I have been sharpening drills for over one half century. Your lesson on drill bit sharpening is the best I have seen. You explain how and why. Thanks for this video. I will have my apprentices watch this.
@@marcelvorhanden8358 Quick question, why the fuck is a mechatronics engineering learning how to sharpen drill bits? 💀😅 Going by your name i guess you're studying at a german university, which is why i am confused.
@@zimbothemagnificent I have a drill from a certain country to the east of the US where QC is unknown, it snagged in a hole and reversed the helix to about half way up. It’s a gem, and an object lesson, don’t buy junk,!
@@johnsherborne3245 You know you can buy nice stuff from china too, right? We go in, buy their absolute cheapest stuff and then blame them for it being cheap Just buy their mid-range to high end stuff and you'll get better quality for the price than domestically produced stuff
Drill sharpening is an extremely useful skill to learn for any metal or woodworking hobbyist. I've found that if you buy cheapie drills from harbor freight and just resharpen them by hand, they end up working pretty dang well, even in steel. A lot of the problem with them, is the fact that geometry of the point is off from the factory.
On videos like these, I come in thinking that I have a decent understanding of the topic. Then you start with the absolute basics, like "explain like I'm 5" level. At the time it almost seems like a joke. Half an hour later, you've taken me through 20 more super basic concepts, and I actually understand how something works. Only then do I realize how little I actually knew before, and how important it was to work from the ground up. Keep up the excellent work!
With Great knowledge comes great arrogance. Every time anyone learns something its stops them thinking that they know nothing, which is the thing that caused them to learn in the first place.
Hey Tony, I'm 29 and I don't have a garage, mill, welder, lathe, giant satellite dish, or children. I can't relate to you or Norm McDonald in those ways. That being said, I found your channel 3 days ago and have binged watched every single video. Interesting, entertaining, and educational. Looking forward to the next video!
I have all of the above (except children, and a mill, oh, and a lathe) - well i suppose i have a garage at least, what i'm trying to say ive watched all tot's videos, twice ;-), never gets old.
The video is pretty good. I wish I could have watched something like this 50 years ago. I was about 15 and wanted to make a gymnastics high bar and parallel bars out of pipe. I was totally frustrated. Grandfather had about 118 drill bit set, every one of them dull, and the neighbor had about a 29 piece drill index, and all of them were dull also. And with all the advice I was given, all I ended up doing is grinding up a bunch of drill bits that were about as good as dull butter knives. I gave up. A few years later, I was able to talk to a machinist that gave me the information to sharpen drill bits by hand. What I do different is that I climb up the grinding wheel to remove the metal from the heel. As you mentioned, the back side of the grind should taper slightly down and away from the cutting edge. If it rises, then the heel gets in the way. About 30 years ago, I started to grind the split point bits. I was able to drill by hand, a 3/4 inch hole through slightly hardened plate steel without a pilot hole. I started with the 3/4 inch to establish where the center should be, and was going to drill a pilot hole from the center location established that was about 1/4 inch deep, but the 3/4 inch was drilling so well making DNA (Double Spiral shavings) I just continued drilling! You need a grinding wheel or something with a good 90 degree edge to make split point bits. If not, they look like the bits with a rounded corner like the one you did. I have even sharpened 3/64 bits with a Dremel tool. Sometimes they aren't so sharp even if they are quality drill bit manufacturers. I use the two 6 sided nuts as a reference. Good instructional video.
@@mattjohns3394 A particular chemistry teacher I had phrased it, "And those who can't teach,teach teachers". Given he had a Bachelors in English and History,with 0 chemistry experience,I found that ironic,but there it is.
I have to agree with dreams man I watched a lot of videos in yours taught me the most the most educational and easy to listen to while cracking a smile.
Your humor is unique to me: fine tuned balance between more than three poles and generously seasoning of self-depreciation to complete the charm campaign. Perfect!
One of my first jobs when I started working at a tool and die shop was to drill 3000 - 1" deep 3/8" dia holes in SS. I learned how to sharpen that drill bit.
A frequent job of mine when I worked in fab was to drill thousands of 1/8" holes by hand in mild steel, and also mild steel under a sammich of fiberglass and plywood. I learned pretty quickly that I was never going to get a 1/8" drill as good as new, and that if I had feed and speed right, a new one would last days like that. which is another way of saying that I would swype 2-3 new ones and jealously protect them from other employees mangling them before I had to spend a day bent double with a hand drill and an almost good bit. -- It was worth buying my own so I had the right to refuse to share. I later got cobalt and carbide drills for the same reason. HSS is better for most, but if a part burns up an HSS, don't mess up 4 more, go straight to the hard bit.
I have been a machinist, toolmaker and cabinetmaker for over 50 years and this is the first time I've seen such a comprehensive and detailed look at the how and the why of drill sharpening for metal work. Excellent presentation! My first job as a teenager in the machine trade was in a cutter grinding company, where, for my first assignment was given a bucket of 100's of old dull drills and a bench grinder and told to make them serviceable again. After a week or so of making sparks and having the machinists test them, I soon learned how to sharpen drills the hard way, but the best way. Those machines like 'Drill Physician' ;) are useless to those that know better. FYI, the pro's only call them "drills" or "twist drills", just look in the trade manuals such as Machinery's Handbook, and the catalogs such as McMaster-Carr and MSC. The term adding the "bit" somehow evolved together over the years and generally used by laypersons or woodworkers. A "bit" (to us) is something only used in wood and has a completely different cutting geometry. A standard twist drill is almost never used in wood, except in an emergency, but can be sharpened with a "brad-point" end to work in wood effectively. Keep up the great work - You seem to do your research well.
As a plastic injection mold maker apprentice this was my first task. It taught how and why drills and other cutting instruments work. It helps the machinist become self sufficient and gives him a job to help the guys while learning.
First job in a workshop was being on a terrible wage but getting paid $2 per chisel sharpened, $3 per plane blade and $5 per saw. You could expect your first 100 of anything to be thrown back at you but after a while you'll get good, or get sacked
Thank you for this video, there were a few lightbulb moments in there (e.g. pilot hole drilling and purpose....... as in why you do it for larger drill bits, not just hit it with a center punch.... I've always done it and not really known why, just that it's quicker!) and a lot more about drill bits now makes sense as well as why I suck at sharpening drill bits. Thank you from my pocket, the drill bits I would normally throw away and for giving me the knowledge to go fourth and sharpen 😁
I've done a lot of experimenting with trying to hand grind split points into drills and it's indeed not easy. You basically need to create two more cutting edges inside of the web. The short of it is that the secondary relief grind needs to be angled along the rotation of the spiral so you're actually grinding the chisel of the web away. In the attempt in this video, the chisel remained intact. Also, the grind on the split point is much more sensitive than the regular drill grind. If the point is off center even slightly you'll be drilling oversized and due to the nature of the grind angle, moving that point around goes quicker than you might expect. Hand grinding split points is certainly possible but be prepared to spend time to study proper split point grind angles. It has kind of a learning curve to it. I started practising it on an old jobber drill. It's my spotting drill now...
I genuinely appreciate putting so much into this, even if it was only meant to be a short video. I'm a novice at woodwork but admit I'd never given much thought to the engineering of drill bits et al - quite fascinating!
I really like how you explain things. For some reason you seem to get through to me a lot better than other "teachers". The whole explain, clarify, show, and then recap gives a lot more depth and insight to your topics.
Excellent video! I learned so much about drill bits as well as other cutting tools. Thank you for taking the time to make this and share it with the world.
I’ve been subscribed and watching your videos for about 2 weeks now. I’d just like to say how humble you are, and how you make your videos so relaxing to watch. There is no boasting on your end, but clearly you are VERY knowledgeable about what you do, not to mention quality video content. I’m sort of glad of finding your channel late, this way I have hours of videos to watch without having to wait for new ones. Thanks @Thisoldtony for shedding light on a trade I’d have loved to study back in the day.... but followed a different path and became an automotive mechanic.
I remember this kind of "lesson" from my first year of machinist apprenticeship back in the early 70's (yeah, I'm freakin' ancient...). But it took many weeks to get those basics across to some of my fellow classmates. You've managed to convey the entire course of the care and feeding of drill bits in less than 30 minutes and in clear, concise descriptions. Kudos for that! As always, a fun and interesting video. Thanks for sharing!
I've been getting better at this. Thank you. Started sharpening my hole saws too, with a small grinding disk. Works great. Kinda following the principle of a chainsaw or handsaw.
Dude I love your channel you can take the most complex machining processes and break it down in an easy to follow step by step process and explain it in a helpful entertaining and informative way without belittling anyone UA-cam needs more people like you
All good advice, for amateurs with machines, this guy is bang on, I’m an Aerospace trained engineer of 30 years, I regularly make my own cutting tools for my own company I bought at 26, I’m 49 now, and after 30 years I grind by eye.
I somehow only wanted to watch like 2min just to see what it was about, saving it for tomorrow and here I am at the end of the video thinking??? did I just watch 30min of video!!! Amazing work as always Tony
Over 50 years I have done and taught how to hand sharpen bits. Most get it right away while others will never have a clue. Oh well we can't always be winners eh, LOL. This video would get my teaching to 99 % Thanks bud.
i quite vividly remember the other occasion back then in our shop when i had to regrind the big bad 55 mm drill with MK5 taper. it was so worn out over time but actually none of my coworkers were bothered to sharpen it, so i decided to give it a shot. what a mess that was, i basically had to cut off the whole tip and start from scratch, and with a drill that big it's no joke at all to prevent the cutting edge from overheating. it turned out pretty neat tho, thing would cut into P20+Ni +QT with 15 mm pilot like the proverdial butter on the 9 feet lathe, and deviation of the bore wouldn't exceed 0.5 mm over 200 mm.
Not only was I not bored, but I finally learned just how to "see" the parts of the tip of a drill bit. It's been a mystery to me for all of my 67 years.... well, maybe only the past 60... I don't think I was quite ready to sharpen drill bits when I was 7 years old - but almost! ;) the point is that now, after all these years, I have found an explanation that not only makes sense, but taught me something I've been wanting to learn all of my adult life. Thank you, thank you, thank you....
Thanks to having watched this video, I've been able to use my Dad's extensive dull drill bit collection to drill some holes I needed in steel. It's a life changer! Thanks TOT!
I have found the best way to sharpen all drill bits under 1/4 inch is to openly throw them in the trash. That method never fails to produce a brand new bit. You are a genius Tony. I have to force myself to get up from the computer so as not to have and optical overload of TOT.
Tony, thanks for this excellent "derivation" of the procedure and the reasons for it. I believe that the first drill bit in your hand was for aluminum with more open flutes, but this has nothing to do with it, at all. You brought back memories: about 80 years ago I saw my grandfather's first drill press in the back of the steel-warehouse with the SPADE-DRILL-BIT which he made himself when he started; this hunk of cast iron had a horizontal top wheel for feed and had a side wheel with a handle to turn the bit, I suppose the work had to be clamped down. We came a long way. Old Bob
metalhead2508 thanks for the info I never even seen a bit like that, I have a few end mills with that kind of twist which are referred to as "for aluminum" so I assumed it's for a bit too. thanks again Bob
Your voice is the perfect mix of "make you sleepy" and "keep you intrigued" to get me to watch a 30 minute vidjeo on grinding. With the good instructing and editing, and even this 200 lb gorilla don't have trouble understanding it.
Your tungsten carbide bunker might protect you from the big bad wolf trying to blow you down. But any machinist would know... all they have to do is drop a tool holder onto your bunker and it'll shatter like glass.
For all the jokes I've heard and bad press the Drill Doctors get ivd had pretty good luck with mine. First, the original instructions I think are wrong, I also took mine apart a few times and made a few hardware changes. Second, there's a bit of a learning curve with it to understand how it works, I also bought a fiber grit stone which made a huge difference. Mostly I use it after I clean up and rough grind bad bits and I get good results. I bought mine at a yard sale used but looked brand new from a guy who swore it was the worst pos and he felt bad taking $25 from me, every time I use it I laugh that it was only $25.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video, very helpful to learn from you before I need to do this in class. I appreciate the effort you put into your UA-cam channel. I am hooked on watching your videos daily!
Just a quick question, TO Tony: why do you call them "bits"? During my apprenticeship (40 years ago, so perhaps ancient history) I would have gotten clocked with a bar of cold rolled for calling them that. "They're drills," the geezers would tell me with a sneer, "you want people to think you're a carpenter?" Either way, great programs! You know your stuff. Keep it up.
Bob Godburn, that's a good point (no pun) and my training dates to the same prehistoric period - approximately (early '80s, MTO). What I've learned is that a drill is what rookie military conscripts do; a drill bit (called a twist drill by the 'old timers') makes holes appear; and a drill motor makes a drill bit do it's magic. But I don't (er... DIDN'T) ever go to the toolroom and ask for a drill motor, I ask for a hand drill, dumb as that sounds.
"Drill bit" is an imprecise generic. Twist drills, spade drills, step drills, hole saws, center drills, core drills, etc, are all types of drill bit. These days you'll almost always use your drill bits in an electric drill (motor), but they can be used in a hand brace or pin vice, depending on size. Of course calling the cutting elements drill bits is a good overall category. You don't have to specify the exact details all the time.
Wow... didn't think this topic would generate such strong opinions. Then again a guy with Old Tony's skill can call them banana snowflakes, and I'd still pay close attention to what he says. For me personally though, I think I'll stick with Machinery's Handbook on this one.
Some of the old machine shop books, "The Complete Practical Machinist"-Joshua Rose, 1876, for one, describes some interesting ways of drilling holes. They're available from Google books (free). Might be interesting to try some of the old stuff.
I learned how to sharpen a drill by hand when I was 13 years old back in the 60's in my father's shop in the basement. I was bored one day and he said go downstairs and practice sharpening a drill, so I did and that's where it all started for me.. Also made my first ball-peen hammer at that age which I still have, along with others I made throughout the years.. Thanks for the video...
A great instructional vid. Terminology used correctly, great videography and friendly easy going commentary. There is sufficient detail to get a DIYer giving it a go. Well done and thank you.
Wouldn't it be possible to use your rotary table to twist the drill while milling to create a helix an the 30° rake? Maybe setting it up is not that easy. You will need to sync feedrates. Every time you make something it feels like a new episode of my favourite series. And this an extra long one! Thanks!
Tony try putting cutting oil inside the flutes with a brush next to chuck -that way as drill spins oil will slowly slide down the drill into the hole and lubricate better.
dude, you have something special about the way you walk through stuff... i've been drilling my whole life, never put this much thought into it... thanks for opening my eyes to the reasons we drill pilot holes other than 'its just easier'
I cant believe i dropped by this video weeks before, skipped cuz "this is way too long for a bit sharpening video! Dont have enough data for this" then i watched a few seconds then left off. Rewatching cause i know this channel is freakin GOLD and worth every minute per video and cruicial to my soon to be machining career!
Like many others on here I thought I knew how to sharpen drill bits correctly. But, as usual, I learned more in this half hour video than I have learned in over 40 years of winging it. Thanks, TOT.
Very interesting and I enjoyed listening to someone that understands the process. Yes, it maybe long but I learned why the drill bit is designed the way it is. Thank you
Hi Tony, I just subscribed. Question: I see that you that use milk on your lathe for coolant. Do you use 1 percent, 2 percent, or whole milk? Thanks, Joe
There is even rulers with 59 degrees, I am pretty sure someone patented this angle and then published an article claiming that this is The angle to rule them all
Every other drill bit sharpening video I’ve watched wouldn’t explain the secondary relief, they would just do it. So I was never really clear where it actually was, what it looked like close up and why not removing some material from behind the cutting edge would cause it not to cut. I definitely now feel more equipped to try this out. Thx for sharing your knowledge.
This is awesome... I just got a ton of my grandpa's old tools dug out and I now have about 50 new bits. Quick question for anyone, most of the bits are Dormer and P&N... Are these quality bits?
Hi Old Tony, I just sharpened a 1/2" dull drill bit according to what I remembered from this video. Your explanations & demonstrations gave me confidence, enough to let me then drill into the tapped hole of the cast iron clamp at the base of a hobby vise, to allow an extra 1/4" of thread to hold the vise in position. The sharp bit drilled smoothly and safely without grabbing. Now I can use this vise again just like I wanted to, so thanks for your very helpful video.
I think the reason you started off with round stock instead of square stock, is that you didn't want the resulting drill bit to drill square holes.
Might wanna apply this videos topic to yourself, because you're not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Sorry I just wanted to make that joke.
Oh your serious....
Steven Hawking died because of people like you.
Jk lol
Bwahahahahaahahaha!!!
LOVE the humor here!
I have been sharpening drills for over one half century. Your lesson on drill bit sharpening is the best I have seen. You explain how and why. Thanks for this video. I will have my apprentices watch this.
I've learned it in my education to a Mechatronics Engineer and the old Tony here Explained it even better then my master did when I learned it
@@marcelvorhanden8358 Quick question, why the fuck is a mechatronics engineering learning how to sharpen drill bits? 💀😅 Going by your name i guess you're studying at a german university, which is why i am confused.
@@OttzelTV Because dull drill bits don't cut.
I hope you appreciated the humor too. He not only knows what he's talking about, he's also quite funny!
"I can't cut a helix on my milling machine... not a day goes by that I don't feel terrible about that" - hilarious
He could on his CNC router though.
But you could cut them straight then twist it asferward
@@zimbothemagnificent I have a drill from a certain country to the east of the US where QC is unknown, it snagged in a hole and reversed the helix to about half way up. It’s a gem, and an object lesson, don’t buy junk,!
@@johnsherborne3245 You know you can buy nice stuff from china too, right?
We go in, buy their absolute cheapest stuff and then blame them for it being cheap
Just buy their mid-range to high end stuff and you'll get better quality for the price than domestically produced stuff
@@zimbothemagnificent too hard to grip it with the machine oil all over my hands.
Drill sharpening is an extremely useful skill to learn for any metal or woodworking hobbyist.
I've found that if you buy cheapie drills from harbor freight and just resharpen them by hand, they end up working pretty dang well, even in steel. A lot of the problem with them, is the fact that geometry of the point is off from the factory.
The 😮😅 pool
On videos like these, I come in thinking that I have a decent understanding of the topic. Then you start with the absolute basics, like "explain like I'm 5" level. At the time it almost seems like a joke.
Half an hour later, you've taken me through 20 more super basic concepts, and I actually understand how something works. Only then do I realize how little I actually knew before, and how important it was to work from the ground up.
Keep up the excellent work!
Ryan Gore .Ditto!
ditto me too !
Same here.
With Great knowledge comes great arrogance.
Every time anyone learns something its stops them thinking that they know nothing, which is the thing that caused them to learn in the first place.
couldn't agree more!!!!
I just watched a half hour long video on how to grind a drill and I wasn't bored once. Thanks Tony!
Thanks for watching Chevee!
Holy crap... Have I been sitting here for 30 minutes? Felt like only 10!
i dont even HAVE drills or a workshop or a grinder
HAHAHAHA great pun
@@ThisOldTony funny that you mentioned single flute drills. I was gun drilling some 20D holes at work yesterday 😬
Hey Tony, I'm 29 and I don't have a garage, mill, welder, lathe, giant satellite dish, or children. I can't relate to you or Norm McDonald in those ways. That being said, I found your channel 3 days ago and have binged watched every single video. Interesting, entertaining, and educational. Looking forward to the next video!
I have all of the above (except children, and a mill, oh, and a lathe) - well i suppose i have a garage at least, what i'm trying to say ive watched all tot's videos, twice ;-), never gets old.
I’m a huge fan of Norm MacDonald’s comedy, but I think you might’ve meant Norm Abrams, from This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop...?
First get a girl after you get a spot of ground marry her and have children
Norm McDonald has a machine shop?!
Norm is dead.
I am glad you stopped time traveling and are doing something more down to earth.
:D
Truth be told I knew I'd need that drill in the future so I came back to the present to sharpen it. :)
thought that my day couldn't get better, I was wrong. Thanks Tony
The video is pretty good. I wish I could have watched something like this 50 years ago. I was about 15 and wanted to make a gymnastics high bar and parallel bars out of pipe. I was totally frustrated. Grandfather had about 118 drill bit set, every one of them dull, and the neighbor had about a 29 piece drill index, and all of them were dull also. And with all the advice I was given, all I ended up doing is grinding up a bunch of drill bits that were about as good as dull butter knives. I gave up. A few years later, I was able to talk to a machinist that gave me the information to sharpen drill bits by hand. What I do different is that I climb up the grinding wheel to remove the metal from the heel. As you mentioned, the back side of the grind should taper slightly down and away from the cutting edge. If it rises, then the heel gets in the way. About 30 years ago, I started to grind the split point bits. I was able to drill by hand, a 3/4 inch hole through slightly hardened plate steel without a pilot hole. I started with the 3/4 inch to establish where the center should be, and was going to drill a pilot hole from the center location established that was about 1/4 inch deep, but the 3/4 inch was drilling so well making DNA (Double Spiral shavings) I just continued drilling! You need a grinding wheel or something with a good 90 degree edge to make split point bits. If not, they look like the bits with a rounded corner like the one you did. I have even sharpened 3/64 bits with a Dremel tool. Sometimes they aren't so sharp even if they are quality drill bit manufacturers. I use the two 6 sided nuts as a reference. Good instructional video.
You would make a great shop teacher if you were missing a finger.
Damian Frattasio I loled about this one!
Ironically mine was missing his left ring finger.
Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach.
And those that can't teach, teach PE.
@@mattjohns3394 A particular chemistry teacher I had phrased it, "And those who can't teach,teach teachers". Given he had a Bachelors in English and History,with 0 chemistry experience,I found that ironic,but there it is.
I can do that
The angle gage made from 2 hex nuts was worth the whole price of admission!
My father in law said he learned that in shop class many years ago.
That's basic maths
@@marcpp damn youreannoying
I genuinely learnt something today. I don't have a machine shop or anything, but it's good not to be afraid of stuff nobody else told me about
I’ve been watching drill bit videos all day and I have to say, you made more sense in 30 minutes then the others put together.
Thanks!
I have to agree with dreams man I watched a lot of videos in yours taught me the most the most educational and easy to listen to while cracking a smile.
Your wit was not lost here... Excellent video Tony. Who knew a "how to" on Drill Sharpening could be so enthralling.
thanks Ian!
Your humor is unique to me: fine tuned balance between more than three poles and generously seasoning of self-depreciation to complete the charm campaign. Perfect!
One of my first jobs when I started working at a tool and die shop was to drill 3000 - 1" deep 3/8" dia holes in SS. I learned how to sharpen that drill bit.
A frequent job of mine when I worked in fab was to drill thousands of 1/8" holes by hand in mild steel, and also mild steel under a sammich of fiberglass and plywood. I learned pretty quickly that I was never going to get a 1/8" drill as good as new, and that if I had feed and speed right, a new one would last days like that. which is another way of saying that I would swype 2-3 new ones and jealously protect them from other employees mangling them before I had to spend a day bent double with a hand drill and an almost good bit. -- It was worth buying my own so I had the right to refuse to share. I later got cobalt and carbide drills for the same reason. HSS is better for most, but if a part burns up an HSS, don't mess up 4 more, go straight to the hard bit.
I have been a machinist, toolmaker and cabinetmaker for over 50 years and this is the first time I've seen such a comprehensive and detailed look at the how and the why of drill sharpening for metal work. Excellent presentation!
My first job as a teenager in the machine trade was in a cutter grinding company, where, for my first assignment was given a bucket of 100's of old dull drills and a bench grinder and told to make them serviceable again. After a week or so of making sparks and having the machinists test them, I soon learned how to sharpen drills the hard way, but the best way.
Those machines like 'Drill Physician' ;) are useless to those that know better.
FYI, the pro's only call them "drills" or "twist drills", just look in the trade manuals such as Machinery's Handbook, and the catalogs such as McMaster-Carr and MSC.
The term adding the "bit" somehow evolved together over the years and generally used by laypersons or woodworkers. A "bit" (to us) is something only used in wood and has a completely different cutting geometry. A standard twist drill is almost never used in wood, except in an emergency, but can be sharpened with a "brad-point" end to work in wood effectively.
Keep up the great work - You seem to do your research well.
As a plastic injection mold maker apprentice this was my first task.
It taught how and why drills and other cutting instruments work. It helps the machinist become self sufficient and gives him a job to help the guys while learning.
First job in a workshop was being on a terrible wage but getting paid $2 per chisel sharpened, $3 per plane blade and $5 per saw. You could expect your first 100 of anything to be thrown back at you but after a while you'll get good, or get sacked
Thank you for this video, there were a few lightbulb moments in there (e.g. pilot hole drilling and purpose....... as in why you do it for larger drill bits, not just hit it with a center punch.... I've always done it and not really known why, just that it's quicker!) and a lot more about drill bits now makes sense as well as why I suck at sharpening drill bits. Thank you from my pocket, the drill bits I would normally throw away and for giving me the knowledge to go fourth and sharpen 😁
I've done a lot of experimenting with trying to hand grind split points into drills and it's indeed not easy.
You basically need to create two more cutting edges inside of the web.
The short of it is that the secondary relief grind needs to be angled along the rotation of the spiral so you're actually grinding the chisel of the web away. In the attempt in this video, the chisel remained intact.
Also, the grind on the split point is much more sensitive than the regular drill grind. If the point is off center even slightly you'll be drilling oversized and due to the nature of the grind angle, moving that point around goes quicker than you might expect.
Hand grinding split points is certainly possible but be prepared to spend time to study proper split point grind angles. It has kind of a learning curve to it.
I started practising it on an old jobber drill.
It's my spotting drill now...
Thanks for the great guide! I've seen a few of these, but your teaching style is great. Definitely learned a few new things.
I genuinely appreciate putting so much into this, even if it was only meant to be a short video. I'm a novice at woodwork but admit I'd never given much thought to the engineering of drill bits et al - quite fascinating!
I really like how you explain things. For some reason you seem to get through to me a lot better than other "teachers". The whole explain, clarify, show, and then recap gives a lot more depth and insight to your topics.
Rule #1 for sharpening drill bits - Begin with pointy end.
Excellent tip
:) a sharp sense of humour
You are right, this conversation has become dull
oh, I'm sure you could have kept it turning...
lmfao this is a-raze-ing (like a razer and amazing hhahahhaa im so funny)
Excellent video! I learned so much about drill bits as well as other cutting tools. Thank you for taking the time to make this and share it with the world.
I’ve been subscribed and watching your videos for about 2 weeks now. I’d just like to say how humble you are, and how you make your videos so relaxing to watch.
There is no boasting on your end, but clearly you are VERY knowledgeable about what you do, not to mention quality video content.
I’m sort of glad of finding your channel late, this way I have hours of videos to watch without having to wait for new ones. Thanks @Thisoldtony for shedding light on a trade I’d have loved to study back in the day.... but followed a different path and became an automotive mechanic.
Great explanation - being a complete layman, I've eventually understood why drill bits look the way they do. Big thank you.
I remember this kind of "lesson" from my first year of machinist apprenticeship back in the early 70's (yeah, I'm freakin' ancient...). But it took many weeks to get those basics across to some of my fellow classmates. You've managed to convey the entire course of the care and feeding of drill bits in less than 30 minutes and in clear, concise descriptions. Kudos for that!
As always, a fun and interesting video.
Thanks for sharing!
I've been getting better at this. Thank you. Started sharpening my hole saws too, with a small grinding disk. Works great. Kinda following the principle of a chainsaw or handsaw.
Dude I love your channel you can take the most complex machining processes and break it down in an easy to follow step by step process and explain it in a helpful entertaining and informative way without belittling anyone UA-cam needs more people like you
All good advice, for amateurs with machines, this guy is bang on, I’m an Aerospace trained engineer of 30 years, I regularly make my own cutting tools for my own company I bought at 26, I’m 49 now, and after 30 years I grind by eye.
"And see why, where, how and who, we need to grind"
I must admit I laughed at that harder than I should have.
I somehow only wanted to watch like 2min just to see what it was about, saving it for tomorrow and here I am at the end of the video thinking??? did I just watch 30min of video!!! Amazing work as always Tony
that's how they getcha.
Just watched it for the second time and shared it on my DIY FaceBook page. Great video. :-)
Over 50 years I have done and taught how to hand sharpen bits. Most get it right away while others will never have a clue. Oh well we can't always be winners eh, LOL. This video would get my teaching to 99 % Thanks bud.
I love this first principles approach. I've been hobby machining for years and I still learned a lot.
I did enjoy that, TOT.
Hell, I'm even a slightly better man after that.
Not by much, mind.
Not so you'd notice.
But still.
Better.
i quite vividly remember the other occasion back then in our shop when i had to regrind the big bad 55 mm drill with MK5 taper. it was so worn out over time but actually none of my coworkers were bothered to sharpen it, so i decided to give it a shot.
what a mess that was, i basically had to cut off the whole tip and start from scratch, and with a drill that big it's no joke at all to prevent the cutting edge from overheating.
it turned out pretty neat tho, thing would cut into P20+Ni +QT with 15 mm pilot like the proverdial butter on the 9 feet lathe, and deviation of the bore wouldn't exceed 0.5 mm over 200 mm.
Not only was I not bored, but I finally learned just how to "see" the parts of the tip of a drill bit. It's been a mystery to me for all of my 67 years.... well, maybe only the past 60... I don't think I was quite ready to sharpen drill bits when I was 7 years old - but almost! ;) the point is that now, after all these years, I have found an explanation that not only makes sense, but taught me something I've been wanting to learn all of my adult life. Thank you, thank you, thank you....
Thanks to having watched this video, I've been able to use my Dad's extensive dull drill bit collection to drill some holes I needed in steel. It's a life changer! Thanks TOT!
Great video! I learned one very important tip, I should keep buying new bits!
haha.. thanks for watching Tim!
You're like a more thorough version of AvE with dryer humor. This is great.
Also less PG
This is the most concise video I have ever seen on drill sharpening. Bravo Drillologist!!!
I have found the best way to sharpen all drill bits under 1/4 inch is to openly throw them in the trash. That method never fails to produce a brand new bit. You are a genius Tony. I have to force myself to get up from the computer so as not to have and optical overload of TOT.
Tony, thanks for this excellent "derivation" of the procedure and the reasons for it. I believe that the first drill bit in your hand was for aluminum with more open flutes, but this has nothing to do with it, at all. You brought back memories: about 80 years ago I saw my grandfather's first drill press in the back of the steel-warehouse with the SPADE-DRILL-BIT which he made himself when he started; this hunk of cast iron had a horizontal top wheel for feed and had a side wheel with a handle to turn the bit, I suppose the work had to be clamped down. We came a long way. Old Bob
metalhead2508 thanks for the info I never even seen a bit like that, I have a few end mills with that kind of twist which are referred to as "for aluminum" so I assumed it's for a bit too. thanks again Bob
A drill bit sharpening video....with a *Twist*
That made me giggle
wait till you see the spin off episode!
ooooohhh!!!!
This Old Tony
I just love your style of videos. Machining w/ class.
I really like the angle Tony took with this video. Great job!
Interesting, informative, humorous and relevant...what a great combination. Great work Tony!
Wow 2 million people watched this. I can't hardly believe there are 2 million people that wanted to learn something. Thanks for the knowledge tot.
Thanks Tony. Absolutely brilliant video for someone like me who's never sharpened a drill but wants to start. Now I need you to recommend a grinder.
Any grinder that spins should do the trick. ;)
This Old Tony. As the kids would say, LOL
Personally I like an Italian grinder. Theres no point in spinning it unless you want to eat the middle last in which case by all means.
Your voice is the perfect mix of "make you sleepy" and "keep you intrigued" to get me to watch a 30 minute vidjeo on grinding. With the good instructing and editing, and even this 200 lb gorilla don't have trouble understanding it.
thanks Tony, for teaching me something I didn't know, and for making me laugh along the way.
Wow I really learned a lot watching this. Thanks. And as always I love your sense of humor.
Just get a Drill Doctor.
* retreats to tungsten carbide bunker to hide from machinists*
Hand Bannana At least it'd keep the OSHA guy from stalking your ass while you're just trying to do your job.
Your tungsten carbide bunker might protect you from the big bad wolf trying to blow you down. But any machinist would know... all they have to do is drop a tool holder onto your bunker and it'll shatter like glass.
Hand Bannana AvE: "REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
Was that AvE screaming in pain and anger, or AvE trying to drill into the carbide bunker at 7000 ripums with a blunt chinesium tool?
For all the jokes I've heard and bad press the Drill Doctors get ivd had pretty good luck with mine. First, the original instructions I think are wrong, I also took mine apart a few times and made a few hardware changes. Second, there's a bit of a learning curve with it to understand how it works, I also bought a fiber grit stone which made a huge difference. Mostly I use it after I clean up and rough grind bad bits and I get good results. I bought mine at a yard sale used but looked brand new from a guy who swore it was the worst pos and he felt bad taking $25 from me, every time I use it I laugh that it was only $25.
I feel smarter, which is always a dangerous feeling.
Great video! Your lesson on drill bit sharpening is the best I have seen. Thanks for taking the time to share.
I love u tube videos. The problem is you have to wade through a bunch of garbage to find a gem. This video is definitely a gem. Thanks, Tony
Disappointed you didn’t try to drill with the blank
My new favorite UA-camr
I thoroughly enjoyed this video, very helpful to learn from you before I need to do this in class. I appreciate the effort you put into your UA-cam channel. I am hooked on watching your videos daily!
Thank you so much. I've been sharpening bits for 65+ years and now I know how to do it right. Great video.
After watching a This Old Tony video, all comments are in the voice of This Old Tony, when I read them.
An interesting effect.
hi tony big fan here, can't wait to see you finish the go kart
same here, HE will put a new level of engineering into a kids a go kart, already has
Oh Tony,
Once again you have captured my attention. Thanks for what you do.
Always entertaining and informative.
Genius production, narration and, as always very, very witty!
Another brilliant video my friend.
Thank you
Stuart
I fell asleep watching this and woke up to someone driving a cardboard box with a car printed on it
Just a quick question, TO Tony: why do you call them "bits"? During my apprenticeship (40 years ago, so perhaps ancient history) I would have gotten clocked with a bar of cold rolled for calling them that. "They're drills," the geezers would tell me with a sneer, "you want people to think you're a carpenter?" Either way, great programs! You know your stuff. Keep it up.
Bob Godburn, that's a good point (no pun) and my training dates to the same prehistoric period - approximately (early '80s, MTO). What I've learned is that a drill is what rookie military conscripts do; a drill bit (called a twist drill by the 'old timers') makes holes appear; and a drill motor makes a drill bit do it's magic. But I don't (er... DIDN'T) ever go to the toolroom and ask for a drill motor, I ask for a hand drill, dumb as that sounds.
Bob Godburn Because calling them "twist drills" driven by "drill motors" is clunky.
"Drill bit" is an imprecise generic. Twist drills, spade drills, step drills, hole saws, center drills, core drills, etc, are all types of drill bit.
These days you'll almost always use your drill bits in an electric drill (motor), but they can be used in a hand brace or pin vice, depending on size.
Of course calling the cutting elements drill bits is a good overall category. You don't have to specify the exact details all the time.
Wow... didn't think this topic would generate such strong opinions. Then again a guy with Old Tony's skill can call them banana snowflakes, and I'd still pay close attention to what he says. For me personally though, I think I'll stick with Machinery's Handbook on this one.
Some people think synonyms don´t exist. But they do.
Making your own "drill" from scratch was a fantastic way to explain this topic. Well done.
Best video and commentary I have seen!
Thank you so much Tony
I love the fact that we learned this in our car-mechanic apprentenceship in germany (2008) .
Sharpening drill bits by hand : misleading title, now my finger as bleeding...
Love this site just discovered this I’m in the beginning stages of machining ready to learn more thankyou so much
ahahahahha "trust me, I'm an amateur" :D
Some of the old machine shop books, "The Complete Practical Machinist"-Joshua Rose, 1876, for one, describes some interesting ways of drilling holes. They're available from Google books (free). Might be interesting to try some of the old stuff.
thanks hopper, I'll have to try to dig that up.
I learned how to sharpen a drill by hand when I was 13 years old back in the 60's in my father's shop in the basement. I was bored one day and he said go downstairs and practice sharpening a drill, so I did and that's where it all started for me.. Also made my first ball-peen hammer at that age which I still have, along with others I made throughout the years.. Thanks for the video...
A great instructional vid. Terminology used correctly, great videography and friendly easy going commentary. There is sufficient detail to get a DIYer giving it a go. Well done and thank you.
That "dull" drill bit looks like you used it to gnaw halfway through to earth on your way to China!
A friend once asked to borrow a 1/2 twist drill. When he brought it back it looked like that. What on earth did you drill with this? Um, concrete....
well, I guess sleep can wait
That, Sir, was priceless! Thank you.
you were COOL, CALM, & COLLECTED, AND BEST YET- INFORMATIVE!!!...THANKS!!
Wouldn't it be possible to use your rotary table to twist the drill while milling to create a helix an the 30° rake?
Maybe setting it up is not that easy. You will need to sync feedrates.
Every time you make something it feels like a new episode of my favourite series. And this an extra long one! Thanks!
Wim's Mill some mills have that ability. I think Bridgeports had an attachment that would sync the traversing with the rotary head to create a helix.
S.P. Smith Audio indexing heads, some have the ability to be driven to give helical shaping.
Yes! and that's brilliant.
So upcoming video: Making metal helix. Looking forward to it.
Tony try putting cutting oil inside the flutes with a brush next to chuck -that way as drill spins oil will slowly slide down the drill into the hole and lubricate better.
dude, you have something special about the way you walk through stuff... i've been drilling my whole life, never put this much thought into it... thanks for opening my eyes to the reasons we drill pilot holes other than 'its just easier'
I cant believe i dropped by this video weeks before, skipped cuz "this is way too long for a bit sharpening video! Dont have enough data for this" then i watched a few seconds then left off.
Rewatching cause i know this channel is freakin GOLD and worth every minute per video and cruicial to my soon to be machining career!
"...I can't cut a helix on my milling machine." actually means I was too lazy to set this up in the CNC
2:09 Because turning the square stock would work-harden it unevenly and weaken it?
Tom ding ding ding! we have a winner! Tony, tell him what he's won tonight!
No, you idiot, it's because you'd end up with a square hole!
Just Power Electronics you just made my day!
The problem with square holes is you then need a square Bolt! Have you tried threading a square bolt? Hard as Frig!
Because square stock would require a four jaw chuck and everybody knows drill chicks have only three jaws. Duh!
Like many others on here I thought I knew how to sharpen drill bits correctly. But, as usual, I learned more in this half hour video than I have learned in over 40 years of winging it. Thanks, TOT.
I am impressed. You teach like someone that has the authority of knowing the subject. Thanks for the shop lecture.
8:59 "Now I can't cut a helix on my milling machine…" But I believe your CNC router _can_ cut a helix using the 4th axis, right?
8:59 I think the recent modification to the milling machine might allow you to cut that helix now. 😉
Always informative. I'll probably never get to your level of involvement, but I appreciate the knowledge shared.
Very interesting and I enjoyed listening to someone that understands the process. Yes, it maybe long
but I learned why the drill bit is designed the way it is. Thank you
Hi Tony, I just subscribed. Question: I see that you that use milk on your lathe for coolant. Do you use 1 percent, 2 percent, or whole milk? Thanks, Joe
Almond soy lactose free
There is even rulers with 59 degrees, I am pretty sure someone patented this angle and then published an article claiming that this is The angle to rule them all
Every other drill bit sharpening video I’ve watched wouldn’t explain the secondary relief, they would just do it. So I was never really clear where it actually was, what it looked like close up and why not removing some material from behind the cutting edge would cause it not to cut. I definitely now feel more equipped to try this out. Thx for sharing your knowledge.
I'm learning so much Tony. You're channel is the best for machinists. Godbless!
This is awesome... I just got a ton of my grandpa's old tools dug out and I now have about 50 new bits. Quick question for anyone, most of the bits are Dormer and P&N... Are these quality bits?
Tragically Canadian dormer are pretty good I think, havnt come across P&N
A Trust In Thrust cool thanks, maybe I'll practice on the P&N then
Tragically Canadian Dormer is pretty good quality, I have no experience with the other brand.
Yes.
Hold on to the Dormers, you won't regret it.
well shit i cant sharpen a chisel either
The best Video about Drill Bit sharpening I have every seen. Thank you so much.
Hi Old Tony, I just sharpened a 1/2" dull drill bit according to what I remembered from this video. Your explanations & demonstrations gave me confidence, enough to let me then drill into the tapped hole of the cast iron clamp at the base of a hobby vise, to allow an extra 1/4" of thread to hold the vise in position. The sharp bit drilled smoothly and safely without grabbing. Now I can use this vise again just like I wanted to, so thanks for your very helpful video.
Holy notification, Batman!
Irony intended ?