How to Sharpen a Drill For Metal Angle Grinder

Modern drills have a sufficient margin of safety to make even holes in a wide variety of materials. However, during operation, the cutting edge of this complex tool can become dull rather quickly, which dramatically reduces its efficiency. Therefore, a drill designed for working on metal must be sharpened in a timely manner.

What signs indicate that it is time to sharpen the drill

Starting sharpening the cutting edge of this tool without urgent need is not recommended. Indeed, during this difficult procedure, you can spoil the product in one wrong movement, and only a professional can fix such a defect. Therefore, you should start sharpening the cutting part of any tool only after it really has become blunt.

Experienced craftsmen understand that it is time to sharpen the cutting surface of the drill, according to the following signs:

• During drilling, instead of spiral chips, small crumbs fly;
• The workpiece and drill quickly overheat;
• The process is accompanied by a loud noise.

Each of these problems should be the reason for checking the sharpness of the instrument with its subsequent sharpening.

Employees of specialized centers working on expensive equipment will cope with the problem in a couple of minutes. However, even in the conditions of a home workshop, this problem can be solved if there are sufficient skills and tools in the form of an “angle grinder”, a grinder or special nozzles for an electric drill.

How to sharpen the “angle grinder”

Such a power tool has long ceased to be a gimmick and is present in the arsenal of almost every craftsman who occasionally deals with the processing of metal surfaces.

However, to restore a dull drill, a single “angle grinder” is clearly not enough. In addition, a bench vise will be required in which the sharpened tool will be mounted, and a template made of plastic or nuts connected to each other to check the angle of sharpening.

Tools are cooked. It’s time to move on to the process itself:

• Clamp the drill between the “jaws” of the vise;
• Turn on the “angle grinder”;
• Carefully grind the worn part;
• We sharpen the cutting surface at an angle of 115. 140 degrees (the larger the angle, the “softer” the metal being processed).

How to sharpen a sharpener

This “home” method has its own characteristics. Manual sharpening mode is available only to experienced locksmiths who have extensive experience, allowing you to “restore by eye” any dull tools.

All other home masters will have to purchase or borrow a special holder “from a neighbor”. This device must be installed next to the emery (about 1 mm.). In this case, it is necessary to verify the stability of the bolted connection, so that during the execution of work to eliminate the displacement of the clamp.

Only after that can we proceed directly to sharpening the tool:

• Fix the drill in the holder (the angle of sharpening is set in advance);
• Turn on the sharpener;
• Remove damage from the cutting surface;
• We sharpen the cutting surface by short-term. Not more than 2 seconds. Contact with the emery.

How to sharpen using a nozzle on a drill

In this case, proceed in the following order:

• Fix the nozzle;
• Turn on the electric drill;
• Insert the drill into the hole on the device and sharpen the cutting part on one side;
• Then we take out the sharpened tool from the hole, rotate it 180 degrees and sharpen the cutting part on the second side.

At home, it is easiest to restore the performance of a dull drill for metal with a drill with a special nozzle. After all, this device, in contrast to the “angle grinder” and sharpener, will help novice craftsmen to avoid mistakes, because of which they will have to throw out a damaged tool.