Drill Doctor - anyone used one?

[OneTenner]

I'm getting no sense from the 'Fred in a shed' or metalworking type forums, it's an American bit of kit so maybe @Roadster280 may know of it?
I'm thinking of one of the mid-range Drill Doctor sharpeners

Drill Doctor 500X

The Drill Doctor 500X is perfect for the serious DIY'er, hobbyist and the professional user who needs to sharpen bits frequently. Free Delivery on any order.

drilldoctor.co.uk

Key thing is that it will sharpen 135 degree split point drill bits - which it will, the supplied 100 grit wheel has been mentioned as a bit coarse but there is a 180 grit available, now I'm planning on using this on my 'work' drill bits, which range from cheap & cheerful to expensive and miserable (for anyone that borrows & breaks them!)
I'm guessing this sort of thing is better for just sharpening rather than re-dressing drill bits with chips out of the edge etc.?
Now I was taught to sharpen drill bits on a grinding wheel, TBH, the one at work looks like it's been used for sharpening 8mm Tungstens, badly (it hasn't!), I could bring them home to take out the bad bits on my wheel and then sharpen on the Drill Doctor to compensate for what my eyes can no longer allow me to do as well as I once could... Or is there a better solution? something that will take away the damage and sharpen to an acceptable standard?
Cobalt & Co-Cobalt (and TCT, but I don't have any of those) are apparently not best sharpened on Carborundum wheels, or so I've read.

Of course, the other option is just to chuck damaged ones in the metal skip and buy new, that doesn't sit well with my Yorkshireness though.

 

[RaiderBoat]

I thought this was a Fang-Farriar question.

Never mind.

 

[mrdude]

Buy some glasses if you can't see properly. Also if you are crap at hand sharpening on a grinding wheel - you can just buy a jig for a grinding wheel, keep your old drills and use them to practice with. You can re-learn to sharpen a drill bit in a few attempts - there's loads of YouTube videos on this subject that can give you tips and reminders on the angles etc.

Also get one of these: Grinding wheel dressing tool, you can fix your grinding wheel with that so it's nice and flat, that way you'll get a proper cutting face on the bit.

 

[Roadster280]

I'm getting no sense from the 'Fred in a shed' or metalworking type forums, it's an American bit of kit so maybe @Roadster280 may know of it?
I'm thinking of one of the mid-range Drill Doctor sharpeners

Drill Doctor 500X

The Drill Doctor 500X is perfect for the serious DIY'er, hobbyist and the professional user who needs to sharpen bits frequently. Free Delivery on any order.

drilldoctor.co.uk

Key thing is that it will sharpen 135 degree split point drill bits - which it will, the supplied 100 grit wheel has been mentioned as a bit coarse but there is a 180 grit available, now I'm planning on using this on my 'work' drill bits, which range from cheap & cheerful to expensive and miserable (for anyone that borrows & breaks them!)
I'm guessing this sort of thing is better for just sharpening rather than re-dressing drill bits with chips out of the edge etc.?
Now I was taught to sharpen drill bits on a grinding wheel, TBH, the one at work looks like it's been used for sharpening 8mm Tungstens, badly (it hasn't!), I could bring them home to take out the bad bits on my wheel and then sharpen on the Drill Doctor to compensate for what my eyes can no longer allow me to do as well as I once could... Or is there a better solution? something that will take away the damage and sharpen to an acceptable standard?
Cobalt & Co-Cobalt (and TCT, but I don't have any of those) are apparently not best sharpened on Carborundum wheels, or so I've read.

Of course, the other option is just to chuck damaged ones in the metal skip and buy new, that doesn't sit well with my Yorkshireness though.

I have heard of them, but sorry, I have no experience of them. Personally I use a Tormek-type wet grinder for sharpening. It's not a genuine ($$$$) Tormek, just a Grizzly rip-off and was about $180. Seems it's a bit more now:

10" Variable-Speed Wet Sharpener at Grizzly.com

<h1>T32720 10" Variable-Speed Wet Sharpener</h1> <h2>Sharpen just about any cutting tool to a razor sharp edge.</h2> <p>The T32720 10" Variable-Speed Wet Sharpener is so versatile and simple to use, you’ll wonder why you ever put up with sharpening by hand before.</p> <p>The 2-1/2" wide...

www.grizzly.com

There's all kinds of accessories for it in terms of toolholders, extending what it will sharpen, and I am pretty sure there's a UK importer too.

I looked up the Drill Doctor here, and the 500X is $99 on Amazon. Make of that what you will with respect to the UK price...

 

[Sam The Bam]

Yep I have the 500X and it is worth the money. It does a great job of sharpening drill bits.

 

[OneTenner]

Yep I have the 500X and it is worth the money. It does a great job of sharpening drill bits.

View attachment 637575

Good for sharpening, but any good for restoring damaged bits? asking for a friend...

 

[Sam The Bam]

Good for sharpening, but any good for restoring damaged bits? asking for a friend...

Damaged in what way?

 

[OneTenner]

Damaged in what way?

Chipped tips mainly, if they're too bad I'd grind them down and then sharpen them, a lot of my drill bits are Cobalt or Co-Cobalt, which apparently are not ideal for a standard Carborundum wheel and the cost of a decent diamond wheel is approaching the cost of a Drill Doctor anyway...

 

[Sam The Bam]

Chipped tips mainly, if they're too bad I'd grind them down and then sharpen them, a lot of my drill bits are Cobalt or Co-Cobalt, which apparently are not ideal for a standard Carborundum wheel and the cost of a decent diamond wheel is approaching the cost of a Drill Doctor anyway...

I have had only one drill bit that was pretty badly chipped and it fixed it no problem. Also I haven't had any problems sharpening any of my Cobalt bits on the DD either.

 

[OneTenner]

Yep, they do mention Cobalt drill bits in their list of applications, prices over here seem pretty outrageous but I'm sure I 'll be able to get one for £120-130 if I bide my time...

ETA - my drill bits at home don't get anywhere close to the grief my ones at work do, I'm considering putting a hasp & staple on the drill boxes to stop the borrowers abusing them....

 

[Sam The Bam]

Yep, they do mention Cobalt drill bits in their list of applications, prices over here seem pretty outrageous but I'm sure I 'll be able to get one for £120-130 if I bide my time...

ETA - my drill bits at home don't get anywhere close to the grief my ones at work do, I'm considering putting a hasp & staple on the drill boxes to stop the borrowers abusing them....

I just had a look at UK prices, Amazon UK wants £199 and DD UK wants £179. That's way over twice what it costs here but then how much of that is tax.

My drill bits get some heavy use as well. To stop herself borrowing my good drill bits I bought a box of cheap drill bits and left them out where she could find them in the basement. My good drill bits are in my workshop locked away where she can't get at them.

 

[Ding Dong!]

Jeez! That’s not cheap for a drill sharpening device.
I got one of these-

Multi-Sharp Drill Bit Sharpener

Order online at Screwfix.com. Long life, high quality aluminium oxide and silicon carbide wheel accurately sharpens 3-13mm diameter, HSS (including titanium-coated and Cobalt), masonry (regular and hammer), SDS plus, centre point wood (brad point) and flat wood bits. Grinding jig accurately...

www.screwfix.com

Suprisingly good for the money, reinstated a load of defunct bits. Instructions took a couple of read-throughs.
Powered by attaching a cordless (or corded) drill.

 

[OneTenner]

Drill doctor seem to do the 'you've left something in your cart' discount emails, the standard 10% off code on the front page is trumped by a emailed 20% off code - I'm in no hurry, I can get one from Amazon.com for $100 +$20 import deposit - but, it's 120V. I'm quite happy to trawl the Amazon Warehouse lists for a damaged box one to come up or find one on fleabay in my target cost range.

 

[OneTenner]

Jeez! That’s not cheap for a drill sharpening device.
I got one of these-

Multi-Sharp Drill Bit Sharpener

Order online at Screwfix.com. Long life, high quality aluminium oxide and silicon carbide wheel accurately sharpens 3-13mm diameter, HSS (including titanium-coated and Cobalt), masonry (regular and hammer), SDS plus, centre point wood (brad point) and flat wood bits. Grinding jig accurately...

www.screwfix.com

Suprisingly good for the money, reinstated a load of defunct bits. Instructions took a couple of read-throughs.
Powered by attaching a cordless (or corded) drill.

80 grit is quite coarse for sharpening drill bits, particularly smaller ones, won't be any good for non-HSS bits either.

 

[neil82]

Chipped tips mainly, if they're too bad I'd grind them down and then sharpen them, a lot of my drill bits are Cobalt or Co-Cobalt, which apparently are not ideal for a standard Carborundum wheel and the cost of a decent diamond wheel is approaching the cost of a Drill Doctor anyway...

diamond wheel would be no good for what your thinking of doing, harder the materiel your grinding softer your wheel needs to be, green wheel should be used on cobalt or tungsten bits, diamond wheel is for a final polish, bit like stropping a knife with a leather strap

 

[TamH70]

Yep I have the 500X and it is worth the money. It does a great job of sharpening drill bits.

View attachment 637575

Tempteth me not with the blandishments of a new power tool accessory. I am but weak and feeble of mind and easily influenced into thinking that I need sucheth a thing as that Jezebel in the white cardboard box therein thy picture.

 

[putteesinmyhands]

Buy new bits, job done.

It's all very well sharpening the tip of the drill bit to encourage it to drill faster but much of the wear will be along the sides of the bit, resulting in a narrower hole. It doesn't matter how much you sharpen the bit, you're not going to get it back to its original diameter.