Shop Talk 22: Lisle Drill Grinder

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@robertevans6481]

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

[@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!!!

[@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.

[@literoadie3502]

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

[@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!!

[@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.

[@davidfraser4830]

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

[@SmallMartingale]

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

[@BentTreeFarmPa]

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!

[@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.

[@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!

[@andydelarue9344]

Who's a lucky boy, don't we all want a grand dad like yours. Thanks for showing.

[@Drottninggatan2017]

A grind dad.

[@ArcticBlues1]

I have never used any drill grinder. When I was in skool, they made me learn to grind by hand. Prolly took me 2 years to get decent at it and I still am not all that good at it. Your's looks like the best one I have ever seen!

[@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.

[@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!

[@memybikeni9931]

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

[@mikebailey3614]

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

[@TheDisorderly1]

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

[@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.

[@bcbloc02]

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

[@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.

[@rosswaring2835]

Hey Adam. A very nicely presented video. It’s so nice to hear you recount stories of your Dad and Grandad.

[@German_MDS]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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!!

[@GrussimoGarage]

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

[@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)

[@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

[@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.

[@johnreese3943]

I have the same model grinder. I thought is was the most inconvenient grinder made. Thanks to your video I now understand how to use it more effectively. Keep up the good work.

[@johnstrange6799]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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! :-)

[@eldeedee43]

Thanks for sharing Adam. Great tool story.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

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

[@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.

[@bobbyw9046]

Looks like a really high quality sole purposed machine! Over the years I've tried all kinds of machines and jigs including a few different models of Drill Doctors. None worked worth a damned! About two years ago I dedicated an entire Sunday afternoon to teaching myself to hand grind 118º drill bits perfectly on my 6" Grinder by hand only. It took me a while but now I can grind them perfectly by hand with just the use of a Starrett drill gauge. It literally takes me minutes and they work great! No more machines for me but I will say that the Lisle looks like a really great one!

[@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.

[@Bluswede]

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

[@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..

[@63256325N]

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

[@donaldlittle1489]

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

[@jefferdman5921]

Enjoyed your memories of your Father- Nice tool, looked like it did a great job!

[@lencost1]

Hi Adam! In recent video a friend of yours mentioned your Dad. I enjoyed that little glimpse of your Dad. I would like to see more of your friends and family talk about him.

[@MrToddtimmons]

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

[@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!

[@vimeel4420]

The Drill Grinder is really well designed, fascinating! Perfect work!

[@GrumsPlace]

That is a beautiful piece of machinery for keeping bits sharp and your explanation of setting it up works for me, understood all of it and I don't even do machining,

[@drubradley8821]

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

[@grntitan1]

It sure did a nice job on that drill bit that's for darn sure.

[@zeab47]

I used a drill grinder in the early 60s when i was a young apprentice, one of my early jobs was keeping the drills in readiness for the turret lathe production line.

[@ericcommarato7727]

I have the same model. Lisle no longer makes them. Thanks for posting!

[@mtmchenry]

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

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

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

[@Dan.Whiteford]

What a great tool and it can cope with a massive range of drill sizes! Excellent video too Adam, thanks.

[@hughedavid1]

My Dad had an old Lisle Valve grinder that used when he was doing mechanic work long before I came along. However we always hand ground our drill bits so I never had the pleaser of using something like that.

[@ypaulbrown]

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

[@carolinaprepper540]

This is my kind of video ! Thanks brother !

[@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!

[@johnwarkentinnikiskialaska8364]

Very interesting video Adam thanks for sharing

[@waxore1142]

I'd give my left testicle to learn from you and ToT. My dad was an old tool and die maker for Lockheed back in the day. He passed before i had the opportunity to learn anything from him.

[@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 .

[@barrybeggs8543]

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

[@sciloj]

Just a little tip on filming things through protective glass. To remove a glare, you can use a polarizer filter. I don't know which camera you use, but these filters are available for virtually any type of cameras and even smartphones. The trick is to clip (or screw) it onto your lens and adjust it by rotating it. It can't remove all glare, but reduces it significantly.

[@TTR_SLD]

I appreciate the story as well Adam, thanks for sharing!

[@randomdude1786]

natural born storyteller. entertained and I now know how a lisle sharpener goes, pretty cool.

[@MrJugsstein]

Very nice tutorial Adam.

[@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.

[@Mrgreendragon3]

thanks adam love your videos man

[@poozandweeez]

nice grinder, we had a derex grinder at a former employer of mine, was an awesome machine, used to run on cams, you could grind almost anything, i even made extra long spotting drills from drill rod for those once in amillion year jobs that would come through, nice kit, Adam

[@renebourbeau1671]

I need me on of those, very cool.

[@webopi]

Hello Adam, thank you for this great video. Maybe i have new ideas for more Shoptalks. 1: Cleaning and lubrication for the machines. 2: Adjusting way and gibs. 3: Cutter: When did i use a 2-Fluter, 3-Fluter, 4-Fluter and so on. When did i need a carbide cutter. I always like to look all of your videos and learn much about turning and milling. Thank you so much Mike from Germany

[@Stikker021]

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

[@hammer1212]

So glad you made this video! Mine is missing the dressing fixture.

[@2024bear]

awesome grind ........... impressive

[@1995jug]

Adam that is a great machine. I once knew an old guy that is gone now that worked for Cat. building dozers where he worked on the line did lot of drilling he could really hand sharpen a drill he said they had to hand sharpen all there drills he did it for 30 yrs. guess you get pretty good in that many years.

[@Sicktrickintuner]

joe tiller Just trial and error eventually, had to hand sharpen a couple bits of mine the past weekend to get a job done after it took a large chip off. You learn what works quickly, and small bits I just buy cause you end up snapping them right in two. They are cheap under 1/4” anyways. Less then a couple $ each

[@commentsboardreferee7434]

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

[@isbcornbinder]

I was actively looking for a Lisle 91000 when I found a STERLING grinder. I bought the Sterling yesterday and unloaded it today. I tried to resist cleaning up the Sterling, but...................... I would buy a Lisle 91000 in a second. I like tools.

[@Abom79]

I want one of those Sterling grinders!

[@isbcornbinder]

Lots of luck to you in the search if you want a good used one. The prices are high and for good reasons. A new Sterling is about $4795 here in Canada. The Macdunna factory has a year waiting list. I called Sterling to inquire about parts availability. With a few exceptions, they have all the parts. The Sterling is heavy at 380 pounds.

[@Abom79]

I've been eyeballing them for years now and always hoped to come across a really good deal. It's not important enough to spend a bunch of money on, but if the right deal come up, I'd consider it.

[@AnthonyJanflone]

Fantastic tool! This is the second one I've ever seen!

[@yanwo2359]

That looks like a great tool! I wonder why it's no longer made.

[@ZPositive]

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

[@Rubbernecker]

Nice, I have wondered for some time how you grind drill bits. Thanks for sharing!

[@BruceBoschek]

A completely different league than my Drill Doctor! lol Beautiful machine and sharpening job. Thanks for the excellent explanation.

[@tacitus101010]

Excellent instructional video! You explained that really well.

[@bxmachine]

Another very informative video, thanks Adam.

[@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. :-)

[@rodneywroten2994]

one great bit grinder Adam