[IMT]

Anyone use a inexpensive drill sharpener (Drill doctor or similar)? Are the <$200 ones able to do an adequate job for machining or are they best suited for sharpening the drills you use in the hand drill for misc fabrication/maintenance jobs?

[GLCarlson]

I've had two Drill Doctors. The original boxy one worked without problems. The later, low profile 750X seems to be a bit technique sensitive, but works just fine. My problem with it was getting a positive rake from time to time (and all the problems that caused). But, Drill Doc gives you a like-new resharpening job and I used those drills for years on various mills.

I switched to four-facet sharpening a year ago. There are a bunch of sharpeners that can do that, mostly shop made (search it), but if one understands the geometry pretty much any surface grinder and a simple fixture will do it. The result is an end-mill like cutting edge on the drill, rather than the standard relief pattern seen from the Drill Doctor. A bit of a pain to get everything switched over, but worth doing. The decreased cutting pressure (and less wandering) is the result of a pyramidal point, rather than the standard chisel that pushes material away. I've never measured cutting force, but drills using a four facet grind do seem to feed more easily by hand, for what that's worth.

[KH0UJ]

A bench grinder with a pantograph green grinding stone with a matching busted 3/8 drill chuck for a holder for holding the carbide tool bit is all I used, we had the pantograph tool bit sharpener but I prefer freehand freestyle I can round the tool bit edges easily if I want a ball nose or anything I want with it (custom angles).

[popspipes]

Freehand here and a bit of web thinning. I worked with stainless for years, you learn to sharpen your drills .......

[coherent]

I'm on my second drill doctor. Work great & easy to use. Small bits, split points etc, much easier than messing with trying to do them by hand IMO. They come out right and sharp every time and only take a few seconds per bit. I think all of their models are well under $200. Some under $100

[Steve Seebold]

I use a Drill Doctor in my shop. I never could sharpen a drill by hand. I think I paid about $150.00 for it and it does everything I need it to do.

[IMT]

Thanks for the info everyone. I think I'll give a Drill Doctor a try.

[Don Clement]

+1 on Drill Doctor. I use it to resharpen split point solid carbide all the time. FYI buy spare diamond wheels when sharpening steel drill bits as the diamond interacts with carbon in steel. I consider diamond wheels expendable .
I also bought a coarse diamond wheel for roughing cuts when converting single point to split points. Yeah the Drill Doctor will do that.


Don

[Tbkahuna]

I use the Drill Doctor 750x and really like it. I have had it for years. I use it for all the drills I use on the mill and lathe.

[Steve Seebold]

I use a Drill Doctor in my shop. I never could sharpen a drill by hand. I think I paid about $150.00 for it and it does everything I need it to do.

My Drill Doctor is the 750X as well.

Drill Doctor is made by Darex. I had one of their industrial grade drill sharpeners when I had my shop. I could sharpen drills ip to 3/4 inch and even split the point.

Only problem with that sharpener was it cost $1,000.00 and that was with a $500.00 trade show discount.

[mountaindew]

Thanks for the info everyone. I think I'll give a Drill Doctor a try.

Had one in my Amazon shopping basket for a year. Was reading this and decided to use my Amazon points to buy one Friday morning. They delivered it Sunday night lol. I found the package the next morning MLK holiday. It stated the correct delivery date, I just didn't believe it.

[mountaindew]

What a nice tool. Straight forward to use and does the job. As others have mentioned kind of wished I had one of these a couple projects ago.