How Do You Hand Sharpen A Drill Bit?
A dull drill bit causes your drill to do more work to accomplish a task, greatly increasing wear and tear on the drill’s motor. A grinding stone is the most efficient tool for sharpening a drill bit, but these are usually only seen in machine and tool shops. Most home owners must get by with hand-sharpening, and the tool for that job is the augur file. Wipe away any debris on the drill bit from previous drilling jobs with an old rag. Place the drill bit in a table vise, or hold it tightly in one hand if you do not have a table vise. Sharpen the spurs, or the outer teeth of the drill bit. Place the file along the edge of the spur at a 30-degree angle, and draw it down along the face of the spur-blade. Repeat two to four times. Check the spurs to ensure they are the same length. If one is longer than the other, file it down to a matching size. Sharpen the cutting edges. Check your bit closely before filing–on an augur bit the blade is at the bottom of the cutting edge; on a brad-point i
