This six-inch DeWalt DW756 has the power to tackle various sharpening tasks, including drill bits. Safety guards reduce the chances of dangerous flying debris and sparks, and the adjustable tool rests make it easy to securely position whatever you’re sharpening. With its extremely durable cast iron body, this small but mighty tool can handle heavy use.

I liked the old Dremel drill press better. No longer made. The table moves up and down. The spindle is stationary. Your hands are in a better position. Tool was supported better. Couple that approach with a camera and a sliding table that locks as soon as you start drilling.

If you’re a DIYer beginner and you don’t need a high-end drill bit sharpener, consider the affordable Drill Doctor 350X. Despite the low price, it features a diamond wheel and is simple to use. This drill bit sharpener can only create 118-degree angles, though, so keep that in mind if you need to work with 135-degree bits.

Rather than pulling an arm to lower the bit towards the work piece, a system utilizing four syringes, some water, and a bit of tubing is used to pull the tool down. This might seem extravagant, but if you’ve got a lot of holes to drill, this design is really going to save your arms. This method should also give you more consistent and accurate results, as you won’t be putting any torque on the structure as you would with a manually operated press.

Unlike other sharpeners that offer one or two angles, you can customize this sharpener to create to any angle from 115 to 140 degrees. The 750X is large enough to accept bits up to 3/4-in., and it can create or sharpen split-point bits.

If you can’t afford or don’t need any of the sharpeners above, this Drill Bit Sharpener might be for you. It’s powered by your drill and doesn’t require an electrical outlet, so it’s convenient for off-site projects with limited electricity. It’s not as accurate as a dedicated or bench grinder drill bit sharpener, but in a pinch it’s certainly better than nothing.

Luckily, a good drill bit sharpener can not only get them back in shape, but reinvigorate bits that snapped in half during aggressive use.

Instead of holding the bits in your hand, this attachment holds them for you. Its straightforward adjustment settings make it easy to select the angle, although it’s not ideal for use with bits smaller than 1/8-inch.

High-quality drill bits aren’t cheap. And once they become dull, they’re ineffective and more likely to “walk” around and damage your workpiece.

Looking for more ideas? If you’re after something a bit larger we might suggest this one made from PVC pipes, and this 3D printed desktop press would look good on anyone’s bench. Just don’t blame us if your arms get tired.

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Great idea, too bad so many people in these comments try to diminish it, clearly the whole point of it is to be cheap and easy to make, im sure all of you have highly complex fully automated pick and place machines in your homes, but this guy doesnt, calm down…

Yes- you are absolutely correct that this method isolates the feel of the drill from the operator which is very critical on very small drills.

I kind of like the idea of pneumatic over hydraulic, with the right syringes you could probably tune it to not exert too much force on the PCB (at the expense of feel).

The Drill Doctor 500X is our best overall choice, regardless of your skill level, for its mid-range price and the variety of bits it accepts.

There are more types of drill bit sharpeners than you might think. Some are more useful than others, depending on your specific bits and experience level. Make sure you’re choosing the best one for you. Here’s what to look for:

The whole idea isn’t bad though; if you move the primary actuators to a foot pedal (easy, since it’s just a tube connecting the syringes), and include a spring for the return stroke, the setup might actually work. The high friction of the syringes wouldn’t really be a problem either.

The micro 0.01″ diameter carbide twist drills for circuit boards I have snap at the slightest excessive pressure even on my watchmaker’s finger sensitive drill press.

Having to hold both the whole thing and the PCB steady with one hand, while pulling on the awkward plate with the other, trying not to nudge the PCB while drilling (which would definitely break the drill bit) seems highly impractical. Also, there seems to be very little space for the PCB.

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This design is actually interesting for a number of reasons. The fact that it’s primarily 3D printed is a big one, though of course it’s not the first time we’ve seen that. We also like the minimal part count and low-cost, which is sure to appeal to those looking to produce PCBs on a budget. But the most impressive feature has to the hydraulic system [Ruchir] has come up with to actually do the drilling.

[Ruchir] doesn’t offer much in the way of instructions on the project’s Hackaday.io page, but once you print out all of the provided STLs and get your syringes ready to go, the rest should be fairly self explanatory. Personally we might have added a smooth steel rod in there to make sure the movement is nice and straight, but we can see the appeal of doing it with a printed part to keep things cheap.

For versatility, it’s hard to beat the Drill Doctor X2 with its dual-speed motor. In addition to the dedicated bit sharpening port, this sharpener includes separate guides for sharpening knives, scissors and other edged tools. To sharpen drill bits, insert the bit into the chuck, press it directly into the sharpening port and start sharpening!

I like the idea of recreating this fully in metal, with a foot switch connected by tubing from the floor. If you did the cylinders right, it would be very very sensitive indeed. Perfect for very tiny sub 0.030″ diameter drills.

It’s not the cheapest option on our list, but if you’re looking for a sharpener that can accept a wide range of bits, the Drill Doctor 750X is a great choice.

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If you do a lot of drilling, a drill bit sharpener a smart buy. It saves you time, because you won’t waste minutes struggling to drive a dull bit through your workpiece. And it saves you money, because you aren’t throwing out dull bits all the time.

It’s hydraulic–air bubbles can be clearly seen in the liquid filling the driven syringes. The delay is probably due to the unreinforced plastic lines and syringes expanding/compressing.

This sharpener handles pretty much any material, including carbide, black oxide and high-speed steel, and it can create split-point tips. It doesn’t offer the impressive angle ranges of the Drill Doctor 750X, but you can create the all-important 118- and 135-degree angles.

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If you’re making your own PCBs for through-hole projects at home, getting the board etched is only half the battle; you’ve still got to drill all those little holes. It’s a tedious process, and if you’ve got a lot of them, doing them freehand with a drill just isn’t going to cut it. Which is why [Ruchir Chauhan] built this tiny 3D printed drill press.

Too slow. You also eliminate the force feedback. The most difficult aspect of PCB drilling is actually parallax. If you have an etched center hole then the bit bends to center itself. Too far off and it breaks. No center, it’s hard to judge and you wind up with less breakage but inaccurate hole placement. The best solution I’ve found is having a camera underneath the board. No parallax. Cursor on the display shows exactly where the drill will emerge. You also need a higher RPM than most Dremel or equivalent tools can spin. 30K RPM is marginal. 50K or 100K is desirable. And spindle runout needs to be better than most Dremel-type tools can do. Not thousandths. A tenth or better.

This affordable Wen BG4276 bench grinder provides two grinding wheels for a fraction of the cost of similar options. A large, adjustable work light ensures you have a clear view of your workpiece. With 60-grit and 36-grit wheels, you can sharpen lots of tools well as drill bits.

It looks like cool project. Not sure if its practical though. Instead of a lever, you have to pull the side drawer/panel?

With the delay in the video between moving the arm and the press moving, I’m pretty sure the one being shown off is pneumatic. [Ruchir Chauhan] calls it Hydraulic, but on the build page says it can be pneumatic or hydraulic.

Yeah either that or it needs bolting to the desk – though I’m not sure the idea is sound either – too much mechanical advantage and spring in the system means you are bound to break drill bits (as you have less precise tactile feedback) and you can’t peck easily either.. because its aiming so squarely at PCB’s which are pretty easy to drill perhaps it won’t break bits often, but even then that activation method seems awkward as anything – a pedal as you suggest would be much better and leave both hands free to position the PCB.

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If you plan on sharpening bits with a bench grinder, this General Tools 825 Attachment, when securely mounted to your benchtop, can give you clean points and accurate angles.

If you want to drill your own PCBs then use Proxxon FBS 240 with MB 140 stand. Time is worth far more than a proper tool.