Drill bit sharpener

[Chug]

Can anyone recommend a drill bit sharpener?

I've been looking at the Sealey manual one as the electric ones seem to vary so much in price so I'm interested in folks experience.

[metalworker0]

The plastic brightly coloured ones with self contained grinding stones are all difficult to use .. requiring you to put the drills into plastic collets at precise angles... you take too much of a shaving off them ... then bit needs to be re-positioned in the collet at the right angle again.

Various makes used - martek - uses your electric drill as the power source, ebay £15 - £30, car boot sale £3

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336175230837?

Others that are stands (gigs) that you screw in place in front of a bench grinder, made out of sturdy aluminium or cast iron - no collets, just gets two angles right the rest is: how much to twist the drill is up to you to get right. you can get good results with this one .. once YOU become proficient at using it... just happens to be made by sealey this onehttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/397030377874? not at all like the other sealey plastic one .. this is lifetime unBUSTable tool - and is what i would go for. TIP - you need poundland glasses at 3 times magnification to get good results

Newest on the scene is an attachment for and angle grinders - not used one of these so don't know anything about them

Your sealeys (grinding wheel within plastic outer box things) and what ever .. not tried them ... would imagine be as difficult as the cheap and cheerful martek.

Then from those you go to the semi professional ones like "Drill Doctor"

Up from those is the Brierley drill bit sharpener, used to be made in LLandudno junction, North Wales up to 10 or 15 years ago and cost thousands new .. now made in Asia - i have one of these, but I paid £50 not thousands .

Generally you can grind by hand on a grinding wheel anything down to 6mm .. smaller than that gets difficult to see .. and people generally buy new drill bits if less than 6mm


all the best.mark

[Altransit]

I've never been successful with sharpening drill bits. I've had several "machines" or gadgets, that allegedly make the job easier, and have also been shown how to do it by hand, on a grinding wheel, by people who can do that successfully, and make it look easy.
But mine always end up in a worse state than when I started, so I just buy new drill bits

[metalworker0]

About the best guide you'll see, this guy is a great teacher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMA6_sE1VaQ

his thoughts on the machines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nI9n_Mudyg


all the best.mark

[dumper]

A big mistake that people make is that you not taking the metal off the outer edge of the drill and the point is not touching the metal with the cutting edge and not cutting if I remember correctly you can use two nuts with two flats touching giving a V in the middle will give a basic Gide for steel drilling you need a different angle for different materials

[knobby1]

Iand have also been shown how to do it by hand, on a grinding wheel, by people who can do that successfully, and make it look easy.
But mine always end up in a worse state than when I started, so I just buy new drill bits

This is what I do...been doing it for over 50 years...no major issues to speak of....there's a knack to it...but I've been knackered since birth.

Lord Knobrot

[Chug]

Cheers chaps, especially Mark for the thorough answer.
I have ground bits on the bench grinder in the past but I haven't got the grip or dexterity anymore so I think I'll get the Sealey one I was looking at and recommended by Mark.