Sharpening brad point drill bits

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wizard

wizard

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I hope that the answer to this isn't obvious to every but me...but how do you go about sharpening brad point drill bits? I have a very nice Drill Doctor but that won't work.. Is there something else that would work? Is it worth the effort or should I just buy new ones? Thanks for any help.
 
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Boy, I can't wait to see the answers to this 1. I to have that same question! unfortunately I don't think there is a way to sharpen them unless you do it by hand
 
I use my Dremel with a small cut off disk and my magnifiers of course. Done a pretty good job so far.

Lin.
 
Only way i can think of to do it right is with a cnc. Unless you have an awesome expensive bit, it wouldn't be worth the cost, but for a $20 bit I'd sure look into it. Contact a carbide sharpening place that does router bits and saw blades, they'd be the ones with the machinery set up to do it.
 
A tool and die shop will have the diamond tool grinders to sharpen them -- Otherwise probably a hand operations ---

The tool grinding gear beyond hand operations get expensive in a hurry -- you have to go throgh a lot of bits --

2nd best is a diamond lapping plate, mag eyes, and a steady hand.

3rd best is the dremel/foredom gear
 
If they are decent quality bits, then use your Drill Doctor to shape them into regular bits. If you have a good sharpening system ( Drill Doctor) then they will always be sharp and therefore not any worse than the advantage you may think you got from the Brads.
 
skiprat said:
If they are decent quality bits, then use your Drill Doctor to shape them into regular bits. If you have a good sharpening system ( Drill Doctor) then they will always be sharp and therefore not any worse than the advantage you may think you got from the Brads.
Click to expand...


What he said!
 
skiprat said:
If they are decent quality bits, then use your Drill Doctor to shape them into regular bits. If you have a good sharpening system ( Drill Doctor) then they will always be sharp and therefore not any worse than the advantage you may think you got from the Brads.
Click to expand...

Steven, The bits I use are the Wood River brand sold by Woodcraft here in the States and are $ 7 to 10 each. Not sure of the quality. I have a Drill Doctor 750X but it doesn't say anything one way or the other about brad points. Do I just go slow when sharpening the bit at least when the brad point comes into contact with diamond wheel? I just don't want to damage the Drill Doctor. Doc
 
Doc, I don't have a Drill Doctor but would love one. For the money you paid for those bits, they should be good ones.
Now, I know that the grinding wheels on the DD are expensive and easily trashed so if I were you, then I'd 'rough' out the standard shape on a grinding machine by hand and only then, perfect them on the DD. Doing ALL the grinding on the DD would just be a waste. The DD should be used for sharpening, not shaping.

LOL, I enter the Bash Drawing every year in the hope that I'll get the Drill Doctor by Jeff!!!:biggrin:
 
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