tools
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2004
- Location
- chickamauga, GA
Referencing a thread a while ago, http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/drill-sharpening-216180/, I mentioned an article in HSM. I finally found that article. It's from the Sep/Oct 2007 issue, Understanding Drill Sharpening by Matthew J. Russel.
Even if you don't subscribe to how he recommends sharpening, it's a GREAT read and will likely teach you something about the geometry of twist drills for drilling in metal.
I didn't make the loupe holder and all as described, but some sort of magnification is nice for bits under about a 1/4". I build the holder as described and it works perfectly. However, I've found for bits 7/16 and over, you can hold them by hand and do as well.
About anything works for the grinder, as long as it's easy to set the table between 10 deg and 30 deg, and you have some sort of device that'll index your holder or bit to 30 deg (miter gage, etc).
I just resharpened a #14 drill that I broke off and kept to help remind me to buy a new one... took less than a minute to put a new edge on that broke bit. Also just sharpened a couple 1/16" bits, and very effortlessly drilled through some 3/8" steel with them. I'm very impressed with how easy it is to do, and how well it works.
Good luck to anyone who cares to give it a go.
Tools, who's now looking for boxes of old dull bits if you don't want them...
Even if you don't subscribe to how he recommends sharpening, it's a GREAT read and will likely teach you something about the geometry of twist drills for drilling in metal.
I didn't make the loupe holder and all as described, but some sort of magnification is nice for bits under about a 1/4". I build the holder as described and it works perfectly. However, I've found for bits 7/16 and over, you can hold them by hand and do as well.
About anything works for the grinder, as long as it's easy to set the table between 10 deg and 30 deg, and you have some sort of device that'll index your holder or bit to 30 deg (miter gage, etc).
I just resharpened a #14 drill that I broke off and kept to help remind me to buy a new one... took less than a minute to put a new edge on that broke bit. Also just sharpened a couple 1/16" bits, and very effortlessly drilled through some 3/8" steel with them. I'm very impressed with how easy it is to do, and how well it works.
Good luck to anyone who cares to give it a go.
Tools, who's now looking for boxes of old dull bits if you don't want them...
