If you are a handyman, you must know that drill bits should never miss from your tool kit. This is because a time will always come when a drill bit, whether masonry, wood, or metal, will be a requirement for the task at hand.
However, the frustrations start when the tool goes dull, and you find yourself not making any significant progress. Note that drill bits always lose their sharpness with prolonged use and over time.
When this happens, you will end up losing your work’s fluency, and it can be quite frustrating.
Luckily for you, we will provide you with a simple guide on how you can sharpen your drill bits with a Dremel.
Have a read.
You can use drill bit sharpener Instead of Dremel.
Why Should I Sharpen My Drill Bits?
Regular sharpening of the bits is a sure way of maintaining a clean and efficient tool that would always deliver the results you were hoping for.
You should also know that drill bits are not the cheapest tools around, so you should do your best to ensure that your current tool remains in top shape for as long as possible.
You should also know that a blunt bit is a safety hazard and could hurt you as you proceed with the drilling operation.
Lastly, a sharp bit gets the job done twice as fast as a blunt tool.
Let’s now look at the process of sharpening your bits with a Dremel.
Sharpening your Drill Bits with a Dremel:
A Dremel is another tool that should be an essential part of your tool kit if you consider yourself a serious handyman. Besides sharpening the small drill bits in your arsenal, you could also use them for drilling and grinding, making them quite versatile.
Before you start using your Dremel, always ensure that you have your eye and ear protection on so that you can come out of the operation in one piece.
The Dremel sharpening station is specially designed to handle bits of different sizes ranging from 7/64-inches to the larger 3/8-inch bits.
For proper sharpening of your bits, follow the simple steps below:
- Start by placing the Dremel on a steady table to ensure that it does not move at any point during the drilling
- Next, attach the drill bit guide on to the motor unit, followed by removing the bit holder off the guide and placing the bit into it
- Turn the holder’s knob clockwise and ensure that it fits properly
- Once the proper fitment is assured, place the bit holder at the bit guide’s alignment block to set up the ideal angle for the job. Firmly press the V block against the bit holder while pushing the bit upward and rotating it slowly to meet the right angle.
- When the drill and V block both slide up to the depth pin, it is now safe to completely tighten the knob.
- From there, you can now switch on the Dremel before attaching the holder at the sharpening block. Ensure that the block has a solid grip on the bit holder before rotating the guide left and right.
- Now, flip the bit over 180-degrees and repeat our previous step until the grinding noise stops.
- Lastly, turn the Dremel off and inspect the bit for proper sharpening
How Do I Know My Drill Bit is Sharp?
There are several ways that you can tell whether or not your drill bit is sharp enough for use. If it is sharp, you will feel some level of resistance as it cuts through the metal. Further, you will notice a lot of debris being thrown about as the bit turns, while less pressure will be required to make the hole.
However, a dull bit tends to spin faster due to lack of purchase. There is no debris being thrown out, and as the tool spins, it heats up and dulls even more.
Another thing about the dull bit is that as it continues heating up, you will notice some smoke or a burning smell. At this point, you should cease the drilling operation since the risk of a fire is quite high.
Tips to Keeping your Drill Bits Sharper for Longer
We shall now provide you with a few simple tips that you could follow to maintain your bits’ sharpness for longer. Here they are:
1. As you cut through metal, consider using a cutting fluid to lubricate the bit and keep it cool. If the drill tip overheats, it will lose its hardness, resulting in the drill becoming dull and blunt.
2. Alternatives to lubricating fluid include engine oil, CRC, WD40 spray, or saliva.
3. If no lubricating fluid is close by, consider stopping the drilling after few seconds to allow the bit to cool down. In the end, your drill bit will maintain its sharpness for longer.
4. Use the right drill bit for the job if you want it to remain useful for longer. For instance, if you use a masonry bit for drilling into wood, it will overheat and may end up causing a fire. Further, a spur point drill will dull fast if you use it to drill into a brick wall.
5. Store in a cool and dry place where it is entirely sealed from moisture. In case you don’t know, moisture sets the perfect conditions for rusting.
6. You could also get creative and use a technique that involves stopping halfway and retracting the drill. Then, blow away the debris so that it does not clog the recesses of the bit, which would heat it up.
Having a clearer path into the hole will leave the drill bit with less work to do.
7. Lastly, always have spare bits that you could use whenever your current set dulls. This will ensure that you won’t have any interruptions in your work to resharpen the bits.
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Closing Remark
If you want your tools to serve you most efficiently and safely, you should ensure that you conduct the proper maintenance practices on them, keeping them sharp being one of them. A dull bit is hazardous to both you and the material it is working on due to the potential damage it may cause.
We hope that you have grasped all the pointers that we have provided to help you keep your drill bits sharp with the use of a Dremel. In the end, you will remain with a tool that won’t disappoint you at all.