Drill bit sharpner need help

JOCCO

Well-known Member
Yes I posted this in tools or something as I was reading a generator post there. I am looking at a drill sharpener for small up to 3/8 inch bits. (I can sharpen buy hand) and have dealt with large industrial ones (they cost as much as your hose did)!! The drill doctor seems to come up but how good is it and they seem to have 400 models? So what would you recommend what is good and bad?
 
I've got the 500x sharpener, like it. Wound up getting the larger chuck for up to 3/4 inch bits along with the 100 grit wheel at a later date.

Their website says the smallest bit it will do is 3/32, don't know what your definition of small is.

i used to be able to sharpen by hand, but just cant see the bits well enough anymore even with glasses

Fred
 
There is a Drill Dr that showed up at work. Think it probably was left behind by a former employee.

I got it out the other day, mostly out or curiosity. It was simple to use, and did a great job! I don't know which model it is, probably the home shop model, nothing heavy duty about it, wouldn't last long if everybody was using it. I believe it is limited to 1/2" and under.

But I would give it a thumbs up for the job it does, and simplicity to operaate.
 
Fred, I am a hand sharpener too, but one thing I am not good at is restoring a drill that has been ground improperly.

The Drill Dr is good for those! And the little ones I can't see either! LOL
 
I've got a Drill Doctor. I can't remember the model right off the top of my head,but it'll sharpen up to 5/8ths. Excellent unit,easy to use once you watch the DVD and learn how. I still have to check the manual now and then if I don't use it for a while,but all in all,put the bit in the chuck,put it in the other hole where the stone is and turn it. Simple as that.

I've got another old outfit here that just has a lot of different holes in it. You put the it in the right sized hole,push it down against the stone and turn,but it can't hold a candle to the Drill Doctor. I don't even remember anymore what brand it is. It's better then nothing,but barely.
 
I also have a drill Dr and really like it. Takes a few bits to get the hang of it but then it worrks great. Not sure of the model I have but think it will do up to 3/4 bits. The bigger bits are the ones that are really spendy so nice to be able to sharpen them. I also was a hand sharpener, but think the Drill Dr is superior
 
Yeah Steve, after I got my drill Doctor I got out all the bits I had boogered up trying to hand sharpen (points off center, angle wrong, etc) when I couldn't see them anymore.

That little machine straightened them right up.

Fred
 
When I got mine,I put it right on the kitchen table and sharpened every bit I could find in every drawer and toolbox where I could find one.
 
Not hard to change stones, I'll flip back and forth between grits depending on the size of the bit.

Don't know how you'd dress them, but you can reverse them to get to an unused part on the wheel.

A link to the owners manual.

Fred
Owners manual
 

1/4" and up I can sharpen by hand on the bench grinder. Smaller than 1/4" usually break or bend before they get dull. Just toss 'em and go get new bits.
 
I also have a drill Dr and it does a good job for me.You just have to learn how to run it right.
 
I've got a 750 and it works well. The stone can't be dressed, it's a steel cylinder covered with diamond grit. There are two grits available. The course one makes quick work of pointing up broken bits and sharpening ones 1/2 and up. The 750 will handle 3/4 inch.
 
I just checked when I was out in the shop. Mine's a 750x. All my comments below stand. Excellent unit. I've found out that if you get a bit hot enough to turn the end blue,there's no sense sharpening it. It takes the temper out and it won't hold an edge. Best break the tip off and start over.
 
Ah, another hand sharpener, do you have a drill point gauge? If not it might help with getting the angle right on improperly sharpened ones.
 
I have d drill doctor. Not very impressed with it. In the beginning, it did a reasonable job on dull bits. After a while, it became less and less accurate. Most of the problem lies with the chuck that you use to hold the drill bit that you are sharpening. It seems to start getting really sensitive to the dust from sharpening. Then it needs frequent cleaning. Overall, I did not like it as much as I thought I would.
I also find that it is not good for "custom" sharpening. I hand sharpen according to what I am drilling. Brass, copper, and even Aluminum take less relief than steel and cast. I use a high relief for steel and castings. Then there are special tips for sheet metal. For drilling out broken bolts and studs, I reverse sharpen my bits. Many times, a reverse bit will unthread a broken off bolt.
Also, I thought the Drill Doctor was a bit on the expensive side. Mine was around $125. I should have saved the money for a replacement stone for my grinder.
 

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