Sharpening drill bits by hand

[neilw20]

Yep, promotion beyond their level of incompetence.

[Cavi Mike]

I once worked with a gentleman that used a belt-sander to sharpen his drills...

[z369]

Originally Posted by Cavi Mike I once worked with a gentleman that used a belt-sander to sharpen his drills...

I used to do it all the time, most of the time it was on a grinder but some of the bigger drills wouldn't fit in it, when my machines were running good I would just snag an old cobalt and hit it on the belt sander (they're a little easier to work with)
After a couple years I would look forward to a new drill going out, I would yank it out and grind it by hand or on the grinder, touch it off and 8 times out of 10 it would run twice the amount of parts as a new drill.

[Cha4NCam]

grinding by semi skilled people.
Ian.

[Joe S.]

Originally Posted by Dualkit . . . . I am buying name brand USA made.

Wow, they still sell those ? That's the real kicker, sharpen your old US Made, genuine HSS or some third world crap, which almost cuts and is maybe the marked size. Try drilling stainless with those super duper Chinese cheapies.

I had to laugh, though, the company we support (from inside) had one of their workers borrow our drill doctor to sharpen some of their bits. He did not understand, or likely want to, the subtle nuances and turned the holder the wrong way, causing the bit to sharpen backwards, where the cutting edge was the low side.

[Joe S.]

Originally Posted by Lewis91 I always used to sharpen bits, by boss would never buy any new one's! He once sent me to the post office to buy one envelope so a drill bit would be a big thing

Ha Ha Ha does he buy 2 ply and split it into 2 rolls too?

[Dan342]

nice work thanks for sharing!

[uli12us]

I often have the problem, that a new drillbit don't makes round holes, they are triangular, only resharpening can get a round hole. The other problem is, whats with coated drills, they cost a lot more then the simple ones. Or whats with the extra long drills, I don't think you have many of those expensive tools, that you can throw away or give it the toolgrinder after use. Sometimes I grind a drill a little bit excentric, to get a little bit larger hole for a rollertap in the range of #1 or #2. And I regrind 2 or 3 flute millbits as well. Often enough they have only wear at the last mm. If you shorten it to this, the tool works like new.

[neilw20]

Want to drill a round hole in thin sheet with a big drill?
Aircraft sheetmetal technique.
Drill a pilot hole (to keep you on center) or a DEEP center pop.
Fold a pice of rag over on itself three to five times.
Drill through the rag. The rag acts a guide and stops the triangle wobble.
Works with a business card folded four times too.
A little practice and all holes will be round.
A 25mm hole in 1/2mm sheet is quite practical.
The bigger the hole, the more rag.
You only want a pilot hole about the size of the cross point on the big drill.
Much easier if you are drilling into a piece of wood.

SAFETY: Clamp, or at least use strong leather gloves or hold the sheet with vice grips.

[handlewanker]

Uli12us.......Words fail me....but I'd only comment and say, if you learned the trade properly right at the beginning you wouldn't be posting the problems you have.

Never in my whole life have I heard the term "millbit" used.
Ian.