Drill Doctor

[nast70]

Anyone have any experience with this product? We have hundreds of dollars of bits in the shop and would love to find a way to sharpen them. This unit gets mixed reviews, but with little to no explanation. You love em' or you hate em'.
Wan to hear first hand from this group.....
Thanks for the input

[dale7637]

My in laws use one on the farm, they sure seem to like it.
I haven't used one myself though.

[dagoat_1]

Have two and they do the job once you take the time to learn to use it properly. You then figure out what a properly sharpen bit should look like and you can replicate it on the bench grinder in quarter the time.

[qwert]

snip
figure out what a properly sharpened bit should look like, and you can replicate it on the bench grinder in quarter the time.

I suggest obtaining an adjustable steel machinist's protractor (~$10-15) to use as a guide to ensure the cutting edges are the correct and (most importantly) equal angle and their junction is centered. You need to develop the proper wrist action to roll/turn the bit while simultaneously dropping your hand to cut the proper relief while still supporting the cutting edge. Cooling is required, do not over heat the bit.

I suggest you get some instruction and a good demonstration, but there is probably a UTube video. Practice lots as it is a learned skill. IMHE, it is easiest to learn on 3/8-1/2" size as it is easier to see your results. A magnifier is a good aid for old or poor eyes.

Very large bits need some special techniques and secondary cuts. I like to use a thin oval 'slip stone' to hone the cutting edge and remove any burr, this will result in the bit staying sharp much longer.

IMHO, following a good demo, the best way to learn is to sharpen first, then use drill bit to check performance, small changes of relief angles will dramatically affect cutting performance and speed as well as life of the edge.

Once the skill is learned no guides are required, and you will be able to sharpen using the side of a stone wheel or the flat canter portion of an angle grinder disk.

I sharpen before most use.

Good Luck, YMMV.

[BigRedJeep]

Garbage. Total garbage! Buy a good quality bench grinder and some super cheap twist drills in different sizes And practice away. The only way to get good cutting edges!

[elkhunter11]

I can do a better job, quicker, on a bench grinder.

[Sooner]

I bought one, read the manual, after many tries, still can get a bit sharp. Had better luck in the body shop with a bench grinder back in the day. Seems so simple but i just cant get both sides even. Mine is a dust collector now.

[bloopbloob]

A trick to check bit angles is to put two hex nuts side by side, and stick the bit tip in the angle they make together. This will be close to the desired angle.

[CaberTosser]

I've found mixed results between different models of Drill Dr's. I'd bought one for my Dad's old shop and it worked fantastically, often it would improve on the bits factory edge (I snagged this one back when he sold the outfit, I'd originally bought it for myself and he went and compulsively engraved the company name on it, lol). I was able to make entirely broken bits useable again with that unit and found it was a real money saver when fixing up expensive cobalt bits.

I subsequently bought another unit for myself that was a different model number and I was disappointed with that one, the diamond wheel in it left a much more coarse finish and the cutting angles it produced didn't seem particularly efficient.

Based on my experience I would check online reviews on the specific model number you're looking at getting (or base your choice on their best-reviewed model)

[chain2]

A trick to check bit angles is to put two hex nuts side by side, and stick the bit tip in the angle they make together. This will be close to the desired angle.
:)

[mikhughe]

Works well for what it does, but so does a grinder. Quality bits make all the difference in the world too.

[Peace Meal Farm]

I like my DD. I have never been good at doing it freehand on a grinder and I've ruined more than a few bits trying to figure it out. The DD gives me consistent results - quickly - every time.

[william4willow]

Bought my first one about 2003 and it has paid for itself many times over. Follow the instructions! I have two jigs I used to use for sharpening bits but they are the dust collectors now except to the larger sized bits. Bought the same model for my son at an estate garage sale still in the box that was never used, about the same vintage, and it works great. These are not the entry level Drill Doctors! Using decent quality bits makes a big difference, cheap bits are never worth what you pay for them! A upper quality DD is worth it's weight in gold when you are doing a project and need to resharpen a bit or put a new edge on the last size of a broken bit! I used to teach students how hand bomb bits on a grinder and they did drill holes when I taught Industrial Arts but DD's consistency is a definite sign of progress!

[lund17]

Look at Darex. www.darex.com I purchased the XT3000 for our shop.

We only a had one or two guys at any time that could sharpen bits on a grinder. Very easy to set up and everyone on the shop floor could sharpen bits. You can choose your angle and even split point.

[Kim473]

I suggest obtaining an adjustable steel machinist's protractor (~$10-15) to use as a guide to ensure the cutting edges are the correct and (most importantly) equal angle and their junction is centered. You need to develop the proper wrist action to roll/turn the bit while simultaneously dropping your hand to cut the proper relief while still supporting the cutting edge. Cooling is required, do not over heat the bit.

I suggest you get some instruction and a good demonstration, but there is probably a UTube video. Practice lots as it is a learned skill. IMHE, it is easiest to learn on 3/8-1/2" size as it is easier to see your results. A magnifier is a good aid for old or poor eyes.

Very large bits need some special techniques and secondary cuts. I like to use a thin oval 'slip stone' to hone the cutting edge and remove any burr, this will result in the bit staying sharp much longer.

IMHO, following a good demo, the best way to learn is to sharpen first, then use drill bit to check performance, small changes of relief angles will dramatically affect cutting performance and speed as well as life of the edge.

Once the skill is learned no guides are required, and you will be able to sharpen using the side of a stone wheel or the flat canter portion of an angle grinder disk.

I sharpen before most use.

Good Luck, YMMV.

X2

Drill doctor is junk, IMO.

I have sharpened 1/16" - 3" drill bits by hand on a bench grinder over the years. Nice to have a prof. drill sharpener for drills over 1/2" though.