I've been a machinist for 40 + years....I don't do everything exactly as Tom does.......but what he is showing you.....will certainly work. Watch, listen and learn. This man does know what he is talking about.

my father was a master tool & die maker .....he taught me how to sharpen drill bits in the shop at 16 years old much the same technique as you are doing now........he started his apprenticeship at age 14 and worked until age 65 at a machine shop then taught at trades school until he was 74 and his eyesight was not so good ......he was so skilled he never had to use the measuring tools himself to check the angles or lengths when sharpening bits or tools ......the other tradesmen used to call him Peter Perfect ........great video !

I've sharpened my own drills by eye for at least 20 years now and they work 'ok' I've just resharpened one of my drills using this method and oh my, what a difference, they cut better now than my shop bought drills, I have a lot of drills to resharpen now. Thank you for posting this, I only wish I'd seen it 9 years ago 😊

Very nice job. I've been a machinist since 1973, and I am impressed how well you translated your actions. It is quite hard to show someone how machinists do quick fixes On-The-Fly. Some of your viewers seem to think it's a natural thing and why don't you just say "blah blah", but I don't see thier version on KZfaq. Very few people understand what it takes to get a point across. Pun not intended.

Really superb tutorial by old school guy that knows his stuff. As a carpenter for 43 years I have learned to sharpen all manner of tools, all by hand and eye. This guy is spot on about using your hands and eyes as guides. Gimmick sharpening devices are actually detrimental to developing 'feel' so necessary for sharpening. Great vid. Thumb WAY up.

I have no idea why anyone gave this video a thumbs down. This was an outstanding explanation of how to sharpen a drill bit effectively.

Thanks Tom. I hadn't sharpened a drill bit in over 10 years so I needed a refresher.

I was very successful with using Toms techniques. I also found his teaching instructions very easy to understand and duplicate. I can't stand all you You tube hot heads that criticize a good man sharing knowledge.

THAT"S what I like to hear Tom! The whole point of making these videos is to hear that someone actually got their hands dirty, applied some of this stuff and learned something while doing it. Good job. Tom

Have a stockpile of old dull bits in my basement. Just tried this and right off the bat the first bit drills through steel like butter! Thanks for saving me hundreds of dollars worth of old bits!!! Couldnt have been easier!

This is why I do these videos. To hear that someone actually applied what they learned in them is great to hear. Thanks! Tom

Tom im a machinist well over 30years that was a perfect demo. faster then some mechanical grinders ive used which can burn the edge an soften it, i know used them for drills waste unless your in the business and have lots of resharps of the same sizes to do.

The ammount of videos there are on KZfaq telling you how to make jigs to re-grind drill bits is unbelievable. I feel obliged to sit there and write "you don't need a jig!........" Well done that man for showing people how easy and quick it is to sharpen a drill bit, just by hand on the wheel.Apart from the fact that I tend to rock the bit to get a continuous clearance ramp, not just a flat angle, That's EXACTLY how I do it.

I got taught when I was an apprentice mechanic 50 years ago. My boss taught me to slightly roll the drill bit from the cutting edge, the main thing is practice. I can still do it today, keep at it.

Dear Tom, I need to add to my previous comment. You have not only saved me loads of money (that I don't have) you have saved my sanity. I have been struggling with blunt drills for about 25 years. I was very good at making real hard work out of drilling into steel, until now. I stopped trying to sharpen the drills, because I only made them worse. You explained it so well I found it easy, at long last. Instead of dreading the thought of drilling into steel, I can't wait to do some more.Thanks for kindly sharing your wisdom. Janette

This is the first video I found that talked about the clearance angle which I found to be the most important part. Finally got my lug drilled out

very good....what i use to get the angel instead of a protractor is 2 hex nuts pushed together..you push the tip of the bit between them ...it also gives you a guide if you have got both sides the same as the 2 nuts will sit wonky if you have not,,so no need to use a ruler

Now first of all, Thank You! I tried this technique and it worked like a charm. I wish my teachers showed it to me when I started. Amazing!

Thanks Tom, I have a drill doctor and got pissed off at it because the grinding wheel wears out so quick so I looked up sharpening a drill bit on youtube and after watching a few good ones I found yours to be the cats ass thanks I was drinking some wine and watching this and had to go to the bench grinder right away to play. I promise I will get good at this because of good people like you sharing your trade

Great lesson! I've done that for years. It's great to know these skills aren't totally lost! Kudos. I've been retired a while!

This guy has done 22X10 power 100,000, yeah it looks easy. I’m 73, engineering degree with honors, had a toolmaker give me a one hour lesson on drill sharpening and I still reduce a 6” long bit to 3” long before I get it right! He discounts his years of experience and knowledge. If you ever have to recreate our civilization make sure you have at least 1000 tool and die makers. They are use to working 7-12s so that should be enough, don’t forget donuts on payday!

How can there be 2.1k dislikes of this?! I'd say it is one of the better hand grinding tutorials here.

That is a great video. Answered every question I had. Concise and to the point. Thanks Tom, I like your presentation. It's obvious without you needing to even say it, you've been doing this stuff for a long time and you know what works and what doesn't.

I’m just BARELY starting to think about maybe possibly tinkering with some machine tools and I have been binging your vids as I prep for my first little project. You experience and willingness to put it out for other to benefit from is appreciated.

Thanks Tom. Very clear. Appreciate the time and effort put into this. Going to practice this weekend.

Thanks for the great instructional video Tom , you just saved me 100.00+ as I was thinking about purchasing a bit sharpener. I have never had the opportunity to see anyone sharpen a drill bit , you just saved me a lot of $ and taught me a very valued skill to have. For that Sir I thank you , just found your channel . I am now a subscriber !

I tried this last week while drilling through a lot of steel - worked great - thank you for posting!

Excellent instructions! Went through my entire working career as a motor mechanic and never sharpened a drill bit properly till now. Had a great afternoon sharpening about 20 dull bits after viewing your video. Cheers

Perfection in motion, skilled craftsmanship, not forced just fluid from years of experience these are the things that are slowly disappearing, thank the lord for KZfaq and thank you sir for sharing..

Toms, that is a good video. No many mechanics today do this kind of sharpening.

Most videos don't make or speak about that secondary cut or the third. Thank you for covering those.

Yes, brass and plastic require either zero back rake or a slightly blunted cutting edge so they don't screw into the work. Glad you enjoyed the video.

Very useful video, didn't know you can sharpen bits like that, thought I need a special tool. As for the angle, I just eyeballed it and it worked fine. Had to resharpen it a few times because I drilled two stainless steel knives and they were tough af.

How could anyone find anything wrong with this tutorial-best I've ever seen on how to sharpen-natural born teacher-thank you sir

Wow!... With teachers like you, it opens up a whole new world of basic understanding principles. Thank You for this lesson.

Worked beautifully.. I recovered about 6 big expensive bits this morning that have been in the draw for years. Thanks

Excellent demonstration. Thank-you Tom.

Great video, thanks! I’ve quickly learned it requires lots of practice and much PATIENCE sharpening bits

Im in a trade school for half of my day every day in high school. Im learning to become a metal machinist, so I watched this video to try and get a head start in my class. Thanks for the video, it definately gives me a good idea of what I'll be doing

Best video I've seen on sharpening a twist bit! Thank you.

It was my first job out of school in a fabrication shop. But I had forgotten...thanks for the refresher..😊

Awesome, it helps so much when teaching anything to explain WHY you're doing what you're doing! A+

Thanks Tom the way you approach sharpening is better than the method I was taught.

Thank you, one of the best videos about that issue. It is like The TORMEK system, but by hand. Perfect. Needs practice. THANK YOU FROM PARIS France.

I just guessed and it worked brilliantly. I sharpened a broken drill bit and it was better than new.

I was taught the old school way and later learned the facet method. Both are good to know as larger bits 1 1/4 + lend them selves to the conical method especially in a job shop environment. Two things I recommend get yourself a drill point gauge w/6"scale 4R preferred. It's just handy as hell and the angle 118° is set and the most common. These are not expensive . Secondly do as Tom says and practice practice practice. People do things differently it's natural but most machinist sharpen drills the same way as shown.

Thanks for the great video. I've never sharpened drill bits before but feel like I could do it fairly well after your advice. Thanks again!

Excellent tuition ! NOW i will sharpen my drill bits the right way . Thank you.

Good tips showing how easy it is for beginners. I tend to roll the drill rather than taking it in two stages which also works well with practice. Using a bench sander works well too in upright position. An overhead spotlight looking directly down helps to get precise angle each time you repeat action along with using permenant marker to draw line on base plate showing correct angle On a really knackered drill bit be careful to go in stages to avoid overheating or drill cutting edge will become soft and will quickly become blunt.

Nice work Tom my grandfather taught me this same technique I have over 300 bits some of his and mine and its nice to have bits to get the job done right! Glad to see people teaching good technique and by hand which works better. Anyone can go buy a machine to sharpen bits, my wife got me a craftsman and what a piece of JUNK!!! Hand sharp all the way!!

This is exactly how I've been doing it for 40 years. Self taught, my Dad always doubted me, but couldn't argue with the results. Single curled chip even on hard metals.... Excellent demonstration...

I know this was posted a few years ago but thank you very much for taking the time to demonstrate your technique and share it with the rest of us.

I liked your presentation. I have sharpened my own bits for years. I was taught by an elderly (I use that term with the deepest respect. I wish I knew half of what he knew and be able to recall a quarter of what he taught me). one of the first th I ngs he taught me was the easy way to check to check the angle. take two he's nuts and hold two flats together. there's your 120 degrees. put the bit in with the Web parallel with apex of the angle. bring one cutting edge into contact with the wheel with the center of the bit just ever so slightly below 90 degrees. contact the wheel at the center line of the wheel and the cutting edge level. as soon as you contact the wheel start to move the shank of the bit own and to the left at the same time. not too much relief behind the cutting edge. to much relief makes the bit feed too fast causing grabbing and also results in a weak cutting edge. when you add those two things together it is easy to break the bit. you can check the length of the cutting edges seeing how much of the flats of the nuts are showing. pick nuts that have flats as close to the size of the cutting edges as you can. if you did it right when you are done it will look and cut like a new bit fresh out of the package. as for the Web not cutting, he also taught me that on bits much above 5/16 in thicker material use a pilot bit that is one size smaller than the web. my grandfather also taught me to always keep the bit cutting. he said "if you let the bit idle in the hole you will dull even a new it. I am now 60 and have discovered that if us young pups would listen and pay attention first to these wealth of information before we assume we have all the answers. how can we have all the answers when those guys had not yet heard all the questions.

I learned many years ago how to sharpen...I just found a 5 gal bucket full of drill bits..every size there is...most of them are made in USA old stuff, but good brands..millerfalls etc. So far I have 50 good as new bits....most people just toss drill bits...

Thanks for the video. I had to look up how to sharpen bits again, because it's been well over a decade since I have done so. And I have a stack of bits I need to sharpen at work, so I'll be able to stay busy now.

It's good to hear that the trades are still being taught in high school. It's definitely not as common as it was when I was teaching in the 70's. I'm glad you liked the video.

Very good, thanks for the effort and instruction. I have always struggled with this and I even get inconsistent results from my Drill Doctor. Now that I understand the concepts and goals we're trying to achieve, I can make it happen.

If in a bind, placing two nuts flat to flat, gives a 120° angle for reference.

My teacher couldn't show me this is. 6hrs...you taught it to me in 11mins. Thank you.

Many thanks , as a 65 year old, ive never been able to sharpen a drill bit, after watching your video ive just been in the workshop and in under a hour ive back to life a box full of bits that I'd saved for a rainy day!!! Many thanks again and best regards, Andy

The best explanation I've seen...good job

Very good video................clear and concise.................ty

Thank you for teaching us how do do it. I sit here in Germany and will do what I learnt from you .

Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant! Without a doubt the BEST way to sharpen a drill!! I back it up with personal experience!

Amazing. Easily the best video on the topic

I learned to sharpen twist drills when I was an engineering apprentice in a Textile Machinery Manufacturer. I did it a little bit different:- rather than create a series of individual 'flat' angles, I would have an upward and slight rotating motion that created the clearances. Whatever works is good. Thanks for sharing

Probably the best video online that I've seen, making it look easier than it is, but covering all aspect thoroughly

Thank you Tom for the video. I need all instructions I can get and thank full for all you provide

Tom, I learned how to do this in 1966 my Grandfather taught me. Nice to relearn. Great Video - only add start with eye protection.

Tom, anyone ever told you that you sound like Kevin Costner ? anyhow, ignore the trolls that have nothing better to do than leave a negative or facetious remark on the interestingly put together tutorials you have taken the time and consideration to educate those that have boxes of twist drill bits that accumulate and never see a wheel stone. Keep up the good work and enjoy what your doing. Ignore the pods.

Concise effective teaching of practical knowledge that a student can apply. Keep up the excellent work Tom.

Very well explained. I feel like I was back in college learning machining all over again. Your experience and knowledge really shows in this video. Would normally take under a minute! Wow, that's a signal for a pay raise just on that alone. If I was a shop owner, that is definitely the kind of experience I would be looking for. Great job on the video, thank you. By the way, I am a subscriber.

Very nice explanation thank you!!

nice job, I have to try this method

Thank you for this video. My own problem was the clearance angle that you mentioned. As soon as I understood that it worked perfectly!

Well explained especially the last bit about thinning the web. Many net instructional videos miss that bit. Good on you.

I've been grinding drills for 30 years, some as large as 2" in diameter. How you know you've done them right is the drill will cut the hole to size. If one side is longer, the hole will be larger which is good if you want slightly bigger. It's best to learn how to roll the clearance and count for each side to get them even. Using the side of the wheel is also a nice place to roll. You can rough the clearance on the front and roll on the side to finish.

Your grinding technique is nearly identical to mine, I've done thousands in 40 years. Here's a tip. To get that last fraction of a degree, the last few thousandths of lip, I shut the wheel off and touch the drill as it slows down. Lots of control, easier to get the results I want. Great finish, too. I often do the same thing when thinning the web, for the same reason

Many thanks for the great tutorial, fixed three of my formerly useless bits in just under 20 minutes.

Simple and straightforward. Thanks for the instruction!

Very helpful thank you

I always freehand sharpened my bits. I went by the angle the bit originally had and sometimes I did change it some. I didn’t use a protractor or ruler but I wasn’t a machinist. I was a diesel mechanic. I did have a machinist teach me how to notch the bit so it cut faster and lasted longer. It worked great when working on frame rails. You called it thinning the web.

i tried this yesteryear , i bought a protractor took measurements followed instructions and worked well thank you.

Thanks for the video,My dad did this always for me he was a welder for 30 years he sharped the drill's on the eye. And they where sharp as a stanley knife :-) He died 10-2-2016 Miss him a lot my best friend! Greetings Roy

Take two nuts put them flat side to flare side, the angle they make is 60 degrees, hold them together put the point of the bit in that space, thatvis a quick way to check your work, no gap and no separating the nuts , As you look down.

You do a machine quality job on yr sharpening skills, i can do a pretty good job, but i watched yr video again because im going to sharpen all my bits today & want to do as good as possible 👍

excellent! Been doing it that way for decades, only tip I might add, because I work with some pretty large drills that often get really mangled, is remeind folks not to overheat the tip while grinding, tuning it blue or gold, thus softening up, annealing the tool steel. Thanks for that

Thanks, Tom. Great video. The technique I was taught involves a lot of rotation and tilting to follow to relief angle. My instructor obviously had it down to an art form, but some days (most days, actually) I just don't have the finesse and patience to charm the drill bit like that. Really love your systematic and measured method.

При такой заточке, копируются все неровности наждачного круга на режущую кромку сверла. Кроме этого сложнее выдерживать углы резания на сверле. Я точу сверла иначе на любом наждачном круге или алмазном. Сверло имеет высокую износостойкость и выдерживает силовое резание. Посмотрите Способ заточки сверла от токаря профессионала. Опыт Куликова. @ Способ заточки сверла от токаря профессионала. Продолжение. Опыт Куликова. @

Damn! 5million views, nice Tom!!

This is a good video. It shows pretty much exactly how I was shown to do it when I worked at a job that was training me to work in a machine shop. Another very good resource for learning the how’s and why’s of drill bit sharpening was done by This Old Tony (sorry, I can’t seem to be able to copy/paste the link here, but it’s not hard to search for).

Very good demonstration Tom. Thank you.

I can't even sharpen a pencil

Handy!

Thanks for this Tom ; I'm nearly there on this (without angle gauges) some of mine cut others I have to regrind, (now going to try using angle gauge ) good thing is you can keep trying before drill gets too short.

Great thoughts shared in the beginning. They indeed are expensive and cumbersome. Love your video

we own a company that makes machines that sharpen and reshape drills, and every kind of cutter under the sun. i just bring my destroyed drills to the factory and they are automatically done in minutes (granted some of the units cost 6 or 7 figures). i appreciate the talent of craftsmen who can eyeball a bit and grind it out!

my Dad sharpened drill bits on bench grinders for many years dating back from the late 40s when he worked in a shipyard. he would sharpen bits based on what he was doing with them, some stuff he rolled them, for other things multi-faceted. the larger bits, over about 2 inch he would clamp in a vice & use a hand grinder. once done he didn't have problems with them drilling over sized holes. on my best day i never was as good at as he was on a bad day. in his later years he did start to have problems with smaller bits being off center, his eyes were not what they use to be. i got him a Drill Doctor which he did use & liked it for the most part, but it did take him longer to sharpen a bit with it than what it did when he had good eyes. some of the places he worked were like some people here "you can't properly sharpen drill bits on a grinder",.. cause of that he had more high quality drill bits than some shops.

First time iv'e went to you tube to research a subject and was satisfied with the first video i've watched and felt that that that fellow youtuber actually has some good experience and technique under his belt and knows what the heck they are talking about before they decide to make a youtube instuctional! Good Job Tom! i've subscribed and saved this video, Thank You!

Thanks for the information. You’re videos are very helpful in beginning my journey!