New Drill Doctor

Steve in VA

Well-known Member
I received a drill doctor for Christmas. Tried it out today for the first time. I'm happy with the results. I may be a bit slow but some of the steps didn't make much sense to me as to why they were important. After sharpening a bit dulled on stainless steel, I think I understand it. Around central Va, auctioneers can't give away old bits at auctions so I intend to stock up for more practice bits. How has your experiences been?
 
I like mine. I could make large bits cut again by hand sharpening, but the small ones would whip me. I blamed it on my eyesight and any other thing I could think of, but the results were always either bad, or once in a while lucky. The Drill Doctor gives me consistently good results.
 
I have one and use it half a dozen times a year. Seems to work well. It's kind of like re-sharpening a chain saw blade, it'll never be be as good as a new bit.
 
I found a business in lincoln that sharpens them so cheap, that my drill doctor has spent the last 5yrs in the box. i had tons of bits, all dull. took him bits 3 different times. bill never got to $100 total. must have sharpened 300 bits!
 
I like mine because when I'm right in the middle of a job and dull the drill I don't have to run out for another or fumble around doing it by hand and have the hole less than perfect.
 
Had mine for years, always hit the bits a quick time before putting them up, always a sharp bit now when needed!
 
I went through a pile of nearly 500 bits with good results. I had two 3/4 inch that were in real bad shape. I ordered the course sharpening wheel and pointed them up without any problems. The course wheel speeds up the process on bits over 1/2 inch. Using a vac will help prevent the machine from wearing itself out.
 
With practice, nearly any mechanically minded person can learn how to sharpen drill bits on a bench grinder.
Many Quality Smaller ones , less then 3/16, can be bought for a long time for the cost of a DD.

If you are wanting to learn how to sharpen smaller bits, you could consider one of these---
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I have been happy,with mine. When a drill won't cut, I put it on the shelf, then one day when the pile on the shelf gets big I pull the Doctor out and go through them.
 
I sharpen mine by eye on a small belt sander. I also have an issue with those under 1/4" but when I get enough of them cutting on one flute I get our the DD a straighten them up, maybe once per year.

On used bits you buy watch out for damaged flutes. You won't get a full sized hole if the drill has been worn down the flutes by being run crooked in holes. Still will drill but might be too small.
 
I bought one in the mid 90s and have used it a bunch. I also bought the courser wheel and left handed chuck.

Makes for a good evening job in the winter.
 
If you like the drill Dr, great. As for me I've never owned one. Used to sharpen my by using a grinder. Then I built a drill bit sharpener using a HF circular saw blade sharpener. It has a diamond wheel. The HF blade sharpener is one of a few things I've purchased from HF that works well. Does the drill dr have a diamond wheel or a stone? I've sharpned many bits and blades and still on the same diamond wheel.
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I have 2 of those and NEVER had a good sharpen bit come out of using either of them.
 
A while back it seemed I had to sharpen my bits to get them to cut right. Then I found out my son was using a DD on them. We soon got rid of it. Been sharpening by hand all my life with good results. At 73 I now wear a pair of magnifying glasses for the small bits.
 
Yes, a drill doctor is like a lot of other tools, if you don't read the instructions you probably won't get good results.
 
I like mine. It works very well AFTER I learned how to use it! I didn't read the instructions. I stuck a bit in it and turned it on, turned it a few times and then looked at the bit while scratching my head! Then I read the instructions and it worked much better.

The only time I have trouble is with 3/32 and 5/64 bits. Working on Toy tractors I use 3/32 bits every day.
I found on eBay the left hand Chuck for $12.00 new. I bought it quickly! I'm watching for the large Chuck.

I would recommend a drill doctor to anyone.
 
I added the large chuck a few years after I bought my Drill Doctor. It doesn't grind the largers bits quite right. It does a great job on the rest of them. Like aid above it's real nice for the smaller bits.

Dusty
 
Have had one for a few years now. Got the larger version with the big chuck. I like it a lot and have not had the issues other state. I break out the manual every time I use it. I ended up zip-tying it to the machine because the process is a bit strange and hard to remember.
 
Original drill doctor worked great for me on small bits, but anything over 5/16 took forever. Do yourself a favor and get the coarse grinding wheel. Then even 3/4" bits grind quickly.

Works great for me most the time. And if it doesn't cut, sharpen it again. Once you get used to it, it shouldn't take more than a minute to sharpen a bit.
 
Never had one as i learned how to free hand back in metal shop in highschool and have been able to do them as long as now i have my glasses on and good light and a place to steady my old hands. I would like to find something maybe a little better but they are pricey
 
(quoted from post at 19:54:46 01/11/16) Never had one as i learned how to free hand back in metal shop in highschool and have been able to do them as long as now i have my glasses on and good light and a place to steady my old hands. I would like to find something maybe a little better but they are pricey

I know what you are saying. I bought one of these off eBay for $12.00. Liked it enough that I bought a second one , new old stock, for $15.00. I modified the first one and after a little practice and experiment, I can sharpen a 1/16 bit.

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(quoted from post at 21:32:01 01/10/16) Yes, a drill doctor is like a lot of other tools, if you don't read the instructions you probably won't get good results.

2X what Andy said.
 
That had a sharpen close that that. it was too much of a pain to set up on the bench grinder to use. it got tossed. The drill
doctor is ready as soon as I plug it in.
 
Dad and I both have one, and neither of us read the instructions beyond a quick glance. His weren't cutting like he wanted them to, so he took a look at the book. He discovered if you do the initial setup with the holder one notch counterclockwise from the vertical, it increases the lead angle a bit, and makes them cut a lot better.

I haven't tried it yet myself, but if Pop says it works, then it must work, otherwise he'd be cussing it all the more.....LOL
 
I"ve never seen a Drill Dr. Worked in a couple of machine shops for college jobs and learned how to use the Craftsman $3 drill gauge from a lathe operator. Taught the kids on the same one- still have it over 45 years later. It"s a stainless one, with gradations to check the length of each side of the bit.
 
(quoted from post at 21:26:14 01/11/16) I"ve never seen a Drill Dr. Worked in a couple of machine shops for college jobs and learned how to use the Craftsman $3 drill gauge from a lathe operator. Taught the kids on the same one- still have it over 45 years later. It"s a stainless one, with gradations to check the length of each side of the bit.
One of our required projects in high school machine shop was to make that drill sharping gauges. Still have mine, but I prefer the Drill Doc.
 
I have a Drill Doctor. I got good results with it for the first few dozen bits that I sharpened, but after that, it got less and less reliable. The diamond wheel is a long way from worn out. The chuck seems to be the problem point. After a bit of use, it gathers filings, and gets very hard to keep clean.
I still get better results sharpening my bits freehand on a grinding wheel. I've been doing it that way for a LONG time.
 

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