[TheForge] Re: Drill Doctor

[Mike Spencer]

> ...Drill Doctor....I am thinking of buying one but am curious to
> hear some feed back from anyone who owns one.  I have thrown away
> money in the past on other drill sharpeners but feel this may be an
> honestly good investment.

Not what you asked: comment from someone who *doesn't* own one.

I have one of those little swiveling jigs with an adjustable tip angle
-- used to be sold by Sears.  Now Ithink there are Chinese knock-offs.
I'm quite happy with it because I can see and control just what I'm
doing.  When I worked at Michelin, their machine shop had an
industrial quality rig on the same principle that would handle up to 2"
diameter and the machinists were real impressed that I knew how to use
it. :-) One point that may be overlooked is that these things are
meant to grind the drill against the flat side of the stone, not
against the convex edge.  I've used mine for up to about 3/4".  Not
very good for under 1/8".  I haven't tried to duplicate the geometry
of the new "cobalt" drills with it.

So I've seen the Drill Doctors in the store but passed them up after a
cursory look because I liked what I had for a fraction of the price.
I guess the only drawback is that, for it to be handy, you have to set
up a cheap 1/3hp motor and spindle for the stone somewhere so you
don't have to keep dis- and re-mounting the jig and/or stone.  I did
that on a crappy little tin stand that picked up along the roadside on
junk day, refurbished and stuck in a corner.

- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer@tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^

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