use this sharpening attachment for it.

https://www.vieltools.com/produit/affuteuse-de-forets-s-12-550

regards, Rod.

[Ole Anderson]

I follow the Abom79 YouTube channel and while he is expert at hand grinding big drill bits and other cutting tools, it seems he reaches for a brand new first quality bit whenever he gets in a tough situation, drilling out bolts for one. Typically uses left hand twist drills. He is a machinist.

I have a DD by the way and it has served me well. Wish It was available when I was doing production aluminum in my shop years ago. I now have a cigar box full of TIN coated bits.
in the 1/4" to 1/2" size.

[Bob Vaughan]

Good cutting brad point bits are pretty much a DIY situation. Bench Grinder, magnifying glass, and toolroom abrasive wheel (A60-OBNA2 6" x .035 is my favorite). A little practice and you'll get it. Be patient and experiment. I've been doing my own since the early 1980s after I found that what was on the market was crap for drilling crisp clean holes in wood. It takes me two to three minutes to regrind a metal cutting tip 3/8" bit to a wood cutting brad point.

Try.

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[Bruce Wrenn]

Own a DD 750 with left hand bit adapter. Also own both Craftsman and general versions of sharpener Stephen referred to. One day, I will take a second bench grinder and mount it vertically, and attach Craftsman to it. I sharpen larger bits free hand, as my 1980 cheapie ($19.99) Lowes special has groove for holding bits at correct angle built into right tool rest.Bits smaller than 1/4" are cheaper to replace than to sharpen. My time is more valuable.

[Jeff Heath]

I 2nd what Bob is saying about the Norton abrasive discs. I've got 2 different sizes on a 6" grinder dedicated to small detail grinding, like this, and also moulding plane knives. Works like a charm, and they don't shatter like the cheapo chinesium ones.