Joined
·
8,640 Posts
The earlier post on shopping for spot weld cutters got me thinking that I need to turn you guys on to a really nice thing, the Drill Doctor drill bit sharpener. Personnally I couldn't justify one for my own shop, but I bought one for work, because we go through a few dozen drill bits a year. It was pretty easy to cost justify based on that.
The unit costs a little less than $200. It's available a lot of places like Eastwood. They even have a websight for it. http://www.drilldr.com
Here's a picture:
http://www.drilldr.com/assets/images/DD750_sm.jpg
It takes about 30 minutes to set it up and figure out how to sharpen a drill bit with it, but after that, it's a snap. You can take a bit from ultra-dull to razor sharp in about 60 seconds. Now, it won't put a pilot point on your bit, resharpen masonary bits, or sharpen anything odd like a spotweld cutter. You'll note from the websight that it just works with standard and splitpoint bits with the two most common point angles.
However, if you have one of these things, your bits are going to be so sharp that you won't miss not having pilot points. I can pilot drill and final drill in much less time then I used to spend trying to get a dull bit through a piece of steel. Now all my bits are sharp and I'm a happy camper.
Honestly, if I knew how good this thing would work, I think I would have just bought the damn thing and set it up at home. Now that there's one at work I can use afterhours for free, I'm way too cheap to spring for one of my own...although I should...it's that much of a "joy" to have sharp bits.
p.s. I'm using bits on my spot welds now...because a razor sharp bit beats a half dull spot weld cutter any day.
Phil
The unit costs a little less than $200. It's available a lot of places like Eastwood. They even have a websight for it. http://www.drilldr.com
Here's a picture:
http://www.drilldr.com/assets/images/DD750_sm.jpg
It takes about 30 minutes to set it up and figure out how to sharpen a drill bit with it, but after that, it's a snap. You can take a bit from ultra-dull to razor sharp in about 60 seconds. Now, it won't put a pilot point on your bit, resharpen masonary bits, or sharpen anything odd like a spotweld cutter. You'll note from the websight that it just works with standard and splitpoint bits with the two most common point angles.
However, if you have one of these things, your bits are going to be so sharp that you won't miss not having pilot points. I can pilot drill and final drill in much less time then I used to spend trying to get a dull bit through a piece of steel. Now all my bits are sharp and I'm a happy camper.
Honestly, if I knew how good this thing would work, I think I would have just bought the damn thing and set it up at home. Now that there's one at work I can use afterhours for free, I'm way too cheap to spring for one of my own...although I should...it's that much of a "joy" to have sharp bits.
p.s. I'm using bits on my spot welds now...because a razor sharp bit beats a half dull spot weld cutter any day.
Phil