Drill bit sharpening

[Anonymous No.2521540]

How to sharpen drill bits and does it work?

Picrel $12 does it work??
What do you use

Best drill bits in general for price?

[Anonymous No.2521542]

I have a drill doctor sharpener it was around $80 and it does work but there's no point in buying a sharpener for cheap bits. If you're working with wood you probably don't need a sharpener, and it you're working with metal you need higher grade bits more than a sharpener. Especially since many brands have gotten so cheap and make their bits out of chinesium.

[Anonymous No.2521543]

>>2521542
So what are the best brands for wood and metal?

[Anonymous No.2521544]

I just need to unfuck the tips for the most part I think

[Anonymous No.2521546]

>>2521543
I bought a set of like 400 MasterCraft bits from Canadian tire and they're great for wood but junk for metal. Even with drilling pilot holes the larger bits dull out stupidly fast when they don't just break.but with so many I just keep switching them out until I'm through lol.

As for good bits I don't know I would like to find some as well.

[Anonymous No.2521548]

Looking for good bits for metal I mean the MasterCraft do wood just fine

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.2521563]

>>2521540
Those things in your pic always have horrible reviews.

Myself, I wait for Santa to bring me a Drill Doctor. In the meantime, I have gotten Ok at cleaning bits up with the bench grinder and/or a sharpening stone.

Like other anons said, if you’re drilling wood and stuff, just stock up on DeWalt hits when they’re on sale for $10

[Anonymous No.2521564]

>>2521540
Learn to sharpen by hand on a bench grinder. I can sharpen bits to cut better than a fresh from the store 118 degree standard twist bit. Not quite as good as a decent split point, but those aren't always needed.

>>2521543
For metal I like DeWalt pilot points, but most 135 degree cobalt split points work well. Use a step bit for sheet metal (the cheapest available will probably do). Always center punch metal before drilling

[Anonymous No.2521567]

>>2521543
I like Irwin spade and speedbor bits for midsize holes in wood. For small holes, use a bradpoint bit (cheap is fine, but take a close look at the tip grind quality before buying). I don't use hole saws in wood very much, but I like the Spyder setup with the easy plug release and pilot drilling.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.2521573]

>>2521563

[Anonymous No.2521574]

>>2521573
If you'll be countersinking metal, use a single edge countersink.

[Anonymous No.2521576]

>>2521564
>Learn to sharpen by hand on a bench grinder
This.

[Anonymous No.2521587]

Real men sharpen drill bits on a bench grinder
AND we don’t wear safety glasses faggots

[Anonymous No.2521604]

>>2521587
>>2521564
How do "real men" get the proper angle? Seems like you need a jig to get consistent results.

[Anonymous No.2521605]

>>2521564
>Learn to sharpen by hand on a bench grinder.
can be a big step between needing to drill and having a grinder, you can learn sharpening just as well with a diamond hand file

[Anonymous No.2521609]

>>2521604
>the proper angle
Depends on the material to be drilled. It doesn't have to be perfect to work, but it does make a difference. There are references for optimal angles for different materials. The standard 118 degree point is decent for most things, while 135 is better for hard metals. Generally, the harder the material, the wider the optimal tip angle. I've used tip angles above 150 degrees for 300 series stainless. Regardless, don't twist or rotate the bit while grinding. Flat facets cut much better than curved, even though curved is the standard for store-bought bits.

> Seems like you need a jig to get consistent results.
Skillz. Or sufficient practice to get gud. It's a hand-eye dexterity task, and like others, people can get pretty good at it.

[Anonymous No.2521617]

>>2521564
>Learn to sharpen by hand on a bench grinder.
This, but: Use a disc grinder instead.
I have pic related, and sharpening drill bits here works so much better than on a bench grinder, and you can do much more than just sharpening. I use 120 grit paper.
You can use the table to lay down your hands properly, and if you just move your fingertips to turn the drill bit to sharpen the other edge, you get much better symmetry than on a bench grinder.
I once sharpened a 20-pack of drill bits 1-10mm, took me under 15 minutes. I drill stainless steel often, and if something about my technique was wrong, I'd surely notice here. If the angles are a bit off, it does not matter for a home gamer, as long as it's symmetric.
As for the best drill brand, I found "Drill Force" bits from Aliexpress very convincing.

t. tool and die maker, Germany.

[Anonymous No.2521628]

I will add that if you use a grinder make sure itisa fine stone, course doesn’t work well

[Anonymous No.2521645]

>Drills through medium carbon steel

>Applies absolutely no oil

>Burns up a bit in two minutes

"These bits are junk"

We all know someone like that

[Anonymous No.2521648]

>>2521645
No I don’t, you do

[Anonymous No.2521670]

>>2521546
Hope you learned your lesson, Mastercraft is SHIT. Buy Milwaukee

[Anonymous No.2521704]

>>2521617
you are a tool and die maker and dont have access to a tool grinder?

[Anonymous No.2521711]

>>2521543
Bosch HSS-Co bits are very good for both, although they are metal drills so for wood you'll want to poke a hole with an awl first. They might be too expensive for what they are.

[Anonymous No.2522351]

>>2521704
Tool and die maker was the first vocational training I got. I work as a state certified engineering technologist now. And sure my company has a bench grinder in the workshop, but whenever I use it, I notice how much it sucks compared to the disc grinder I have at home.

[Anonymous No.2522718]

>>2521645
this. even just spraying on some wd-40 is better than nothing. when i worked at a manual machine shop, every bridgeport had a sprayer of wd-40 and a sprayer of "coolant", which was not normal oil-water mix but instead some purple shit. anyway, you would just spray the wd-40 into the hole for the most part. you could also use the coolant but it kinda sucked.

[Anonymous No.2522760]

>>2521540
Drill bits are deceptively complicated to sharpen.
You have 4 main angles to hold perfectly at once, then you have to flip the bit around and do it all again to the same depth on the other side.

Every drill bit is different, the helix speed and flute geometry is different. It makes the angles at which you hold them wildly different.
Generic cheap jigs like that dont ever work
Drill doctors dont have the range of adjustment and work poorly for 75% of drill bits, and simply wont work with the other 25%.
Ive ran thousands of bits through a top of the line Darex XT-3000 and an M5 at a prior job.
I also own a 750X Drill Doctor.
The home versions are imprecise, weak, hit and miss with adjustment, the shitty wheel leaves terrible finishes, the chucks are plastic trash.
All in all, its jumping through a ton of hoops to try and do a precision job with a very flimsy non precision tool.

Dont waste your money, whatever people who are telling you its a wonder tool have no clue what they are talking about.
Sharpen by hand with a bench grinder. You can get dull bits to cut reasonably well with some practice and underlying understanding of drill bit geometry.

Find some GOOD videos on how to sharpen a drill bit (IE a machinist). Everyone claims to know how to regrind by hand, but there are tons of videos of people who clearly dont know what the fuck they are doing, ive bought used bits that were completely butchered by hand.

[Anonymous No.2522780]

>>2521604
Muscle memory and using your brain. Its a skill you have to learn.
Use a tool post to plant your hand, never adjust your grip, move as little as possible.
If you actually know the angles you are trying to achieve, you can actually watch and see.
Youll know by sight how close or off you are and what adjustments you need. You can tell what face angle you are grinding at based upon where your chisel is clocked to the leading edge.

Reality is, for sloppy and rough work in wood and thin aluminum etc, your drill bit doesnt have to be ground well. Most cheap chinese bits come from the factory with bad grinds anyways
Its not that hard to get a bad but will still drill rough work grind by hand

[Anonymous No.2522788]

>>2522718
WD40 is great for aluminum and gummy materials, it sucks for steel which is probably why they had a different coolant there too.

[Anonymous No.2522814]

>>2521543
You need to worry less about brands, and more about your actual application.
Different bits for different jobs in different tools.

Rough holes in 2x4s?
Your money is wasted on expensive brad point bits, or high precision bits.

Aluminum with a hand drill?
Your money is wasted buying Cobalt bits and you are far more likely to break them (cobalt bits are hard which makes them frail with putting radial forces with a hand drill)

[Anonymous No.2522883]

>>2521670
>Buy Milwaukee

[Anonymous No.2522899]

>>2522814
I'm talking about metal bits in general usually aluminum studs, and time to time thicker harder shit
Idaf about wood I can get just about any bit through wood as long as it isn't not a bit I've already fucked the tip up on drilling through metal

Basically I need to know how to fix metal drill bit tips

[Anonymous No.2522951]

>>2522899
>aluminum studs
Buy step bits from a real brand.

[Anonymous No.2522961]

>>2522788
>it sucks for steel
As a lubricant, yes, but it has a low enough boiling point that it actually works decently as a coolant if you keep some in the hole. And WD40 smoke is a lot less heinous than what most proper cutting lubes produce. It's also relatively easy to clean off. I use "proper" lube for things like cutting threads, but I usually use WD40 for drilling on a press.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.2522988]

>>2521573
Sheeeit looks like Santa ordered me some Viking mechanic’s length drill bits too!

[Anonymous No.2523027]

>>2522988
>unironically buying tri-flats in the worst length

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.2523241]

>>2523027
I had a couple random mechanic’s length bits and I loved them for drilling out busted screws and bullshit.

[Anonymous No.2523243]

>>2522899
>>2522951
no for thin sheet metal, buy the stepless kind

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.2523257]

>>2523243
How easy are step drill bits to sharpen? I never tried, but I always thought it was kind of crazy they’re like $50ea for some single Milwaukee step bit at Home Depot. Seems like some $8 item max even from a better retail store brand

[Anonymous No.2523263]

>>2523257
>How easy are step drill bits to sharpen?

I haven't done it, but it looks easy. It's just the flat surface opposite the one with the numbering in this image; nothing has to be done to the steps. The angle shouldn't be very critical like those on a normal twist drill.

[Anonymous No.2523274]

>>2521540
I got one of those from harbor freight could never figure out how to use it right or it just sucks? But your thread reminded me to check ebay for a drill doctor and finally found a deal I'm happy with.

Kudos to anyone that is good at sharpening by hand!

[Anonymous No.2523292]

>>2523243
stepless ones are garbage and dont work worth a shit. DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS FAGGOT.

[Anonymous No.2523294]

>>2523263
they have two modes of failure
Built up edge if mistreated and a piece of the edge outright breaking off.
Thing is you break them before they dull, and if they break you have to hog off a chunk

But dont kid yourself, you will not wear one out on aluminum stuts

>>2523292
try one made from hss and not chinesium

[Anonymous No.2523341]

>>2523294
The cone bits are trash. They don't have a parallel cutting edge in reference to the shaft. Making them useless.

Also how do you know when you have gotten to the right size? steps are easy to count.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.2523350]

>>2523341
That’s an interesting point, especially on bendy sheet metal, it would be easy to get some elliptical hole. Guess it depends what you’re doing, likely nothing too precise.

[Anonymous No.2523397]

>>2523341
>They don't have a parallel cutting edge in reference to the shaft. Making them useless.
Stepless bits are nigger rig eyeball shit, but you are fucking retarded.

The Irwin Unibit (the originator and still one of the best) started as a single flute and are still single fluted today for a reason. Lots are
The whole double and triple flute garbage is recent marketing nonsense.

The WHOLE IDEA of the unibit is to have a 0 or negative rake cutting edge, and to have the cutting edge supported on the parallel edge of the tool.
Thats the reason they are easy to control and produce such clean and accurate holes.

Have you ever wondered WHY regular bits cut triangular holes as you go bigger?
Because you are using a hand drill, and you dont have the physical strength to hold a large tool perfectly centered, while having two cutting edges fighting against each other. As you allow each edge to grab and release grab and release, it creates a triangle hole.

When you have a single cutting edge and 3/4 of the rest is a perfectly round hunk of steel, the edge is pushing against a form of the hole you want, its not going anywhere, its creating the shape and size you need.
Buy a 2 or 3 flute step bit, you are defeating one of the main fucking purposes of it.

>>2523350
It always amazes me how you blindly accept anything that someone says, with absolutely no critical thinking at all.

[Anonymous No.2523432]

>>2523397
>irwin unibit, not a cone bit. Does have steps

not a great argument for why cone bits are better.

[Anonymous No.2523440]

>>2523432
>not a great argument for why cone bits are better.
Your reading comprehension is as good as your knowledge of tool geometry

[Anonymous No.2523444]

>>2523440
are you that same reatrd talking about pipes. Losing arguments and IMMEDIATLEY going below the belt.

YOU SAID CONE BITS ARE BETTER BECAUSE A STEP BIT IS SUPREME.

If my reading comprehension lacking, then your composure skills don't fucking exist.

[Anonymous No.2523447]

>>2523444
Let me spoonfeed the less literate of the thread.
Reread my VERY FIRST sentence that explicitly says I think stepless bits are nigger rig garbage.

The post isnt about step bits vs stepless bits.
Its addressing your only argument against "cone" bits, which is a gross misunderstanding of tool geometry on your part, which you pulled out of your asshole.
Good job retard.

[Anonymous No.2523456]

>>2523447
nice job trying to back pedal. You failed miserably.

>oh they are useless let me post like 4 paragraphs about how they work cuz im so smart!!!!

yeah you fucking hate me so much you know the difference between a 2 and a 3 and a single flute bit.

you are full of trash.

[Anonymous No.2523463]

>>2523456
me not anon who say buy "cone" bit
"cone" or "chwistmas twee" both be 1 2 or 3 floot
floot work same way if step or no step

I hope thats simple enough for you anon.

[Anonymous No.2523466]

>>2523463
nice try. I know it was you.

[Anonymous No.2523469]

>>2523350
I hope this has been eye opening for you Bepis.
Be wary from whom you take counsel.

You never know when @2523466 is the absolute fucking moron behind a post or review.

[Anonymous No.2523474]

>>2523469
is MURICA not your first speak

we can tell

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.2523630]

>>2523469
I have been saying that for years, even when I post my own advice. This is 4chan… a Haitian sockpuppetry blog, do not take any advice from here without further research. I’m not sure I have bought anything >$10 on advice from Anon without doing some more research. Like when I got my first Knipex pliers wrench, I didn’t drop >$50 on those until I had 2 normie friends tell me it’s one of their #1 tools.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.2523631]

>>2523397
See >>2523630

I didn’t go buy expensive cone bits right after reading that post.