Sharpening Twist drills

[districtgrandmaste]

I've got this box of blunt jobbers drills - disgarded over a long time - and thought it was time to try my hand at sharpening them.

I set up an offhand grinder with no end-play and pulled out a couple of drill sharpening jigs I've had for years. Looked at the instructions and did what I think they meant me to do.

The results were disheartening to say the least!

Anyone out there have a good method and can suggest a decent jig - or guidance/book on the topic?

[Tel]

This won't work for everyone, but;

throw away all the jigs and learn to do 'em freehand. Practice, practice, practice & once you develop the knack you can just about do 'em with your eyes shut.

BTW, these days I touch my drills up before they get too blunt (usually) and I do 'em on the disk sander - much nicer.

[lancelot]

VERY true Tel,... fifty years ago, during my apprentiship, I was taught to sharpen all drills by hand, now...my sight is still good enough to manage a 1/16'' drill...another 10 years...HMMMMM...
You will soon pick it up with ''PRACTICE''.
Al the best for now,
John.

[Steve M. W]

If you are near Sutton Coldfield,Birmingham we have on Tue 28th Mar 2006 Drill Sharpening by Derek Brown at Wyld Green Community Hall see also www.scmes.freeserve.co.uk
Visitors welcome.
Steve

[alanstepney]

I can manage to sharpen the larger ones free hand, and also have one of the common drill grinding jigs.

However, I have a MUCH easier way to sharpen them. A pal of mine, now in his 80's, spent his working life in a toolroom.

Whenever he comes over, he spends an hour or two sharpening all my drills (does them superbly too) and in return I give him a superb (well, edible) lunch!.

[chris vine]

I was told a trick by my instructor when I was an apprentice.

When sharpening a drill by hand the knack is "to drop the wrist." It somehow gives the correct motion.

Chris.

[Tim Bayliss]

Practice sharpening the larger drills free hand and get a Martek drill sharpener for the small and fiddly ones. They sharpen 3mm to 13mm and do a decent job for reasonable cost. They recommend using a hand drill to power them but a small, quiet motor is better.
Tim

[Tel]

For those who don't know it, the Tel ancestor hailed from Sutton Coldfield

sw said:

If you are near Sutton Coldfield,Birmingham we have on Tue 28th Mar 2006 Drill Sharpening by Derek Brown at Wyld Green Community Hall see also www.scmes.freeserve.co.uk
Visitors welcome.
Steve

[Phil Sutton]

Bloody Hell,Tel,Virtually round the corner from me!(25 miles)

Phil

[steamysyd]

strange you should mention that,Tel,I used to work in Rockley NSW..[Aus Furniture Vanlines ]now I live near Sutton Coldfield ,,,,,must be a big hole in the ground around here...

[ron]

I learned drill sharpening by hand when I was an apprentice as well, but I must be getting lazy with age, small drills are so cheap I just chuck them, but I still do the larger ones, but I think it must be as Tel says 'practice, practice and more practice' because I'm not as good at it as I used to be

Ron

[steammadman]

During my apprentice days we had to spend 2 days sharpenning
old and broken hand drills by hand,i was very unfortunate as my
dads brother was a driller and was the instrutor for my 2 days, my
ears are still red,(both of em), from the clips i got for making a cock
up of the job,but i eventualy mastered the art, (now i'm also known
as cauliflower ears.)
So keep on trying lads ,your ears are safe, my uncle is long gone,
he' boxing some other apprentices ears up there in the workshop
in the sky.