Sealey SMS01 Drill Bit Sharpener Grinding Attachment

Product Information

Allied UK Delta_HTR is the most versatile machine on the list. Just like every other sharpener here, the model is able to work with any drill bit ranging from 3 to 13 millimetres (3/32 to 1/2 inches). At the same time, this machine will sharpen straight-edged knives scissors, plane irons, and many other blades between 6 and 51 millimetres. Sharpening and maintaining your tools is a fantastic way to save time and money that you might have spent replacing blunt or damaged tools like drill bits. Although there are several different methods to accomplish this, the result is the same.

Why we like it: This grinder is significantly cheaper than most other grinders and benchtop drill bit sharpeners and comes with a handy work light.

185 Comments

Different drill sharpeners use different types of grinding wheels. The best one for you should reflect what your bits are generally made from, as not all grinding wheels are suitable for all bit types. The Type of Drill Bits Sharpening drill bits by hand on a bench grinder is often cited as a skill which all "real machinists" should develop (frequently followed by a dissertation on proper technique and wrist motion). After reading the article on drill point geometry my conclusion was that a hand sharpened drill may work but it is unlikely to work properly and the next drill sharpened by hand is unlikely to work the same as the last one. There are simply too many interacting variables that must simultaneously be correct and identical on both flutes for this to be done accurately by eye. Most workers can't accurately hand grind a lathe bit to 7° relief let alone get two conical drill flutes identical with 118° point and 7° relief while ensuring the cutting lips are at 180° and the same length within a thou or two. Which brought up an issue I hadn't considered. This sharpener works well in my shop because I immediately sharpen any drill that seems dull in use, meaning I sharpen drills now and again rather than many at one time. With the 1/10 HP motor it takes 3-8 minutes to sharpen a drill, depending on size and condition. Not a problem the way I use the sharpener but when sharpening an index of 30 drills it takes hours. And most of this is grinding rather than setup - the little 1/10 HP motor slows down, limiting the grinding rate. Bottom Line: more power is needed to use this unit commercially. A grinding spindle and 1/4 HP motor in a setup similar to the Brooks might work well. Most bits use either a 118-degree angle or a 135-degree angle. You will find that there are drill bits that might use a different angle, but these two are the most common ones. Is it possible to sharpen Titanium bits? While some grinders like the DEWALT DW756 come with protective coverings, it’s generally a good idea to use protective equipment like gloves and safety glasses. The glasses protect your eyes from sparks and small shavings that might come off while grinding.

The prototype used a 3.5"/90mm D11V9 wheel. Inexpensive D11V9 diamond wheels are more common in slightly larger sizes, 3.75" and 100mm (e.g. see Shars). To accommodate these slightly larger wheels, increase the height of the table supports by half of the diameter increase. E.g to use a 4"/100mm wheel increase the height from 2.375" to 2.625". The wheel should clear the traverse table by 1/8" or slightly more. If the optional point splitter will be used with a larger wheel, the traverse table may need to be a bit longer also... The brass piece is 5/16" long. It is about 5 thou under 3/8" for 3/32" and the remainder is 5/16". The inside is drilled 1/4" and tapered using the reamer previously used to taper the pin vise, the larger diameter toward the large diameter of the brass piece. As with the small collets, brass on steel has low friction and does not rotate the collet as the nut is tightened. This sharpener holds the drill so the facet separation line at the center of the drill's face is on the trunnion table's pivot line (see SketchUp drawing). The wheel's plane of rotation is also aligned on this trunnion pivot line. When the trunnion table is tilted, the line on the drill face doesn't move relative to the plane of the grinding wheel. Drills have material on both sides of this center line, allowing two intersecting planes to be ground, meeting at this line on the drill's face. The trunnion pivot line is shown explicitly in the SketchUp drawing. We often continue using dull tools longer than necessary, either because we haven’t noticed the signs of bluntness yet, or because we want to finish the job before stopping to sharpen. While the latter is understandable, it can be dangerous and places unnecessary strain on your tools and yourself. Using a sharpener instead of manually sharpening your bits should make the job easier and give you a more accurate point. You want to ensure that the sharpener is easy to set up and use. It should require minimal effort from you to get a nice sharp point on your bit. Does the Sharpener Require Maintenance?My understanding of drill point geometry and drill sharpening improved considerably from reading Mazoff's article and especially from using the HoneDrill fixture. Adjusting and using this fixture is effectively a mini-tutorial on drills and their geometry. Plus, it allows experimenting with relief angles, easily allowing four facet and six facet sharpening of drills, for example. Derek Brown's sharpener is much easier to build and use but doesn't illustrate drill geometry variables as well since they are fixed during construction. Hand powered drill sharpening is practical for very small drills but for drills greater than 1/16" I eventually designed and built a powered 4 facet sharpener (to implement some of Mazoff's notions) which I prefer to all other powered sharpeners I've tried.