We’re going to focus on using a file to sharpen your drill bits in this article.įirst, start by putting the tip of the bit into the file at a 90 degree angle. You can use a file, a bench grinder, or even a hand held rotary tool. There are a few different ways that you can sharpen your drill bits. Sharpening your drill bits will prolong their life and make them work more efficiently. But if you use your drill regularly, it’s something that you should consider doing on a regular basis. This is especially true of drill bits, as they can become dull after continued use.Īs you can see, sharpening drill bits is a little time-consuming, but a process that every DIY-er will need to do at some point.If you’re like most people, you probably don’t think about sharpening your drill bits very often.
It is essential that you maintain your tools so they are up to the tasks required of them. This is a sign that your drill bit is now sharp enough to start using again. When you take the drill bit out of the wood, wood chips should start to emerge. If it is sharp enough, it should bite the wood immediately with only a small amount of pressure. Step Seven – Once you are satisfied with the sharpness of your drill bit, place it back into your drill and test it once again on a piece of wood. Over time, with more practice, you will find the trips back and forth to the wheel will get shorter and shorter. It’s normal to go back and forth to the grinding wheel until you achieve a sharp drill bit tip. If no hole starts to appear, you will need to inspect the drill bit again and continue grinding it on the wheel.Īs always, though, you should do so with a 60-degree angle on the bit’s point, having equal widths on both sides.įor many, this takes several attempts, so don’t feel like you’re doing it wrong. If the drill bit is sharp enough, it should already start to form a hole in the material’s surface.
Take the drill bit’s tip in your hand and hold it so that it is perpendicular to a piece of wood.
Sharpen drill bits with work sharp trial#
Step Six – Give the bit a trial run once the drill tip has a precisely honed tip and both edges are sharp and of equal width. Then, flip the bit 180 degrees after a few seconds of grinding back and forth to achieve equal sharpening on both sides. You can sharpen each side just a little by holding the drill bit in your dominant hand.
Step Five – When you are happy that the point on the first side you have ground is sharp enough, move the drill bit 180 degrees and repeat the process on the other side of the bit’s tip.ĭoing both sides will result in the drill being able to drill accurate, straight holes every time. When the drill bit is cool enough to touch again, examine it to check whether it has been ground to a sharp point on one side. Moreover, this could end up wearing the metal down further, and cutting the lifespan of the drill bit significantly. If the metal doesn’t cool, the bit will be too hot to hold. This will effectively cool the metal down. Step Four – After four to five seconds, take a break from grinding and dip your drill bit into ice-cold water. This is the perfect angle, as the drill bit will not bore evenly or smoothly when at the wrong angle. This is where the tip of it is met with the twisted shaft and not its edge. Your aim here is to grind the worn, dull surface of the bit away, rather than wear it down fully. Step Three – Here, you need to hold your drill bit at a 60-degree angle against the grinding wheel, but only for four to five seconds. Just keep it very straight, holding it at its factory angle (this is typically 60 degrees). Make sure you do not rotate the drill here. Now, slowly and carefully move the drill bit until it comes into contact with the grinding wheel. Get a secure, firm grip on your drill and hold its cutting edge perfectly parallel to the grinding wheel’s front. Step Two – It’s time to put on those safety goggles and switch on the bench grinder. If your drill bits don’t look too worn, you can start with the fine grinding wheel. Then, you can move on to the finer wheel later on.
If you see that the bits have extremely worn, begin using the coarse grinding wheel. One of these is fine, and the other is coarse.
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