- Joined
- Jan 16, 2017
- Messages
- 216
Make sure your grinding wheel is dressed flat. It helps a lot! Practice makes perfect.
wheel dressed and patience. two biggest things.
Make sure your grinding wheel is dressed flat. It helps a lot! Practice makes perfect.
This will be a huge help.
I've hand sharpened drill bits from 1/32" to 3" diameter and for me it's a matter of feel for all sizes. Like has been mentioned here, a well dressed flat wheel is important. Doesn't hurt to have a vertical belt grinder big enough and with the proper abrasive belt for the big ones too.Not bragging but...I've successfully sharpened drills as small as .038, not every time, but enough that I keep trying. It's just a matter of feel at that size.
My shop teacher could do a fair job of drill hand-sharpening but I never had much luck doing it.
Recently, I needed to make a drill extension so I wanted to use a "junk" drill; I needed to put a new edge on it.
I found a tutorial on YouTube by a guy named Tom, he uses a two-step method first grinding the edge angle and then doing the relief afterwards, all freehand, but using a protractor to measure the angle.
I watched carefully and tried it- success! Tested the drilled hole and it was only .001" over the shank diameter. And I just eyeballed the angle and relief- pretty good for a first try.
Mark S.
Hi all, just to add......
I dread to think of the high quality drill bits we ruined when we were appenticed practicing that black art (no chinese cheapo's then, I'm almost 70).....
What I advice now to a novice is to learn cheaply, is to buy 2 sets of of import drills practice on 1 set by copying the looks of the other---trying out the sharpened drill each time just to see if your getting close......
Some scrap mild steel and a whole day's labour will see you get there.......it does take time to learn and eventually you won't even think about doing it...........
PLUS when your outside away from the shop doing a job and you've only got a 9" angle grinder resting under your boot and with the skills in your head to get the job done really puts you on the spot.......
remember a drill sharpening tool is something else to take and get bashed around in the truck and job site.....
Life's not perfect but with a little practice you'll be close.......
good luck.......Clogs.........