How to Sharpen Twist Drills - Small, Medium and Large. A Skill Everyone With a Shop Needs!

[@JoyfulJapaneseMaples-us7on]

First of all - this is awesome.... I think. Really good explanation to go with the visuals and very much appreciated to use large bits for better understanding. Buuuuut - as well done as this is, why is it that EVERY machinist just inherently believes that the other 99.99999% of the population just totally "gets" clearance, or relief, or clearance relief? Is clearance relief and or is relief clearance? Why do the experts just think that something so important - every other word is either clearance or relief - absolutely never needs an explanation. We all know what a cutting edge is. It cuts. Cool. It's also really intuitive because it describes itself. Absolutely no idea why clearance or relief is of any importance at all. Why would I? Nobody has ever explained it other than to say "yeah that's the important stuff there - so now back to me and tonight I'm going to blow your minds with my greatness. It will be a relief for everyone to see someone so great, in person, but I didn't get clearance to stay out all night....." I mean c'mon!!! Why is relief in any way important? The cutting edges cut. If they aren't sharp or hard does it affect the clearance or relief or anything else???

[@BladesIIB]

@@JoyfulJapaneseMaples-us7on Always a relief to get some good feedback. And I appreciate you giving me the clearance to go into more detail next time 😉. Seriously though, I do appreciate the feedback and appreciate hearing another perspective to consider. Glad cutting edge made sense. If you try and sharpen a drill and find that something other than the cutting edge hits your part first, you will instantly learn you did not grind enough clearance. No matter how sharp the cutting edge is, it can’t cut if it can’t touch, it can’t cut. To much clearance and then you are all cutting edge and no support behind it and the cutting edge breaks. Maybe late with that explanation but I hope it still helps. Cheers!

[@winnie365]

Great instructional video. Well done!

[@BladesIIB]

@winnie365 - Thanks for the comment, glad it was helpful.

[@mbarshesh]

The best explanation I found in the network. One point is missing: cutting edges with different lenght result in bigger hole size.

[@BladesIIB]

@@mbarshesh Appreciate the comment and the feedback. In the intro I talk about the importance of getting them equal length so they cut equal, did not realize I hadn’t mentioned what actually happens when they are not equal and cutting even. Thanks!

[@DavidR8]

Well done, I have a drawer full of definitely not sharp drills. Going to have spend some time at the grinder!

[@BladesIIB]

Thank you and Good luck, I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results!

[@jeffanderson1653]

Todd job of simplifying the process. After breakfast, a dozen dull/damaged drill bits, me and my Kalamazoo 2x48 Cheers

[@BladesIIB]

Hope you were able to get them all sharp and back in tip top shape.

[@TrPrecisionMachining]

very good video..thanks for your time

[@fenchelteefee]

Awesome, finally I got it

[@BladesIIB]

fenchelteefee- Congrats! Glad this was helpful. Thanks for the comment.

[@lindakingsley6765]

Best video and explanation on youtube todate

[@BladesIIB]

@lindakingsley6765 - WOW! Thanks for the great feedback. Glad the video was helpful.

[@chotuusian4127]

Good work 👍

[@BladesIIB]

@chotuusian4127 - Thanks! Appreciate the comment.

[@jerryblankenship9908]

That was real good think you

[@BladesIIB]

Jerry Blankenship - Appreciate the comment, glad you enjoyed it.

[@Got2no]

Very nice thanks.

[@BladesIIB]

@Got2no - Glad it was helpful. Appreciate the comment.

[@ypaulbrown]

Hey Bud...great idea on the large drill fixture for checking lip length.... I have watched dozens of video on drill sharpening, and have never seen this great device....your video is to the point, pun intended.... and very well done, I also use a belt sander, and old 2x48 Kalamazoo..... wish I had something that did not hop around so much.....I do own a Black Diamond drill sharpener, but it only goes to 3/4"....so your technique is very helpful......I did come up with a way to put flats on the shank of Silver and Demming bits, by using a 5C collet and a hex collet block and then an xy table to move the bit back and forth in front of a grinder, which I took my Radial Arm saw and installed a grinding wheel on it.... used the arm to move the wheel in and out.....worked slick......unfortunately my mill is under the weather, so I had to improvise....if you know what I mean.... If I use a 1/2" collet, I can put bit in the square collet block and run Back and Forth to grind on the radial arm saw or belt sander......for really big bits.....I hope I have not bored you with this long winded dissertation......[pun intended again] best wishes, Paul in Orlando, Florida

[@BladesIIB]

Paul Brown - Glad you enjoyed the video, and not to long a story at all. I always like to hear how others improvise to get things done. That is always the challenge in the small home shop for the one off unique task is how to do it with what you have in hand. Cheers!

[@edhibbard1030]

Great video. I have a drill Dr, but the stone seems too course for the smaller drills. This will simplify my free hand attempts. I didn't realize it is not necessary to twist the drill as you swing it up. Thanks for putting this out there for us.

[@BladesIIB]

Ed glad it offered some insight. Thanks for the comment.

[@jeffreyschmiedeck4254]

At the binging of my apprenticeship I spent a month sharpening drill bits .

[@BladesIIB]

@jeffreyschmiedeck4254 - Sounds like some strong skill building there 😀. Thanks for the comment.

[@theestimator]

Lucky yew dint hav too rite anithing doon

[@dougekren6495]

What happened to the good old fish tail gage !

[@BladesIIB]

Doug Ekren - The old fish tail gauge is a great tool for threading for sure. I have a couple of them I use. With the 60 deg in the tail you can get an ok read on one edge of your drill and 60 is pretty close to 59 deg. I just tried it and it is a little hard to hold square on the shank with so little edge length in the fish tail. But, if that is what you have instead of a protractor I say go for it. Thanks for the comment.

[@jds4935]

What belt sander do you use? 🙏

[@BladesIIB]

J DS - That is a Coote Belt Grinder. I have had it for years and my dad has used one for over 25 years but looks like they still make and sell them - cootebeltgrinder.com. Thanks for the question.

[@johnambler3107]

Hi, I’ve just found your great channel and subscribed. When you were cutting the 60 degree angle with the compound did you run the lathe in reverse? Thanks looking forward to going through your videos 👍

[@BladesIIB]

John Amber - Thanks for the comment. Yes I was running in reverse cutting the 60deg. Should have commented on that in the video. Just seemed easier to have the compound at that angle for feeding. I could have turned it to 30 deg the other way and run forward. Then you are just leaning over the lathe a little more to turn the compound. Thanks for the sub! Hope you enjoy the other videos.

[@taiwanluthiers]

Do you have any tips on resharpening a parabolic flute bit? These have much thicker webs than normal drill bits, and when you try to grind it like a normal drill bit, it does not look right.

[@BladesIIB]

Tyler Fu - I am not familiar with that type of bit. I have used some bits with a thick web and after sharpening I go in and thin the web on the trailing edge to get a more normal size chisel point. Maybe that will work for what you have?

[@taiwanluthiers]

@@BladesIIB Problem is my bench grinder can't grind a sharp corner... the edge of the wheel is rounded and no matter how hard I try to thin the web all it did is round it over. I think I need one of those belt grinder but they're really expensive over here.

[@BladesIIB]

@@taiwanluthiers look for a wheel dresser to square up your wheel. Either a Star dresser or a diamond dresser. They are only $20-$30 dollars and easy to come by over here. Hopefully those are easy to access for you as well.

[@taiwanluthiers]

@@BladesIIB Is it even possible to dress a normal stone wheel to be able to grind a sharp corner? A while ago I got a dressing thing but it was a single point diamond, not the hammer looking thing, and while I could dress the wheel for some reason the edge is always rounded.

[@BladesIIB]

@@taiwanluthiers I guess it depends on the wheel. You should be able to get a pretty good corner. Depending on the hardness if the wheel it could round over and wear pretty quickly again. But I have sharpened many drill bits in a stone wheel before using the belt grinder.

[@roadshowautosports]

Awesome video! Do you have any day on those Dr. Drill machines? For small bits at least. Thank you!

[@BladesIIB]

Edson, Glad you liked it. No I don’t have any type of sharpening machine. All done by hand.

[@roadshowautosports]

@@BladesIIB thank you for replying! i own a couple of them and they seem pretty good at it. Also, did you get my message about sharpening cutting boots for different materials and cuts? I think it would be the first and only on KZbin! It’s something i think manny don’t know enough to decide how to shape their tools for each job. Thank you for the great content you put up and your precious time! Peace!

[@BladesIIB]

@@roadshowautosports From what I know, yes the Drill Dr. works well for sharpening. We had something at the shop I worked at 30 years ago and mainly just used it for large bits. Bottom line go with what works best and what you have. I saw your other note, I am good with making any shape tool I need. I am not an expert on all the angles though. Other than on drill bits or threading tools I don’t usually measure any angles on my cutting tools. I will see what I can come up with. Thanks for the feedback.

[@robertjones3610]

spends $40,000 for a CNC so he can save $4 bucks on a drill bit...just saying

[@BladesIIB]

@@robertjones3610 Always appreciate comments. I get it, many small ones are not worth the time and effort. But show me where I can buy 1” and 1.5” drills for $4 and I will buy a bunch 😉