Shop Talk 22: Lisle Drill Grinder

I get many requests to show my drill grinder, so this is it. I have a Lisle model 91000 drill bit grinder. This unit is no longer made, but it sure is a good one to have. I sharpens drills from 1/8" up to 1 1/4". Once you learn how to properly set the drill, it's pretty simple to use. if done correctly, it will make a grind as good as any factory made grind.
Older video of drill bit grinding: • Shop Talk With Adam: D...
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[@robertevans6481]

You would make a great instructor, for those that would want to learn. Thanks for sharing this...

[@bcbloc02]

The grind does look factory but the proof is always in how it cuts. :-)

[@TrustNotta]

I think it’s really cool your still running the family business. It’s obvious you have a ton of pride for what you do. It’s a shame places of business like yours are fast disappearing around the country. From one small business owner/operator to another...Good on ya buddy.

[@Brandon-so9fp]

Diet seems to be working, your facial features are more pronounced. Other half wanted me to bring it up.

[@123Shel12]

Good video! One thing that fascinates me when I watch your videos is the realization of how massive, strong and well built your shop machinery is while at the same time being capable of incredibly precise adjustment. I respect people who can operate a CNC machine, but I admire machinists like yourself who can use your shop tools so skillfully.

[@mdvener]

what can I say. AvE told me about your channel. so glad I started watching. always checking for new videos of yours. you are the man. the way you explain everything, how and what makes your machines work, does n don'ts. you are a family guy, no BS, but I find myself so involved. always great content. my way of saying thanks. I have always wondered how things were made. Don't give away that magic wand, cause you make it look like magic. just years of learning n taking a lot of pride in everything you do.

[@patricksullivan9951]

Hi Adam, you know we have the same unit in our shop, but nobody knows how to use it, except ME!!! I found the diamond dressing tool, it was buried in the bottom of a cabinet. Now to sharpen every bit I own, then the shops bits!!! Good timing on the video, many thanks!!!

[@codylapoint]

The steeper you make the relief angle the more aggressively the bit will drill. To much and it will grab every time you punch through metal and jerk your hands etc. To little angle and it won't drill at all, it will just make heat and burn up.

[@TinShackVideos]

How many people just went to the"bay" to find one of these?.......lol

[@yanwo2359]

At least one -- me.

[@jhensjh]

Shush! I was just opening a new tab to go look myself, now I'm sure everyone's thinking of it! haha.

[@MegaLostOne]

I started off with a "General brand" style that uses the side of a bench grinder wheel and it works decent and I purchased one of the old school Black and Decker sharpeners for the small bits and it also does a decent job. I was lucky enough to get a Lisle 91000 off of flee bay that the previous owner hadn't used very much and it still pretty much looked like new and all I can say is they do a fantastic job on sharpening bits and they come out just like a factory bit.

[@drubradley8821]

DANG!!!!! Now I want one of those now too!!!!... Ebay, Here I come...

[@564df6g5h4d6f5g4h6d5]

Here is a brochure on your grinder. www.lislecorp.com/uploads/files/91000_Drill_Grinder_Instructions_99F8C6E45E647.pdf

[@castnetman]

That is a fantastic story. You have a way with you that makes us feel like a part of the family. We probably all have stories like that if we paid attention to our elders, mentors, teachers and yes our dads.

[@MrToddtimmons]

What a beauty,now get back to the G&E

[@TheDisorderly1]

I'm not sure how you're doing it Adam but you're videos look amazing. The quality is fantastic.

[@Mrgreendragon3]

thanks adam love your videos man

[@Stikker021]

Damn, looks good. I'll be there shortly with all my iffy drill bits. :D

[@douglassmith2055]

Thank you for another great video. The guys who put the Lisle grinder together did a great job. There are many drill sharpening designs, this one seems very straight forward and easy once you get used to it. Precision Drill grinders, are EXPENSIVE and hard to find used. This model would be great project for someone to do a remake of.

[@hassenfepher]

Ohnoe! Bumped the camera! Stop the video, get the camera re-indicated. measure again to make sure the camera is true. OK Back to Video!

[@pwpia5461]

Adam...about 4 months ago I saw your first one you did on the grinder. I have one of these and never had the time to dig it out. After watching you...and learning how to set it up...I then dug it out... ordered some small parts from Lisle. (parts are getting down there now) There is one guy still left there, that is the long time expert. I told him about you and he was smiling thru the phone. Things like the Drill Dr. hurt this product...mainly cost...but I know of no one who has bought 2 DD's. You inspired me to take the time ...clean it up and JUST used it. This KZbin will be the "how to use it" forever...thank you for doing this...and of course....everything else!!

[@buildmotion1426]

Well ain’t that something!!! I have this exact grinder in my shop. Never quite new how to tune it for a proper grind. I’ll give it another try. Thanks for the video Adam!

[@denniss5512]

Hey buddy, Getting awfully spoiled with these mid week videos! What a great grinder. Man thats a pretty edge, so much better than the Doctors best thats for sure. Looking forward to this weekends uploads. This weeks pass down to my guys is "Adam says always double check your work and break the edges". It's catching on and improving what they do.

[@Abom79]

Great to hear you passing on the helpful tips Dennis!

[@63256325N]

What a great tool! Perfect every time. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

[@johnstrange6799]

Goes right on the list of things I sure wish I had. Thanks for the mid week video. :)

[@MrGuvEuroman]

It looks like a pain Adam, I think you should send it over to me and I'll get rid of it for you 👀

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

Well engineered tool. Too bad they quit making it.. this video alone would have been good for several sales. Thanks for showing the details..

[@xull1x123]

I am watching this video 3 years after not using this grinder. Thank you for making this video, it is a great reminder of how to use it!

[@carolinaprepper540]

This is my kind of video ! Thanks brother !

[@terrycannon570]

I've seen the older video also Adam but never miss a chance to watch this specialized content. I worked at a shop about 45 years ago and my job was to drill holes in super sized I beams for bridges. Our bits were big enuff they had holes in them for coolant to pass thru. We had a bit sharpening machine similar to yours but only our foreman knew how to use it. If you had a bit that needed sharpening he would sharpen it for you. Those are the jobs that need dedicated people doing. Too easy to scrap a wheel or a bit if you are not careful and also you get consistency among the tools. Thanks again for taking the time to show us how to do it right.

[@davidflower3396]

Super helpful video! If anyone wants to buy one of these Lisle sharpeners and cannot find one on ebay, just get on the phone and start calling machine shops - find a shop where the only guy who knew how to use the Lisle retired 5 years ago and no one has used the thing since....that is how I got mine!

[@SmallMartingale]

Holy shit, 175k!!! You're really doing something special over here, Adam. Thanks for opening up your shop for us like you do!

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

AWESOME TOOL ! great share Adam .. THUMBS UP MAN..

[@tuscanland]

Hey Adam, it's so good to hear stories of your father and you in the shop, I wish you all the best.

[@hyperluminalreality1]

He told that story the last time he made a vid about the Lisle drill grinder. I remember it. Cool pops he had.

[@donaldlittle1489]

Love the video, and the extra time spent on a single piece of equipment. Dude, you really look like you've lost weight!

[@johnwinden8511]

The Drill Doctor should be charged with malpractice after seeing this!

[@4speed3pedals]

The asking price of a used Lisle 91000 just tripled. LOL

[@literoadie3502]

Those crisp margins look great after the grind! It's always satisfying to see drill grinding.

[@commentsboardreferee7434]

I believe "jobber" drill bits refer to the length of the bit rather than the included angle of the tip.

[@mr.toliver2717]

What a awesome video keep up the good work man👍👏👏☝️🥇

[@johndonlan5956]

Adam, does this drill grinder also have the ability to produce a split point?

[@ramosel]

Damn, I remember that previous video.... has it been that long? I saw one of these at an auction of an auto shop. It was one of the things that was done on a silent auction. I put in a healthy bid because i remembered your vid and it looked barely used. A guy walked up to the Press about 10 feet away and with about 20 seconds left before it ended he darted over to the list for this item and outbid me by $5. On his way out to his truck with it in a box his wife's little chew-toy dog got under his feet and he dropped it and broke it to pieces. Karma!

[@davidfraser4830]

one thing never changes. There is always a right tool for every job. Thanks Adam

[@shannonstebbens6992]

I too loved the story that went along with the original video. This presentation finally made me understand what you are doing with the set up though.

[@MrJugsstein]

Ha Adam that was a great smile as you spoke you your Dad and Grandad. The whole video would have been worth it just for that.

[@scottmarshall6766]

A lot of the drill sharpeners I've seen took more time to set up than it is worth. I once worked at shop where we had a very expensive drill grinding machine that would so all sorts of wild stuff like SDS drills and quad points, but it took so long to set up, most of the guys would just hand sharpen on the simple wet grinder that sat next to it. It was worth it if you saved up a bunch of small (harder to hand grind) bits and ran them all at once, but it wasn't worth spending the time for a touch up on drills >1/4", unless you needed them perfect for something. one of the big faults was it needed to be set up for a specific size (Or very close) or the relief angle would be off, so it needed resetting for nearly each drill. Your machine seems to have hit the balance between forgiving, fast setup and accurate angles. I see why you like it so much - in addition to the sentimental value. Dad's and granddad's tools are special, even if they were nothing special when new. It looks like it could be reproduced with a little clever machine work, some welding and and a used grinder. Even so, it could be simplified even more if one were to build a machine dedicated to 2 flute twist drills. Maybe enough to make it from a couple blocks of stock for the holder, and a micrometer feed from of a donor machine (auction or cheap chinese ). You would think someone would have acquired the design and be selling them, as is so common these days. Thanks for the closer look at a fine machine. Another line on the "to build someday" list..... (The ABOM stamp of approval pretty well kills any chance of picking up one on ebay for 100 bucks)

[@petermoale2116]

Adam, great job in explaining the set up portion on the drill holder attachment. I have the exact model, and by reading the (so called) instructions, was VERY confused on the set up portion. Thanks for taking the time to explain.

[@twatbass]

knocked the camera off by half a thou, video almost rejected by Abom79 for being out of spec.

[@mtmchenry]

Great job. To bad they don't make it anymore.

[@rerun578]

Nice vid, Adam. But the slotted screws on the flute stop, not so much. Maybe I'm just too critical, but if it were mine, I'd replace 'em! And not with slotted :-) Ball end hex driver is my favorite tool. :-)

[@BeachsideHank]

Probably no longer economical to manufacture, other devices like Drill Doctor can do an adequate (but not necessarily outstanding) job of sharpening for far less money. I even have one of those B&D stick- it- in pencil sharpener types from back in the '70's, does a surprisingly acceptable job for general purpose bits, for larger than 3/16" I'll hand grind first then finish in that little box, for $8 from a thrift store, it makes my shop life just a little easier.

[@mikebailey3614]

Love the story about the grinder. those are the things that really bring flavor to life.

[@terrellfarms1]

I wish i could find one. Hell of a lot better than a Drill Doctor. Those things suck!

[@garymucher9590]

Since they are no longer being built, you could make a new attachment and use most any quality grind to do the grinding. The entire setup is in the drill bit holder/fixture. The actual grinder could be any type. Or so it seems. IDK, Just an idea. Could be a great project for some one to draw the prints up for the attachment.

[@BlackEpyon]

I picked up a used chain-saw sharpener. The guy had just moved into the strata (I'm the landscaper) and didn't need it any more. Looks like a chop grinder for cutting metal stock, only instead of a table it has a jig for holding the chain with angle adjustments and a release to advance to the next tooth. When you use something frequently (pruning season), it helps to have something on hand that can sharpen it quickly and accurately.

[@billlee5307]

Thanks Adam, as always I enjoy being "in" your shop. I have a TDR/SRD drill grinder. Like the Lisle, it takes some learning but does a good job. It looks as if your Lisle is a heftier machine and should have a long useful life.

[@ypaulbrown]

Adam, Great tutorial......thanks....now to find a 91000 to buy....cheers, Paul

[@memybikeni9931]

I loved the back story to this about acquiring the machine. Excellent vid mate.

[@patrickshaw7983]

Does a good job. I remember way back having to grind 2" drills by hand using a protractor for the angle and a rule for the length of the cutting edge. Watch the swarf coming off and adjust if necessary!!

[@frankinpattaya]

Adam, I have a Tormek T8 with the drill sharpening attachment, a lighter unit but gets the job done, worth a look on Utube if you get time,, where can I get a 6 inch T rule same as you use all the time. Regards Frank

[@johnlockhart2674]

We in our shop had a Oliver Drill Sharpener that we used mostly me , it was a good bit easier to use than the one you have , it did a very good job on the drills , but it went from about 1/2 “ up to 3” twist drills and it did take up more space than yours , hopefully we will get another one ! We lost it in a flood.

[@spencertoolandgrind]

Thank you Adam. Just bought one at the Model Engineering Expo, yesterday at the Yack arena. Wyandotte Mi. Your reaching all over the states. Can’t wait to sharpen a few drills. Thank you again for the simple in sight.

[@German_MDS]

Pretty neat machine. I always peek at it when it was seating on the end of the bench. Thanks for sharing Adam!

[@speedbuggy16v]

Awesome, gramps or dad did good, now I have to find me one, I can do them by hand but that's going to be a lot more accurate than my eyeball! Thanks for the video!

[@6NBERLS]

Very nice presentation and camera work. Nice grinding tool too. I assume that the grinding wheel is aluminum oxide. What is the grit size of the wheel? Do you also have the tools for grinding end mills? If so, maybe you could do a demo on that sometime?

[@tomherd4179]

I know you know what you are doing, but I have the instructions for it PDF file if you are interested.

[@fredcarrter]

I just watched the old video a couple of days ago. I never had any luck hand grinding, I always was told you rotate at the same time and the cheap drill dr. is a hassle with less than ideal results. Might have been a video you had on hand grinding I watched too but I just tried hand grinding what what was probably the ugliest drill in the shop and at first I was only getting chips out one flute but in a little bit it was trowing two nice curly strings out both flutes and made a nice 1/2" hole through 6" of s.s. with no pilot hole.

[@Bluswede]

Product placement!...Adam sits in front of the phone number of the family shop. Absolutely no complaints from me!

[@djfaber]

Surprised those bearings in that motor haven't failed yet, looks like the armature fan intake it right next to where the dust is deposited =)

[@34k5]

I`m so glad after years of looking I finally got one of these. Was not missing anything but the little drill flute stop was bent and ground down, so I was able to order a replacement. They do not have many parts left. I also spent about an hour making a new diamond dresser holder, and taking about 3/32 off the wheel to remove a few small chips. Great machine!

[@aussiebloke609]

That is such a nice tool to have around. I was taught to grind them by hand (many years ago now) and you wouldn't believe how many I ground down to a nub because I kept getting one side not quite right and having to redo it. Again. And again. This is so much better! :-)

[@jmwarden1]

Adam, after watching your first video on the Lisle drill grinder, I was able to find one about 100 miles from me and went and picked it. It was in great shape and I have sharpened quite a few drill bits with. It does an amazing job on so many different size drill bits. Thanks for the videos and please keep them coming.

[@Nullpersona]

Thanks for the tips! After watching this, it occurs that these different job segments could be used as elements of a machining curriculum, especially if organized into various playlists by tool, procedure, and purpose. There would be a lot of overlap, since this would at least be on a grinder playlist, and a drill bit refurbishing playlist. The consistent quality and tone are professional and personal, at the same time. A friendly virtual shop teacher for future generations.

[@ZPositive]

Wow, great demo! Something tells me that Lisle drill grinders are now going to be scarce on Ebay.

[@binderstem31]

Great video. I just acquired one of these. This will come in handy around the shop. A am awful at grinding drill bits by hand. Mine is missing the wheel dresser and the adjustable V block. Thanks again Adam .

[@superdupergrover9857]

i work at an auto parts store, and Lisle makes great stuff. it is expensive, except for ignition testers, but nearly all i've seen have been made in America. you can tell their stuff is better than imports just by looking at it. they make a lot of specialty tools for handling certain problems that come up in fixing cars.

[@matthewhelton1725]

Yeah; you got a drill grinder... now you gotta grind the drill bits! Definitely a promotion from getting a broom. Typical of smart parents...

[@Badgermatt-nc5nr]

I remember the original video on this grinder, and I remember the story about how you got it. I love hearing the stories, it really makes me feel like I'm just a buddy sitting around in your shop with you shooting the bull having fun. Thank you sir!

[@isbcornbinder]

I bought my Sterling for $500 usd. It is really dirty from decades of dry storage. There is very little surface rust. I sprayed every joint and adjuster with WD40. Everything is moving smoothly, now. If I find another deal, I will let you know.

[@GrussimoGarage]

What a nice grinder... Indeed factory looking grind.

[@esoomreltna]

Adam, Cool video and great story about dad and G-dad. What grit is the grinding wheel? Eric

[@barrybeggs8543]

We had a drill sharpener very much like yours at work.. Wisconsin Bear

[@isbcornbinder]

I spent most of today cleaning and taking pictures of every part. There will be a few candidates for a Evaporust bath in my Ultrasonic cleaner. Evaporust works many times faster with ultrasonics.

[@trashanken]

Great video, useful skill, grinding tools!! I do understand how your grinding jig uses this shown adjustable metal bracket with the scribe-line to ensure the flutes gets almost exactly 180 degrees apart. This is important to make the drill-bit cut straight, and not try to "wander" or "drift sideways" when drilling. But then furher, splitpoint drillbits has to have a concentric grind to the drill, or how shall I say, right? If one flute gets a little bigger than the other, the "drift sideways"-problem occurs too right? From what I understand, this is a larger drill, no splitpoint to worry about and you are just fine? But do you also grind splitpoint trills? Followup on that? :-) Or smaller drillls might be considered consumables...

[@Abom79]

I don’t concern myself with split points. I never use the larger drill bits for center cutting. I start with a small pilot, then step up.

[@Sicktrickintuner]

Lisyle or however they spell it. Ya they make a ton of very good Automotive related tooling.

[@eldeedee43]

Thanks for sharing Adam. Great tool story.

[@frantickoala994]

OMG LOL.. AVON79..... Just catching up on things lol

[@paulrichmond6903]

Adam, I was taught that the proof of the grind was in the use... let’s see it drill a hole. 😁😁

[@Gomerpyro]

If you want to send me some measurements, I will make you some new stickers.......

[@tapertrain1614]

Great vid, I'm the kind of person who ends up smoking them on the bench grinder.

[@surq0784]

This was a great video and the fact that you showed the chips from using the tool afterward at the end was the icing on the cake! Very great video to share!

[@beachcomberbob3496]

Thanks for sharing, Adam. It's given me the encouragement to dig out my old sharpening jig that was consigned to the bottom of the 'useless gadgets' box years ago. Mine bolts to the bench next to the grinder, and uses the side of the wheel, but works exactly like yours does mechanically.

[@johnsawyer2516]

Beachcomber Bob yes I have one that sounds the same. It a real buggger to set up but once done it works fine for most jobs. I still prefer to hand grind keeps the old skills alive.

[@beachcomberbob3496]

Me too. I can hand grind faster that the time it takes to set that gizmo up - hence it being in the discarded gadget box. I suppose if I had a dedicated area to set it up permanently, I might get to use it more often. In my micro workshop, everything has to be set up and put away (except the lathe and mill) to make space on the bench.

[@shortribslongbow5312]

Wow looks great sure beats Drill Doctor LoL.

[@nelsnielson]

We have this drill grinder in our shop. It had been sitting for years. Watching this video helped bring it back to life. Saving time and money. Much appreciated!

[@RambozoClown]

One of my favorite drill grinders. I've sharped a metric assload of drills on one of those. You missed one setup tool that has probably gotten lost on yours. There should be a washer with a magnet on it that you stick on the top of the flute stop, that you use to set how much the drill sticks out at the top. Your 1/8" figure was pretty close to that as I recall. I keep looking for one of those or a Champ grinder, but have yet to find one, that isn't trashed or stupid money.

[@renebourbeau1671]

I need me on of those, very cool.

[@tacitus101010]

Excellent instructional video! You explained that really well.

[@ddcd53]

Great video. I had seen the older video you had done before at least three times but I still enjoyed watching this one too. I bought one of these on E-Bay about two years ago. I spent about $500.00 with shipping and it almost looked brand new. Worth every penny to me. I can hand grind also but I'm not that fast with that as I don't do it often enough. You can still find these on E-Bay but many of them are missing the whole part that holds the drill bit. And some of the sellers act like these things are bars of gold. I'm glad I bought mine when I did. Love your vids. Thank you. Dan

[@Abom79]

I’ve only found one fo sale locally which I bought and took to work, so I have one at both shops.

[@johnwarkentinnikiskialaska8364]

Very interesting video Adam thanks for sharing

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

The best part is both flutes are ground the same. Nice!

[@mikeoswald2000]

I have that exact grinder. Thanks for sharing how you use yours. I learned some things that will help me with mine. I liked your comment about sticking the drill out far enough that you don't grind the stop. Yes, I goofed and ground the stop a bit. Thanks again.

[@hiteck007]

Wanna sell it?? yet

[@Jonathanbaker]

nice new music.Adam