Hello,

Does anyone know if there is a decent drill bit sharpener out there that will sharpen bullet point bits? I know the Drill Doctor exists but am not a fan of the screaming loud motor that it uses. I have scene industrial models but don't need one that large.

Thanks, Jason

From what I have seen, the drill doctor is the only reasonably priced machine that actualy works. I sharpen bits by hand, but I have been looking for a super deal on a commercial model for many years and they are few and far between. One that I found was junk, and the only other one I ever found was without colletts, (one needed for each size!).

I have bought several over the years none really worked. a couple years back I bought a Drill Doctor it does a good job up to 1/2 , you can buy an adaptor for up to 3/4 i believe

I have a Drill Doctor 750X and have not had very good luck with it. It works all right for smaller bits, but doesn't work well for anything 1/2" or more. I followed the directions to a T, but still could not get larger bits sharp. I have seen other things on other forums with the same complaints.

Best drill sharpener i know is the hand and eye and lots of practice it works :)

I'm with Jocko- double cuts are tough in the beginning but doable with practice and learning how to shape your grinding wheel. best part is set up time...

Disclaimer- I'm not using these "hand sharpened" drills bits for precision machining.

I've been thinking of getting one of the Drill Dr.'s specifically for the smaller sized bits. I do a pretty fair job with bits from say 3/16" up, but 3/16 and under are really hard for me to get consistently. I end up with a screw-machine length drill by the time I've got it fair. Over 1/2" are a lot easier in my opinion both because you can see what you're doing better, and because one millisecond longer on one side than the other doesn't hose your geometry like on the smaller bits...

A good tip to get the angle of the drill bit pretty close is weld two hex bolt heads together, that will give you 120 degrees, the proper angle is 121, doesn't help with the flute leg lengths or clearance angle tho' you have to practise that;)

I purchased a drill doctor and have tried to use it reading and rereading the directions. I don't care for it's results. I just went back to hand and eye sharpening. I have a sharpener that General tool designed for a bench grinder, but never used it..

A good tip to get the angle of the drill bit pretty close is weld two hex bolt heads together, that will give you 120 degrees, the proper angle is 121, doesn't help with the flute leg lengths or clearance angle tho' you have to practise that;)

This angle depends on what material you are drilling.
Personaly I think a good bench / pedastal grinder & a good eye with a steel rule & a couple of made up gages.
I can hand sharpen on a grinder consistently from 5mm to 50mm drill bits & drill at 0.1mm of drill diameter. I can also make them drill over size if I need to.

I have one of those 12 dollar swing type sharpeners i got from grizzly.com set up on my 12" disc sander and its perfect for bits of all angles. It will even make a regular bit into a perfect flat bottom drill for the times you need one. But i don't think it would work on the bullit ones with the extended point...Bob

Always wondered how you are supposed to sharpen the bullet points.. and a wheel by had is the upshot of this thread so far... seems like a lot of work... I haven't seen their performance to be superior enough to warrant the work that would go into sharpening them.... 118 or 135 degree cobalts work for me.. but thats just me.... I'll keep an eye on this one....

I sharpen them by hand, as I can't get the sharpeners to work very well.


If you are just learning to sharpen by hand get the finest wheel you can find (it takes longer to cut, so you don't mess up so fast) It also helps if you can slow the grinder down.

For the tiny bits, I actually use a Dremel tool locked in a vise. The speed is more adjustable, and the stones come in several grits.

I have a drill doctor that takes up tp 3/4". It does not make like new factory sharpened bits, but it works well enough for me (in all sizes)-in one of my former employments I was a trained machinist so I do know what a good, sharp bit is. I have found though, that you need to use the machine exactly as they describe in the instructions or you will not have good results. For my 2 bits, it saves me time, which translates into $$$
Mark

I've sharpened drills by hand for the past 10 years and I can tell you that the drill doctor ain't all it's cracked up to be. Even with fresh wheels on the thing it never gets as sharp as a simple fine grade stone on a bench grinder. The one thing the drill doctor 500/750/etc does well at is that it gets you quote close to the angle you need to be at. So in the beginning using that as a reference point can be quite handy. After using the drill doctor I always take my drills to the grinder and give them a very slight tough on their edge. This gives them that incredibly sharp edge that will give you fluted spirals that pull out of the hole. Those spirals of metal are when you know your cutting tool is as sharp as it can be. If you get small splinters and shavings you are not as sharp as you can be. Also note a cutting fluid is desirable on virtually every application and will give you a better, clearner cut not to mention extend the life of the drill and the sharpness of the bit.

That said the drill doctor does pretty well on 1/4" and under which are rather hard for most people to do by hand. One of the best things to do (and I know this sounds not like a lot of fun) is to get some cheap bits from a flea market or goodwill and practice, practice, practice cutting at different points. After a lot of practice you can just look at a drill and tell if it will cut well or not because you'll be so used to seeing what a good grind looks like and what a non-cutting grind looks like.