Sealey SMS01 Drill Bit Sharpener Grinding Attachment

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When this happens, you generally have no choice but to throw them out and go and buy new ones. However, with a drill bit sharpener, you can easily solve this problem and save your old bits from adding to the landfill problem. Alan Grimes fixed the grinder to the base and made the overall table assembly movable, a different method of aligning the wheel to the trunnion center. He reports excellent results with 6 facet drills. The woodwork on the grinder base and alignment jig are very nicely done making this unit a showpiece. Which brought up an issue I hadn't considered. This sharpener works well in my shop because I immediately sharpen any drill that seems dull in use, meaning I sharpen drills now and again rather than many at one time. With the 1/10 HP motor it takes 3-8 minutes to sharpen a drill, depending on size and condition. Not a problem the way I use the sharpener but when sharpening an index of 30 drills it takes hours. And most of this is grinding rather than setup - the little 1/10 HP motor slows down, limiting the grinding rate. Bottom Line: more power is needed to use this unit commercially. A grinding spindle and 1/4 HP motor in a setup similar to the Brooks might work well. I now use the powered 4/6 facet sharpener described above for most drills although I continue to use the hand powered sharpener for drills under 1/16". SPA's are added to drills larger than 1/8" using the motorized 4 facet sharpener so the HoneDrill isn't used much any more.

Why we like it: This is the perfect option for the occasional driller/homeowner who uses a standard set of bits and doesn’t want to worry about getting the right angle when sharpening. Most of the thrust required for drilling with a chisel point drill is used to extrude material in front of the chisel since the chisel can't cut. This can force the drill off line causing the hole to drift. Reducing the required thrust results in straighter holes. While 4 facet points reduce thrust slightly, the material is still extruded. Split points are more effective in reducing thrust because the web area cuts rather than extrudes; this is also more efficient so it reduces heat produced and prolongs drill life. (See Moltrecht pg. 91-93, especially Fig 4-13) Why we like it: This sharpener can handle most drill bits that you are likely to use in a professional setting without the professional price tag.

However, when you have a sharpener, you can easily hone the points on those dull bits and extend their life. This means you won’t constantly have to buy new ones. This is also better for the environment because you’re throwing away your dull bits. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, sharpening your drill bits is always a good idea; even the best drill bits can be expected to dull with time. Blunt bits need you to apply more pressure to get the same result, creating a higher risk of your drill slipping and ruining the piece or injuring you. Types of Drill Bit Sharpeners

Mark Frazier used the small Harbor Freight grinder for power; construction is mostly aluminum with brass accents. His friend made the base and collet holder from walnut, which adds a nice touch.Why we like it: This multifunctional grinder is a great addition to a home workshop that doesn’t break the bank. Below is the optional drill point splitter mounted on the sharpener. It is secured by a single bolt so it can easily be removed if desired. Point width is set using a tapered stop, seen near the right rear bearing; blue tape marks the position for 20 thou point width. Sliding this stop farther out from under the traverse table narrows the drill point. This stop is removed to change from point splitting to sharpening mode. You’ll find that the best drill sharpener will use a diamond wheel. These wheels are heavy-duty and can easily handle tough carbide bits. Alternatively, if you use a lot of carbide bits, you can look for a bench grinder attachment. This means that you can make sure that your grinder uses a diamond wheel. The Stability of the Sharpener Type of abrasion: Standard sanding belts in 4 different grit strengths – coarse, medium, fine, and extra-fine As an experiment I used the HoneDrill to add "Secondary Point Angles" as shown in Figure 4 of the article on drill point geometry. Although it is easily done, it felt like I was ruining the drill because it was such an unusual thing to do. In fact, the section ground away is in the area that I have seen chip on a number of (abused) drills. The 1/4" drill I experimented on cuts steel nicely but it is impossible to evaluate whether all the claimed benefits are actually realized without conducting a controlled experiment. However, it is easy to do and works well so I commonly add SPA facets to drill bits - mostly bits larger than #25 since smaller bits usually cut well even without an SPA.

Traversing the drill past the wheel grinds it at the wheel's plane of rotation, forming one facet. Tilting the trunnion table to a second angle and traversing grinds a second plane on the drill (the other facet) which intersects the first at the trunnion line. Indexing (rotating 180 degrees) then allows grinding the other side of the drill identically. All 4 facets automatically meet at the center of the drill when the sharpener is correctly aligned. Hold your bit at a 60-degree angle to the side or face of the grinder using the edge of the drill bit point as a guide. The cutting edge should be facing outwards.A professional would get more use out of the Drill Doctor DD750X, which has a little more versatility in the sharpening angles, accommodating almost any drill bit likely to be used. Drill Powered Drill Bit Sharpeners

Why we like it: This grinder is significantly cheaper than most other grinders and benchtop drill bit sharpeners and comes with a handy work light. A general rule of thumb is, if you are wondering whether you should be wearing safety equipment, the answer is yes. Using a Bench Grinder Titanium bits have a special coating that gives them extra durability. They are said to last six times longer than a high-speed bit. However, cobalt bits are designed to drill into hard metals such as titanium, hardened stainless steel, and cast iron. These are, however, not designed for general purpose drilling. Which is better – Carbide or Cobalt? The 11/32" drill shown at right has small SPA's added making it 6 facet. These extra facets cause the drill to have a stronger self centering action plus the shearing action often produces a better finish in the hole. The sharp outer point on the cutting lip, a common failure point (pun), is eliminated so the drill remains sharp longer. It requires only one additional hole in the tilting table to produce SPA's, where the size of the facet is set by eye; SPA facet size isn't critical so simplicity won out. While the Work Sharp is marketed as a knife sharpener, it is essentially just a small benchtop belt grinder and works the same way as other grinders like the DEWALT Bench Grinder and the WEN 4276 Bench Grinder. Grinders are multifunctional sharpeners making them a fantastic option for those who want to maintain a variety of tools.It is able to deliver 1350 RPM no-load speed drawing just 90 watts, meaning there isn't much to complain as far as energy-efficiency is concerned.