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Machinists: critique my twist drill sharpening.

6879 Views 65 Replies 23 Participants Last post by  fj40guy
Ok, I've read and heard about those expensive, fancy, store bought drill sharpeners. Drill Doctor is about the cheapest little thing you can buy. You can get crazy with a CNC twist drill sharpener that will run you $18,000 and cut a twist drill into a miniature mouse dildo.

BTW, we're in the metal shop, so these are not 'drill bits'. You gotta go next door to 'The New Yankee Workshop' to find those. Here in cutting oil land we call them twist drills. Don't ask me why, it's just what I read. :confused:

So, being a poor man, and hearing that 'old machinists' could sharpen twist drills on their own, in their sleep, I was of course intrigued.

Newer twist drills have a 'split point' edge. In order to sharpen them using this method, you have to 'thin the web' I don't have this problem since I have the cheapest bits around, so I don't have anything to critique there. I could figure it out I bet.

I put the grinder rest at an angle I figured was conservative.

I measured the cut angle by placing a large bit on the face of the stone and marking the shank resting on the guide with a sharpie. :rolleyes: Only the most precise methods for me!

I eyeballed the edge to get it centered, and I think I did pretty good. The picture I took was with one hand holding it 18" from my body. With two hands it doesn't walk at all. Using a center punch it doesn't walk either of course, and the hole's not egg shaped.

It's not the 'sharpest' thing around, but I drilled 7 or 8 holes, and had no dulling I could tell.

This is the drill I used as a guide:

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I like my angle flatter, sure they walk more but it's nice getting that one peice shaving.:D
Two things I did learn from my dad, how to sharpen a chisel and sharpening drill bits.:D
Used my brother's Drill Dr. once and all I gotta say is I WANT ONE!:laughing:
Well my wheel is shit at the moment (gotta get me a dresser) and even with the small amount of set up with the DD it's faster and easier. My brother went through about 100 old bits he had in a coffee can in about a half hour. Once you getthe hang of it it only takes a few seconds per bit and the biggest plus is on the big bits. Ever pull the it off to check your angle only to put it back against the wheel and fawk it up?:laughing:
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frankenfab said:
I bought a Drill Doctor Journeyman 400 and it is well worth the money. I use it all the time.
Cool beans!

Drill Doctor 750SPK $139.99 w/free shipping @Amazon plus there's a $10 mail in rebate!:D:D:D

Hmmmm...Sleggtools.com has the same model with the left hand chuck added for $10 more....desisions desisions.....:D
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rusted said:


I was contemplating buying a DD, and adding it to my considerable tools list.... as in, this is $140 further away from my T/A 185TSW. Not anymore, this puts me a few weeks closer to my TIG welder! :bounce: :laughing:
Damn you for thinking logically! *putting my adapter money away*:flipoff2:
rusted said:


It's funny that the old hands got by without all the crap that is supposedly 'necessary' if you listen to this forum.
Well if believe everything you read here as being nessesary you'd cut your upper shock mounts off and go with Fords when doing a SAS instead of leaving them and using your IFS shocks.:D
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