Drill Sharpening

Jewelry Discussion
1

Anyone know of a good jig for sharpening tiny drill bits?

2

I get pretty reliable results using a snap on disk, and sharpening tiny drill bits by eye, under the microscope.

3

Thanks, I’ll try that

4

Thanks

5

I do the same but use a separating disc. The thicker ones seem to have a finer grain structure and give better results. The first couple times you do it it’s helpful to look at a new drill to compare, you’ve got to get the same angles to get good results. After awhile you just remember. A side note, you can’t ever get it exactly like a new drill because those are cut with a slight curve on the faces, not a flat surface. But the separating disc gets it about 90% there. Good luck!

1 Like
6

With a bit of practice you don’t need a jig. This is a post of mine from 2006:

I was surprised and delighted to find that a little bit of practice
and an over-sized model enabled me to regrind my broken bits to cut
beautifully: I use a very fine stone in the flexshaft for the first cut
(the basic point) and then a diamond cutoff wheel for the clearance
angles. It was very difficult to get the angles at first, as I am
doing mainly 0.5mm (~0.019") drill bits. The trick was to use a new,
big fat drill (~1/2") as my model. That made it very easy to 'see’
the proper angles and set them in my head. As soon as I used the big
one as my guide, the little ones started coming out very well. Before
studying the big one, it wasn’t working so well. The new skill saved
me much time and money over the years as well as being very
satisfying!

Janet in Jerusalem

3 Likes
7

Thanks Janet

8

As Diamond setters, we use some mighty fine drill bits. I tend to cut a small bit to only approximate the angles on the big boys.
I try to cut just one pass on opposite sides, with the same angle as used on larger drill bits, but with just a slight back slope from the cutting edge, to avoid having to try to cut the second, relief angles on such a tiny drill bit.
It took a lot of practice, but I can usually use even my tiniest drill bits until I run out of fluting on the drill shaft.

If I’m sharpening larger drill bits for use in the garage or carpentry projects, then I will cut both the cutting edge, and the relief cut, but I seldom bother doing so on small drills at the bench. It takes merely a second or two to grab the other flex shaft, and put a new cutting edge on a dull setting drill.

1 Like
9

What’s the chance you could do a little video?
Esta Jo

10

Esta Jo
“Drill sharpening”? Do you mean “twist drills” for drilling holes in metal?
If not, could you please give me more information.:wink:
”gerrysdiamondsettingessays.blogspot.com”

Gerry, on my iPhone

11

Yup. The little drills for metal.