Your drill bits may be causing your drill to take longer to bore holes. Your bits may be dull if you can’t drill into wood without making smoke, squealing shrieks or drilling through the wood. You might need to replace your bits quickly. You should learn how to sharpen a drill bit instead of buying a new set.
Safety Notes
Drill bit sharpeners spin at high speeds and can cause injury. Wearing gloves is not advised when using this machine. They can catch in the wheel and pull your hands towards it.
Safety goggles are required for sharpening drill bits. This is just like any other project in your shop. Sharpening any tool can cause shrapnel to fly and it takes only one injury to your eyes that will permanently alter your life.
Understanding Your Drill Bit
Although the drill bit is an engineering marvel, we were only concerned with three aspects of it. The bit’s lip is what actually cuts. The drill bit will not cut properly if the lips are not symmetrical.
The land or landing behind the lips helps to hold the lips in place while you drill. The drill will skip or chip wood if the landing angle is incorrect.
The line where each side’s landing intersects is called the chisel. It is not part of the cutting action but rather helps to feed the wood into the cut lips. The chisel, a small component, needs to be aligned very precisely.
How To Sharpen Your Drill Bit
If your drill isn’t drilling correctly, it almost always means that there are problems with the bits. After you have a good understanding of the drill bits, inspect them to identify any inconsistencies. The bit will not cut properly or efficiently if it is out of alignment.
You should replace the bit if it is chipped or warped. If the bit is just beginning to look a little sloppy, you can usually sharpen it to restore its sharpness and shape to allow it to be used again.
Sharpening Your Bit
Before you start sharpening, make sure the bit’s outer surface is smooth. You should not sharpen the bit if it has any rough edges or jagged edges. This could cause injury to your fingers. To ensure that the bit is smooth and even, you can use a straight-file.
Which Drill Bit Sharpener Is Best?
There are some drill bit sharpeners that can be purchased commercially, but they are often too expensive or difficult to purchase. If you have the space and budget to purchase them, you are welcome to test them. It is much easier to use the existing setup, however.
As your drill bit sharpener, you have two options. You can either use a belt sander or a bench grinder to polish your drill bits. Your machine should have guards that allow the bit to rest within the belt or wheel.
How To Hold The Drill Bit
To keep the drill bit steady, rest your hand on the support of the machine. You should also hold it with both your hands. The drill bit should be held at a 60-degree angle to the wheel’s face, with the landing end against the belt.
Cut And Shape The Landing And Chisel
To control the pressure on the belt or wheel, raise and lower your rearhand while using your forward hand. You don’t want your fingers to touch the wheel more than necessary, but you must be close enough to ensure fine control over sharpening. To shape the chisel, you will need to move your rearhand left and right. While keeping your forward hand still, guide the drill bit with your rear hand.
The drill bit’s components will be sharpened by this dual motion. It may take some practice with a few bits to get it right. This requires fine motor control and attention to detail. The chisel should be at a 45-degree angle to your lip.
These motions will be repeated as you move the piece along the belt or wheel to sharpen it. The sharpened bit will be sharper than the dull one. The sharpness won’t be as apparent as the alignment and angle between the lips, landing and chisel.
Practice Makes Perfect
This skill requires a lot more granular control and attention than you might think. It also takes practice to master it. It is tedious and requires practice to do it right.
To get lots of practice and keep your drill bits in top shape, sharpen all your sets at once. You can use an old set to practice with so that you don’t have to risk your new ones. Drill bit sharpening, like any other difficult skill in the workshop can be learned to help friends or make some extra money. It is not easy to master drill bit sharpening, but it is a skill that you will never lose.
Here Are Some Tips To Keep Your Drill Bit Sharp
Although sharpening is a skill that can be very useful, it can also be time-consuming. Drilling properly is the best way to ensure your drill bits stay sharp for as long time as possible. You should stop every inch that you drill and pull the bit out to blow off any flakes and chips. They can build up in your drill bit, causing it to heat faster and cause friction. This is especially important for drilling into hardwoods.
To keep each bit fresh and usable for longer periods of time, it is a good idea to alternate between two sets. Combining these techniques with lots of practice at the drill bit sharpener can save you tons of cash and make drilling more enjoyable.
