Drill Tip Geometry, Web Relief and Sharpening simplified

This video simplifies the drill grinding process and explains the basics of a re-sharpening a drill. I use an oversize wood blank to demonstrate the desired final geometry and also show a web relief technique to reduce the pressure needed to push a larger drill. Take a look.

[@timothyearp631]

Hey, you cheated us! I want to see how that drill actually cuts styrofoam now

[@gordonagent7037]

Joe, I watched an unrelated video a while ago, I think it was one of Dale's and he commented "come on guys, youre a machinist, think outside the box". Now I have watched heaps of drill sharpening videos but not once have I seen a wooden dowel (nice big one too) used so many thanks for thinking and demonstrating outside the box. Let's face it, big drills are not cheap either, well at least not here in AUS so you need to do it right as aften as you can. Another really practical video. Cheers, Gordon, AUS

[@georgestone9915]

I have been watching your channel for a while. GREAT to see someone with the talent and experience to teach the finer points of our trade. I am 72 and still doing custom machine design. We enjoy your videos, you are definitely helping a lot of people new and sometimes experienced in the trade. Thank you so much: George

[@joepie221]

Glad to help. Thanks for your support.

[@livanoverbeke]

joe i am a carpenter by trade and have been watching your videos on machining and between yourself and mr pete222 i feel like i am in trade school your content delivery and presentations are awesome. i am interested in starting a home shop and wanted to ask you what you though about the pm-1228-vf-lb lathe. also never feel guilty about asking for help for a friend it is what makes you a good person. my prayers go out to mr dicarlo and his family and have also have been touched by that awful disease. Larry

[@ChrisB257]

That Joe was a brilliant way to show the geometry factors - particularly the split point grind.

[@joepie221]

Thanks. I thought big would be good on this one.

[@papawheelie81]

Ha, I actually bought one of those. They are available on Amazon

[@johnv341]

Joe, when I started watching this one I thought, "what is this BS?". But as usual, a brilliant beautifully explained exposition. The only thing I missed was seeing the wooden bit drilling some styrofoam.

[@watsonm05]

John V Exactly - We really want to see you drill that 2" hole in Styrofoam, please!

[@joepie221]

I'll have to relieve the shank first so I can hold it. I have to try it!

[@okflyer777]

Joe, you're not only a wealth of great experience and information - you also have a natural talent for teaching. I've been using a Drill Doctor for sharpening my smaller drills (up to about 1/2") with good success. Splitting points on small sizes (like #40) is a challenge, and large sizes take some time but can be done with very good precision. Thanks again...

[@joepie221]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. Much appreciated.

[@kennyk6345]

I was always under the impression (because an old guy said so in my apprenticeship) that the 135º drill angle works better on harder materials. I work in a tool & die shop where we work with a lot of hard and even super hard material (H13, H43, A2, D2, FX, etc.). Personally, I do think the broader angle holds up a little better in these materials. But I've just always done it that way so maybe I'm brainwashed. :)

[@joepie221]

Envision an ice cream cone. The milder the conical angle, the less surface contact and heat you will have. i agree with the 135 comment.

[@FlyAshReturn]

This is by far, the best visual presentation on drill tip geometry to see whats going on. Thank you for that. This definitely helps my drills to not look like they were raped by the grinding wheel^^ greetings from Austria

[@joepie221]

I believe I have met that grinding wheel. Its unforgiving. I hope this helped simplify things for you.

[@davidaarons2488]

Hey Joe, great sound advise for grinding drills. I am going to try it' I was hoping you were going to try that in some Styrofoam. God Bless Ya Dave

[@joepie221]

Stay tuned on that styrofoam thought. My wife suggested we drill out a watermelon and fill it with Vodka. Tough choice here.

[@anthonyctube]

That was easy the best drill sharpening video on the internet. Thanks Joe.

[@joepie221]

Thanks

[@KravchenkoAudioPerth]

Joe you did much more than OK. I truly appreciate your sharing the tips and techniques in your videos. It's easy to tell that you really know what you are doing. I've worked in many different trades and I can tell a pro from a poser in minutes. You are most definitely in the pro category. Keep up making the videos. I learn something from almost every one of them.

[@joepie221]

Thank you very much for that. Glad to help

[@billyharrison4126]

Once again Joe my friend you deliver in such a simplified way but still pass over the facts as needed. The guys working for you (especially apprentices) must find it a pleasure to pick up this kind of tutorship. Thankyou. PS if you ever feel the need to set up shop in the NorthEast of England I will come work for free!

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Great drill grinding tutorial. Thanks for taking the time.

[@outsidescrewball]

Great lesson/explanation....funny, every time in your videos when you use a Tri-square you show great tips on it's many uses

[@joepie221]

Hey Chuck, thanks for watching.

[@richardallred4243]

I always thought I was pretty good at general machine skills but your vids continually teach me small nuances I never thought of! thanks

[@xavytex]

I just discovered your channel and I like your style. It is similar to Tom's technique which I also like very much. Your channel is a goldmine for younger machinists. Thanks !

[@6NBERLS]

I'm only a novice at all this so what I am going to write derives from what I have read. Allegedly the advantage to a 135 degree included angle for the point of a drill bit is that 1) it will cut through harder metals easier and 2) it will reduce the tendency of the drill to "walk" across a flat surface. The second point really only applies to smaller drill bits (e.g. 1/8 and less?). Any drill used with a pilot hole will not suffer from "walking" so much. Also, it seems to me, that a 118 degree bit will necessarily involve a steeper relief angle from the cutting edge towards the heel. I'm guessing a 118 degree bit will have a greater tendency to break because of this. If the drill in question is carbide, I would guess that anything that makes it more resistant to breakage is a plus.

[@wadej4339]

Center drills work great for what they were designed for.. I would think that the same theory would also work for spotting drills. Why doesn't anyone make a spotting drill with an extended tip like a center drill? That would stop the chisel tip web from wandering in the bottom of the v as well as center the drill on the matching angle of the spotting drill hole

[@jimmacaulay844]

You just took all the mystery out of drill sharpening!!! Thanks Joe!

[@mikepayne8756]

Your grinding the edge when using on brass also works, for us that do not have a drill press handy and have to use hand drills to enlarge drilled holes by just a bit. i.e making a 1" hole out of a 7/8' hole.

[@marcuscicero9587]

great vid. the large wooden mockup is a great visual

[@joepie221]

Thanks. It doesn't have to be scary after you understand the basics.

[@JM-lm7ci]

Second that. Very clear.

[@scottlundy257]

Nice Joe never tried using a square makes sense thanks

[@joepie221]

Everybody has one!

[@patrickflannery1143]

have you got a video on how to use the general protractor the video on drill grinding was very useful

[@scottburrous2375]

Learned how to sharpen drill bits in freshman shop - had to, to pass the class! 5 credits in high school metalshop and a couple credits of physics were the best courses I took in school. Served me well over the last 45 years and gave me a serious edge. Couple that with becoming a journeyman pipe and structural welder and I've been employed all over the world. I've NEVER been anyplace I haven't had to sharpen drill bits! Have a bunch of jigs for my lathe bits and a Darex for my mill cutters. Had a lapse in sanity back in the 90's and got a 'Drill Doctor'. Spent an evening going thru my 'need sharpening' drill bit box. Could, maybe, drill brass with them after. Only saving grace was the split point feature. Still had to do them by hand, sigh.

[@jimmilne19]

Yet another excellent, informative, well presented, useful video! I both enjoyed and learned. Thanks for sharing.

[@mikemoore9757]

Good video Joe. You always keep it going and I never fall asleep. I had a job a while back where I had to drill about 50 holes that were 1" diameter in some heavy I beam. I did it on a Bridgeport with a annular cutter. I think it was a Hogen brand. Have you used this type of cutter for large holes? It took very little time, with half the horsepower, and less chips.Those cutters are the way to go for large holes! Again, love your videos and keep your chips blue!

[@alanmony1582]

Joe π, I watched this video and then went to Amazon. Found the general drill gauge for $10.15! It's on it's way, thanx!

[@mikekeele1533]

Now, that was worth while. My sharpening jobs have always been hit 'n miss, but i'll watch this video a few more times so it sinks in, and i'll be off and accurizing. Thanks, Joe

[@randomdude1786]

the 135 degree has about 40% less cut length for hard matieriels I've read some interesting articles on the web theres one that describes a drill point that ford motor used to drill like 30,000 holes I've read a lot about drill points and still picked up a few pointers (ha ha) so good stuff joe

[@donfox7196]

The best demo on drill sharpening I have seen , Thank you

[@Rubensgardens.Skogsmuseum]

Thanks Joe. I am not that far out, then. For brass I use to change the relief angle along the cutting edge only. It makes the drill less agressive so that it takes leas material per revolution.

[@lionelsawyer1222]

Hi Joe from South Africa. The best explanation of drill bit geometry I’ve seen after many hours searching the net - well done and thank you. Understanding the theory makes doing the job more precise and easier! Seems all expert artisans are from Austin - First SRV, and now Joe Pieczynski.

[@joepie221]

Thanks for the comment.

[@copasetic216]

I've heard that steeper angles (more pointy) are better for soft materials like plastics/aluminum, and that the flatter angles help the drill to stay central on harder materials. No idea if that's true or not. I have little experience with plastics.

[@cosmicrayastrophysics7839]

Super useful and interesting, I am not great at hand sharpening drills but this helped, especially the way to measure to know how much to adjust. Thank you!

[@joepie221]

Its all about symmetry. Just keep the angles reasonable and the drill should cut fine.

[@jessestrum]

thanks joe thought i knew how to sharpen drill bits , i do now

[@joepie221]

Nice.

[@usmcbrun1]

I was just talking about this the other day with a Co worker but it was with a spot drill..I'm not sure if it would be different?

[@Robonthemoor]

Nice to see in large form I never thought about doing the web with my dremal. I use the edge of the stone on the bench grinder, dremal from now on.👍👍👍

[@mickeyallen2992]

Alright your right on track with my issues . I’ve been struggling with a 2 1/4” drill by hand we did everything we were taught , ended up coloring the end with sharpie then touching it off and looking for the shiny parts . We are drilling 4140 heat treated . But still have one side cutting I’m going to follow your video and try it again. Thanks Joe !

[@joepie221]

Let me know how you finally did.

[@JaakkoF]

Great explanatios and good use of oversized "blank". I however have never been a fan of of rotate-lift grinding, as it loses your original index position easily and is harder to learn correctly. Flat facet grinding is easy to show to anyone, you can easily control the angles and get it perfect the first time.

[@joepie221]

I will agree with you on this one, but when someone puts that secondary relief on, they usually give too much. It is a good place to start if you've never done it.

[@BraveLoch32]

Love your videos! Would love to see you do this on a morse taper larger steel drill and how you would do the point splitting! You're a great teacher even if you can't claim to be on KZbin!

[@joepie221]

I'd do it on a belt sander and split the point exactly the same way I did to the wood. Air grinder with a cutoff wheel. Done it a hundred times.

[@mauriziofigini]

I have got an entire drawer of dull bits that will have a real chance of a second life thanks to you!!

[@patricialjubec4484]

Hey Joe ... fellow old guy toolmaker, I love the practical ways you show those little tricks that only come with decades of practice ! You my friend are Yoda.... the best part is no matter how long one is machining, there's always something new to learn. A big thank-you for doing this service. Love the show , metal Joe !

[@SuperKingslaw]

another great, no nonsense video. thank you.

[@LockBits-ts6eo]

I have a No.16 and haven't used it since the 70's...

[@robertstingley1867]

you can also use a hex nut to set the angle, have the next flat run parallel with the bit shank.

[@paulvanzweel8287]

A very nice simplified explanation especialy the split point part

[@gregarrell6132]

Thanks Joe, nice and clear. One of the best and to the point explanations and practical advice.

[@joepie221]

Glad it was helpful!

[@GnosisMan50]

I've been a machinist for many years and what I hate most is sharpening drills because there is a risk you will sharpen them incorrectly hence drilling over-sized holes. Who wants that on a work-piece that you already have time and labor invested? Fortunately, I have a very good drill sharpening machine and it saves me a lot of time. To me, sharpening a drill by hand is like trying to sharpen an end mill. Call me spoiled but I'd rather use my drill sharpener.

[@samrodian919]

GnosisMan50 Yore Spoiled ! There you go!

[@samrodian919]

Please excuse my bad typing lol.

[@lumpygasinavacuum8449]

I really appreciate your training. Thank you Joe.

[@pimpfhtkhg8794]

Das sllerbeste Erklärvideo auf KZbin !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Danke !!! ❤❤

[@clydecessna737]

Best drill lecture on the web.

[@joepie221]

Thank you.

[@burtlade1705]

Good job Joe! All good information. Thank you.

[@skeeter50001]

Thanks Joe, very helpful video.

[@roughrooster4750]

Another GOOD ONE, Joe. Thanks!

[@greellar]

Great idea for illustration. Nice production.

[@grahammason1423]

Thank you for the great informative video!!

[@djurodrazic8566]

my specialty was drill making, next to all other cutting tools

[@robbardin1423]

People laugh at me when I say this, but a properly made/maintained drill bit is THE most important tool in my shop. Normally, you can't finish a job with one, but you can damn sure ruin it with a bad one. Same goes for sawing. It's the simple things that bite us in the ass.

[@pierresgarage2687]

Hi Joe, The older we get and the smaller the drill bit get, going towards "Mission Impossible" lol Nicely illustrated and many companies make some gauges for that purpose, they don't have to be made with the swivel scale... Cheers, Pierre

[@joepie221]

Hi Pierre. The computer killed my eyes. far away...no problem. 10" away....where's my glasses.

[@dennisthatcher4384]

65 years ago, we spent the first 2 weeks in heavy mechanics class making a drill bit sharpening gauge and using it grinding and regrinding 1/2" and larger drill bits into stubbys. Our instructor wouldn't let us touch our project engines until we could sharpen our bit and drill through 1/2" plate with it. I will always be grateful to him for that, still sharpen my bits by hand and even occasionally get a 3/16" bit to cut a decent hole, just to prove I can still do it. Anyone who says its not worth the trouble, just needs to spend a week working on developing the technique. Retired from the construction industry now and getting back to reducing large stock into small chips and loving it. Your videos are great, your teaching style is exceptional and your content is always on target. Thank You. Please keep them coming. PS. It looked like the grain of that wood was giving you a bit of trouble, High speed steel is actually easier to grind, no contrary grain. ; )

[@joepie221]

Thanks for the comment. Good luck with your chips.

[@johnseptien3138]

As usual great stuff! Simple to follow, explained very well, and followed by very clear and precise demonstration. Having spent over 30 years in the classroom/shop instructing in welding at the college level, I can say you handle this instruction like an Associate Professor!

[@joepie221]

Thanks for that. I enjoy teaching.

[@aceroadholder2185]

Drilling with a wooden drill? I once turned a bullet nosed Styrofoam part , 24" O.D. x 3 ft long, for Sandia National Labs. I Glued a plywood disk to the base to chuck it and a plywood ring to run in the steady rest. I made a plywood forming cutter to turn the bullet nose. Worked like gang busters. It was necessary that every thing be absolutely oil free to keep stain marks off the finished Styrofoam. I think the part was fitted dampening material for some experiment at the lab.

[@joepie221]

You have to use a wooden power drill or it doesn't work.

[@starforged]

Great video but will it cut? So do you have drills for aluminum and drills for still? So softer material is less of an angle?

[@fredgenius]

Joe, you are pure gold! Thanks!

[@algerc.5492]

Dam Joe, I was so proud of my hand drill sharpening skills till I saw this. The Wizard strikes again. Smaller drills are still hellish without a jewelers loupe and surgical skills. How's the world's cutest bulldog doing? See ya.

[@joepie221]

Thanks for the comment. My boy Ruger is still awesome as ever. Love that dog. Thanks for asking. Now if I could get his little partner Lola to calm down i'd be a happy man.

[@jjgag601]

That was perfect. I have the Lisle 91000 and the Darex sharpener and it is always a hit and miss. Your video just helped me realize my mistakes. Thanks

[@joepie221]

Awesome. Its nice to know what to look for.

[@jasonsmythe5313]

Excellent Joe! I've always wondered about split point drills and now know how to grind one. Your videos have enabled me to work smarter... not harder.

[@joepie221]

Bingo. Thats a win for both of us.

[@stanwooddave9758]

Thank you Joe, for taking the the time to shoot, edit, upload & share this video. GREAT DEMONSTRATION.

[@bearsrodshop7067]

Great to see 4+years later you are still teach us all. DAREx? Was looking for creators this morning on older D-Grinders, (Gold paint, model No. and serials on tag to dinged up to read, but got one in a tool buy out, and have not found a pdf instruction or manual on ebay. Any help finding a sourse would be much appreciative,,,Bear. 11-13-21.

[@oldman6495]

Very nice explanation!!! I would add that you did burn it, and would have messed up the hardness. LOL But seriously.

[@joepie221]

Lets just say I tempered it and leave it at that.

[@armchairmachinist2416]

Coooool. But that split point thing a bit of a mystery, it's not better to have a chisel point , so the drill actually cut a bit an that small radius , I mean a needle point won't cut nothing , there is nothing to swing around to remove metal just a pin point plunging in to metal?!?!?!?

[@joepie221]

Ya have to feel the difference in resistance to appreciate the tip. It works.

[@DieselCrawler86]

Cool little video, I want to see you put a split point on a #60 drill using this method. Or not lol Keep the cool content rolling and if you get really board maybe hope on the band wagon and get in on the toolbox tour stuff. Be neat to see what you are hording off camera.

[@joepie221]

I bet I could split the point on a #60 drill. I'd need a sharper wheel and a magnifier, but don't bet against me.

[@MrPatrickmartin1985]

As always, I am learning so much with your channel. I am truly grateful for you taking the time to put these together and share them with the world. I've been a sheet metal mechanic for 15 years now. For the last 3 or 4 I've really gotten into machining. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get any machines for my home shop yet, but hopefully one day. The crazy thing that happened though, was that after a few years of watching you (and several other awesome KZbinrs), I have been able to to really notice a crossover of a lot of the machining tips into my sheet metal shop. Its to the point where if there is an odd problem, of a one off issue, everyone comes to me now. What started as making fun of and busting chops about the tight tolerances I started holding with my new "toy tools" (after I started accumulating a ton of precision tools/gages), turned me into the go-to guy. It has opened new doors in my career. I couldn't have done it without you or your other KZbin colleagues. From the bottom of my heart, Thank You.

[@joepie221]

Outstanding. Its time to hit them up for a raise.

[@yosmith1]

Great idea on the illustration, lJoe!

[@Zkkr429]

A flatter angle is better when drilling through holes in thin material, it's less likely to pick up when breaking through.

[@joepie221]

Agreed.

[@Chubbza5]

Does it increase the chances of the tip snapping? Drill geometry can get pretty complicated. Nice cut by hand on the dowel!

[@joepie221]

Hey Chubbza5, nice to hear from ya. If your web reliefs don't overlap, it's very strong and will hold up under even the most industrial punishment. It looks like a pinpoint tip, but look square to the web relief and it actually has a very stout support geometry. Thanks for checkin in Bud.

[@zenongarnek7020]

Just paused at the 37-th second of video:-) I do as instructed: best wishes from Australia Joe,.. (and continuing watching).

[@garyw.elmqurst6272]

Thank You Joe, the first time I understand what to do when sharpening a drill bit. Great teaching aid that you came up with. It is awesome that you are sharing your skill with all of us. Keep up the good work everyone can learn.

[@roadshowautosports]

When I saw the Texas size drill, I knew it right there and then, I’m in the right place! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@DoctorRed79]

Joe, you have some great content that I wish was around when I started out. When I was in trade school, I made a 118° and 135° gauge to ensure I was getting the correct included angle. Took maybe 10 mins. on the mill and has been very useful over the years. I usually sharpen on a pedestal grinder that is kept dressed for drill bits only. I split the tip on the corner of the wheel. Takes a couple of seconds that way. Also made a spring loaded tap guide that has been indispensable for centering taps.

[@patwicker1358]

Best explanation I have ever seen on sharpening drills. You clarified a lot of things for me.

[@joepie221]

Thank you.

[@northzero2390]

Drill into M42 HSS on your tail stock with a 1.5" drill bit and you'll feel the difference in the cutting angle of the drill. It's tough going. I also sharpen my 1.5" drills by hand on a 3/4" width grinding wheel. The skill is in keeping the angle true while moving left to right across the wheel. Great vid.

[@dougmclaren4328]

Thanks for another great vid Joe. You're a fantastic teacher, so easy to understand.

[@joepie221]

Thank you very much.

[@mxcollin95]

Thanks for that great explanation! I've always been a little unclear as to how to go about sharpening a drill bit until now. 👍

[@099bmac]

Thanks Joe! I can finally visualize what needs to happen when I sharpen my drills!

[@salimarasteh419]

Thank you so much for this great video. No one could havee xplained it better.

[@peteferguson7024]

Nice explanation of the verification of symmetry, Thanks!

[@redgum1340]

Excellent, thanks

[@glenncpw]

I immediately went to flea bay and bought the gauge, Thank you again Glenn

[@joepie221]

Cool. Its a good little jig to have.

[@Aubreykun]

Thanks for the lesson, and that wooden drill looks kind of like the "drill point" bits that go in old yankee drills. General still makes that gauge but it's now manufactured in India and the one I got was so inaccurate, bent (in the packaging) and the movable portion was so offcenter... had to return it.

[@1495978707]

How do you make the flutes? And how does it matter if there's no helix angle? I assume that's not very practical to accomplish, but also not totally necessary, just helpful

[@robbardin1423]

Joe, gotta say that was pretty frickin' cool! I like 135 and 140 degree drill points for tougher materials like stainless and tool steels, and 118 degree for softer stuff. The larger included angle reduces the chip width, and thus the torque required to twist it. A split point is almost always a good idea, especially if you have flood or thru-tool coolant. I have had troubles with them though when drilling in high nickel-chrome steels like 440. The heat generated at the drill point will cook the thinned area. Ditto for carbide drills. If you're gonna split 'em, keep in mind that carbide is brittle and very easy to fracture. The thinned web is very fragile. I almost always spot (not center) drill before drilling because no matter the material, it makes life easier for the drill. You don't like my formulae, but I'm hard-headed and some viewers may benefit- Feedrate for a drill=.013 X diameter in inches per revolution. Now, if you remember that you said 'who gives a shit' about the formula for thread minor calculation, you'll see that '13' pops up again and again in almost everything we do. A customer once asked me to make a template for his wood lathe so he could rough turn pool cues. It turns out that the taper on a pool cue is 1-in-13, or .666 degrees. Interesting, at least to me.

[@joepie221]

I like the drill feed rate suggestion. I'll have to take a harder look at that and try it out.

[@horseshoe_nc]

Rob Bardin with your drill feed formula. I ran some drill sizes I use the most on the CNC mill. And your formula comes pretty close to my "go to" starting point for those drills in soft to mild materials. But, I have found that occasionally changes of speeds and feeds are needed in repeat jobs. My guess is slight differences in material.

[@MichaelLloyd]

A long time ago my dad showed me the same technique for sharpening drill bits (only he used a drill bit lol). I think he learned it in the USAF but I don't know and I can't ask him. I just found your channel and hit subscribe before I finished the first video. Austin is just up the road from me (Weimar / Schulenburg area). It's good to see someone local (in Texas, 90 miles is local) doing great videos

[@joepie221]

Thanks for the comment and subscribing. My Father is gone as well. I miss him and his knowledge everyday.

[@MichaelLloyd]

Yeah... I feel the same way. I'm very fortunate to have been able to work for him after high school. He went through some really bad times (chemo / radiation for Hodgkins disease) when I was in school and I had no idea really. I found out how bad it was later. We worked together for 10 years (77-87). Like him, I work in the oil and gas industry and over the years I've been in so many gas plants that he helped build. I remember the names from all of the schools that we went to :o) A few months ago I was in Baton Rouge and I saw a run of tubing in a tray and I instantly knew it was his work. I knew he had worked there but the tubing reminded me. He had a way of breaking out tubing unions that was distinctive and it made them easy to access for maintenance. I'll never forget how to do that. He made sure of that lol

[@CMAenergy]

Hi Very well done, reminds me of when I was learning some 60 years back when I was 15, and watching your videos has showed me I actually knew nothing about machining and when I was earning full wages at 16 or 17 years old as production machine shop when computerized tools were just coming out, and I never got to use said, But you forgot to dip that wooden in water tool bit when sharpening it to keep it cool ! Did you try hardening that piece of wood to see if it would drill through plastics ? I'm curious if it would?

[@barrygerbracht5077]

Good explanation and great model but I still take exception to hand sharpening. As far as I am concerned, in order to achieve proper cutting action, the tolerances on the cutting edge geometry are no different for a drill than a 2 flute end mill. Both are two flute cutting tools. By proper, I mean that both flutes must be taking equal chip load and be perfectly symmetric. if not, then one flute will be doing most (or all) of the work which will push the hole off size, deflect the tool as it is out of balance, slow the speed the tool works at and will make it wear out faster. I'm not saying a hand sharpened drill won't drill a hole, but I don't believe you can get optimal performance by hand and you should use a jig whenever you can. You obviously are not putting a 2" drill into a drill doctor. Conversely, if bought in bulk and in a production environment, drills under 1/2" are probably too expensive to sharpen at all if you are paying $100/hr for it.

[@joepie221]

There is no doubt a jig ground drill should perform better and last longer than a hand ground drill. I agree 100%. But you know...after years and years of doing this, you may be surprised at how finely tuned your eyes can get and how well you can actually get a drill to perform. I recently watched another video by Don Bailey about how to hand sharpen a drill. I believe you commented on that one too. I have to agree with your observations on his. I was seriously disappointed in his presentation and results. Did you notice the outer edges of his supposed "sharp drill" terrible. They were burned and worn to excess. Any drill that needs to be reground should be evaluated for cutting edge and OD condition before you start. Both have to be reestablished, or the drill only last a few minutes at best. He obviously overlooked the OD condition. I also agree about cost effective sharpening. Its not worth sharpening a $3 drill in an $100 environment. But at least after watching videos like this, you have some general direction if you have to. Thanks for your comment.

[@barrygerbracht5077]

I thought Suburban tools would have edited or removed that video. It does not reflect well on the company. The later videos in the series basically support my position, at least that was what i took from them. Especially when they resharpened some cheap chinese drills on their Darex machine to show that a proper grind would take a poor drill and make it perform like a premium drill, at least for hole size accuracy if not durability. The thing I don't like is when some others have gone out of their way to both misuse sharpening guides to declare them junk (AvE and others) and then chastise people who choose to use them as being amateurs and that "real professionals" do it by hand. I think you should use a jig/guide whenever you can. That said, you showed some great tips on how to measure the hand grind to get it as close as possible, which are good skills for the bigger and much more expensive drills that won't fit in a sharpening jig, i.e. over 3/4" diameter. The other thing is that as we all age, the eyes start to go as do the fine motor skills. The ability to control the tool and see if we are close gets harder and harder. I'm not there yet on losing fine motor controls, but the eyes are definitely not seeing up close anymore.

[@keilwerth04038]

I have finally dared to try to sharpen my drills thanks to your video! I've seen several guys talk about drill sharpening but your tips just made so much sense! Thank you and greetings from Poland :)

[@joepie221]

Thanks for the comment. My great grand parents were from Poland.

[@mannyfilmsinc]

Hi Joe, it would've been nice seeing you in action and show us the actual sharpening of a drill bit...

[@quinka2]

When I sharpen large drills on the belt sander, I always start sanding the clearance end first down to the cutting edge, that way I am guaranteed clearance! Great job Joe!!!

[@thesupernittygritty]

my first assignment in the shop was to sharpen drills. we had a really good drill pointer, but you learn quickly how long it takes to sharpen a broken off 3'' drill with a machine.(forever). the 18'' 10hp pedestal grinder was a much faster option as long as youre not afraid to lean on it. i dont know how many hundreds of dull drills were in that shelving, but it was a two week job to finish. now the only ones that give me trouble are anything under 3/32''.