Drill Dr.

admin

What has been your experiance with this piece of engineering? I have tried several times to sharpen bits and not yet gotten a bit sharp enough to drill a hole.
Reply:TOTAL piece of crap,  Excellent marketing.Must have been invented by Ron Popiel's brother, the dumb one, and Ron gave him the marketing.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:What model do you have?I have the 750. and have had good luck with it.There is a bit of a learning curve.
Reply:I have found that the time spent learning how to sharpen by hand is time spent more wisley than learing how to use any drill sharpening devise
Reply:I got the cheapo DD100 that requires a drill on the back end. it took me several walk-throughs to get the depth adjusted but still working on getting something sharp.thanks for the feedback.
Reply:I know a few folks that have the 500 model and the 750 model.  Supposedly they are junk till you get to that level.  I don't have one, but will eventually.
Reply:I have the 750, and it is basically the same design as the $1000+ unit we use at the shop (OEM).  The thing is great!  Only thing you really have to pay attention to is the alignment deally; if it's out of alignment you'll wreck a bit pretty quick.
Reply:Ive got a 750, & ive had no problems with sharpening 118 & 135point bits, after the aforementioned learning curve. of course, this is with a hand drill, & not a mill or anything super accurate wish the 'wheels would last longer. (apprentice problem?)Im still trying to get the jist of the split point feature. Prob just take some time.Hey Frans, why the negative review??? give some feedback!Shane
Reply:I've got the 750 pro model as well, it came with an video and I had to watch the video a couple of times to get it figured out.  It does work good, on bits larger than 1/4.  The wheels tend to wear out as mine is right now, but apparrantely you can turn them upside down to get more life out of them, wish I could do that with my carbide tip blade I wrecked this morning on the chopsaw.Anyone know of a really good drill bit sharpener up to 1500.00 I would pay that for a expert model.  Would have to handle up to 1 inch bits.There's a method to the madness, disregard the method and the madness begins!!
Reply:750 Here. Works great. I agree with the learning curve comment. I don't recall wheel cost but it was way less than I expected. I'm guessing less than $15."Some days you're the dog, some days you're the fire hydrant"
Reply:take the time to learn to do it free hand. much more accurate. just get a drill Gage and practice. much faster and you can change angles for aluminum and SA                                                             ken
Reply:Why the negative review, you ask?Cause after I waited 20 minutes on a damn ladder for somebody to sharpen a friggin bit with one of those POS contraptions, I climbed down, sharpened the damn drill by hand, and then climbed back up and drilled the damn hole.If I can see the damn drill, I can sharpen it freehand, so it will CUT.  I only need my trifocular welding helmet to see the ones under 1/4".There is only so much equipment you can carry, and I'd far rather have a decent bench grinder on the truck than 6 drill doctors.Drill Drs are more worthless than those damn little shelves on bench grinders that are  never properly adjusted, so dummys can get a friggin tool jammed in there and wreck a wheel and bend an arbour.Learning to sharpen a drill ain't hard, if you want to learn.  Hell, I learned from an old ******* who would look at every drill I sharpened, and jam it into a wheel so I had to redo the drill if he wasn't satisfied.  After a few times of his doin that, I got smart and tried the drill without showing him first, and they worked just fine.With a bench grinder, you can mount a wheel on one side for Carbide drills and save a fortune replacing them too.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:Free hand -----Go-franz GoMy Dad showed me how to over 40 years agoI have sence taught 100's Learn to do it by hand before you learn to do it with power
Reply:i don't know but i need a drill dr.now i carry titanium bitsbut.when i do need to sharpen.hey man,i just get out the dang bench grinder.hah
Reply:I have been sharpening drill bits by hand for 50 yrs but now I finally found out about the drill Dr. I got the model 250 handyman model. It sure works good for me. It's so easy to use if you just follow directions. I  never had my bits in as good a shape as they are now. I gave one to my son and son  in law and they both like them.Welder- Miller Thunderbolt AC 225-DC 150 Plasma cutter, Miller Spectrum 300O/P torch- Victor 100
Reply:i been doing it by grinder since 1973
Reply:any tips on bench grinder sharpening??StangnetShop Full Of Stuff. Joey
Reply:yeah,just sharpen where the angles on the drill bit are,common sense will tell
Reply:if worn they will appear round in shape if sharpened they will be angled and sharp looking
Reply:My kids got me the Drill Dr for Christmas a couple of years ago.a couple of quick comments I think Franz's helpers just wanted to leave him on the ladder, while they took a break.when I use to have good eyes I could sharpen passable bits by hand. I think the kids got me the drill dr, after trying to use bits that I sharpened freehand.After I played around with it for a while and figured out how to use it, I'm real happy with it. It's no Darex, but a hundred and change, beats a grand and change.I even sharpen Tapcon carbide drill bits, that I used to throw away.The bits that I sharpened with it drill real good holes, pretty close to the desired diameter, a lot closer than my freehand attemptsIf any of you'all have access to "HOME SHOP MACHINIST" the July/August issue had a good article on it.Here's a link to their webb sighthttp://www.drilldoctor.comLast edited by fla jim; 02-11-2004 at 10:37 AM.
Reply:Careful there Jim, first it's a Drill Doctor, and next them kids will take the car away from you down there in the land of the hanging chad.Join Parents Against Children NOW, before it's too late.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:They'll need to start worrying if I trade my truck in on a Grand Marquies, And move up to Beverly Hills with ole Marcopolo
Reply:Here is a 1" drill that I did on my modified General Tool device. I use the Drill Dr for 1/2" down to what I can hold in a pin vise.
Reply:Trying this again..... Attached Images
Reply:Free hand here, we had a drill dr, tossed it in the trashId like to find a way to do them on the surface grinder like i do the mill bits.WOW! that looks like a neat project...what angle do you set the grind to?
Reply:The standard one........what the heck is it....59 1/2*....? You can adjust it to whatever you want. The top piece of angle is hinged. I had a more elegant clamp made then found out that a hose clamp worked better.   I got a piece of 5/16 key stock so I can use the original feed screw to advance the drill.
Reply:Originally posted by fla jim They'll need to start worrying if I trade my truck in on a Grand Marquies, And move up to Beverly Hills with ole Marcopolo
Reply:Tsk,tsk,tskDidlysquatt, Bigolguy, mrimpact or what ever you want to call yor self,Or I guess just Troll will doWhy don't you go back under your bridge, or bird shop, or what ever. And leave normal people alone
Reply:Hey Jim I got a 750 for Christmas from my daughters. I haven't tried it out yet , do you have any pointers on how to use it or set it up? Can't tell yet if its our old Troll,but he usually gives himself away pretty quickly with his attitude and non-typing skills. DavidDavid
Reply:echo8287, watch the video and you shouldn't have any problems. I got the 500. No matter what they say; I think it works great. I use a Starret pin vise to get under the 3/32 bottom limit. You have to align the drill by eye with the pin vise.
Reply:Here's another review on the Drill Dr.  Since I don't have an old timer to show me how to do it by hand I might just buy one and see if it works.http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...lDr/index.html
Reply:59 1/2 degrees is the standard, unless you're countersinking.  82 degrees is fairly standard for that, unless you're dealing with countersunk aircraft fasteners.  Most of them are 100  degrees to improve bearing properties in thin aluminum sheet.
Reply:Thanks olpilot, time to get out my protractor and do some checking. I might try to build an angle iron jib like Mike's; my hands aren't very steady anymore.
Reply:Ryel, it will be easier if you can get the entire General Tool unit. It will do up to.....9/16? as is. I just made a new top out of 1" angle welded to 5/16 keystock so you can still use the advance wheel assembly to feed the drill to the grinder.I also made a new pivot for the base. The old one worked but had more spring to it then I liked.
Reply:Mike said: it will be easier if you can get the entire General Tool unit...OK, which  "General Tool unit" would that be? What do I call it? Would you be willing to walk through what you did under the "Projects" part of the list?thanks
Reply:Look for a drill bit sharpener attachment for a bench grinder. General Tool was one brand, I know of one other that wasn't built as well. I bought mine many years ago so I don't know if they are still around.You could duplicate the whole works if you had to. I will take some more pics. Regards, Mike
Reply:Hey, I found one, $28.99.http://www.tools-plus.com/woodworkin...harpening.html
Reply:Thats pretty slick. Is the footing slotted to bolt onto the grinder tool mount?
Reply:Yes, I think it is a good idea to use a cup wheel and mount it on the side of the grinder.
Reply:I've got a 750, and I love it.I don't bother sharpening small bits, 1/4 down, because the seem to break or get lost all too quickly.  They make a coarser stone, geared towards the bigger bits, and I think I will get that when the need arises, as I find myself sharpening a fair bit (pardon the pun) in the 7/16 to 3/4 range.Anyone sharpen drill bits on a belt sander instead of the grinder wheel?  Thats how I do my 3/4 and up bits, I seem to do allright.
Reply:Just a note on the cheap one...the sharpening wheel is a sandpaper cylinder whereas on the 750 it's a diamond cutting wheel. Big difference.
Reply:I just got a 750 and it works very well.  It does have a diamond wheel and it took all of 15 seconds to set up.  Franz, I think your crew was giving you some S..T.  You should place the Drill DR up their butts  and sharpen up their attitude.  If they did have the cheapy, it's crap.  The 500 and the 750 with the diamond wheel seem to work very well 118deg, 135deg and split points with no problem.I was actually quite surprised when it was so easy to operate and did such a great job.As a side note - Enco has the 750 on sale for $119 Model #890-9007Bob SigmonLast edited by Bob Sigmon; 02-13-2004 at 05:51 PM.
Reply:I have the 250 Handyman model and it does have the diamond wheel. It does an exellent job. It makes a very fine precision cutting edge. When I sharpened them by hand on even a finer grinding wheel they were not near as smooth as with the Drill Dr. I heard that the older ones did not have the diamond wheel.Welder- Miller Thunderbolt AC 225-DC 150 Plasma cutter, Miller Spectrum 300O/P torch- Victor 100
Reply:My 250 Handyman has the diamond wheel, too.Other than being a little bit underpowered, it does a good job, especially considering what I paid for it.  I mainly use up bits 3/16th's & smaller, rarely anything over 1/2 inch.There is a re-seller store a few blocks from my house called the Handyman Depot.  They buy truckloads from Menard's out of Wisconsin - store returns, overstocks, damaged merchandise or whatever Menard's decides to dump.  Sometimes they throw away half the stuff, sometimes they get amazing deals.  I paid $11.96 plus tax.  Don't think it was ever used.  Otoh, sometimes I get burned.  A year or so ago they were going to throw out one of those little 90 dollar pressure washers;  I brought it home to see if it was fixable, or to see if there was anything useful inside it;  it worked just fine.  They must have plugged it into a bad outlet or something.
Reply:We make the wheels at the plant where I work. They are CBN not natural diamond. We keep one at our bridgeport, the line up jig is the key to get it right. And it it STILL made in USA!!!
Reply:What is CBN and how do you make the wheels, thanks.
Reply:Had an ole timer teach me by hand 30 years ago. Need a good star wheel dresser to make your bench grinder smooth then practice rolling bit same on both sides, don't get too much angle on the gland or it will catch when going through the hole. Once you get it only seconds to dress up, don't wait till bit is in bad shape. Also go slow and don't let it get too hot, it will take the temper out of it and won't stay sharp very long, good luck
Reply:I wonder if the Drill Dr. Franz had the problem with was one of the early ones.  When they first came out, they put out a whole bunch of defective ones.  I'm not sure which model, but there used to be an article about it on their website.  Unless I heard wrong, Drill Dr. is made by a subsiary of Darex, which is one of the bigger makers of industrial sharpening equipment.  A friend of mine used to own a tool sharpening service, before he retired and sold it.  He had a bunch of money tied up in a lot of equipment.  He had Darex equipment for drill and mill sharpening.  I ended up buying a 750 on his recommendation.  He said the Darex rep gave him a 750 and he still has it at home.  He always said it was really hard to tell the differnce between a bit sharpened on the Darex versus one done on the Drill Dr.  He did say the DrillDr. was more technique sensitive than the Darex, but he said watching the video would show you what to look for.  Years ago, my Dad showed me how to sharpen bits by hand on the bench grinder.  I could always get a bit sharpened - after several unsuccessful tries.  With the DD750, I can do it in much less time and they drill better too.  As I've stated before, I had a box that had several pounds of mine and my Dad's old drill bits.  I spent almost a whole day just playing with the DD and sharpened a bunch of bits.  The thing has probably paid for itself many times.  Yes, it's another tool to keep track of, but I would consider it almost as valuable as my cordless drill.  How did man live before cordless drills? .Allen T.
Reply:I got a 750 and it works well.  I did get corse stone but havnt used it yet.  Its slow when bits are damaged but great for touch ups.  I would say its worth it.www.urkafarms.com