The drill bit angle gauge and drill point gauge are the same tool which is used to measure the drill bit angle.
118-degree and 135-degree drill bit sharpeners are the most used sharperners in both woodworking and metalworking. Fixed gauge and adjustable gauge are the two types of drill bit sharperners. Fixed drill bit gauges can be used in a limited range and adjustable gauges can be used in a wide range. But fixed drill bit sharpening gauges are more efficient than adjustable drillbit sharpening gauges.
What is a Drill Point Gauge?
A drill point gauge is used to measure the drill bit point angle. It is made of stainless steel and roughly 3″ -6″ long. Drill bit angle gauge is mostly used in twist drill bits. Single-angle gauges can measure only one angle and universal grinding gauges can measure (60 °, 70 °, 90 °, 110 °, 118 °, 125 °, 135 °, 150 °, and 160 °)
How to Use a Drill Point Gauge?
You can follow the below steps while you are using the drill point angle.
➤ Step 01
First, take the drill bit. Then check the wandering and dull edges of the drill bit. When you watch carefully, you can see, the edges have broken or wandered due to friction and heat.
➤ Step 02
Take the drill bit point gauge and measure how much you have to sharpen. You can have a rough idea.
➤ Step 03
Then use a drill bit sharpener to sharpen the drill bit. The metal drill bit should be sharp to the 135-degree of point angle and wood drill bits should be sharp to the 118-degree or 135-degree angle. You can use these drill bit sharpening tools easily.
While you are sharpening the drill bit, make sure the angle is correct by using the gauge.
Drill Bit Angle Chart
| Material | Drill Bit Point Angle |
| Mild Steel | 118° |
| High Tensile Steel | 130°- 135° |
| Stainless Steel | 130°- 135° |
| Tough Steel | 135 – 140 |
| Sheet Steel | 130°- 135° |
| Aluminum | 118° |
| Brass, Bronze | 118° |
| Cast Iron | 118° |
| Plastic | 118° |
| Hard Rubber, Fiber | 60° |
You can determine the drill bit angle by using this angle chart. It includes the best drill bit angle for many materials.
Best Drill Bits Sharpening Gauges
Drill bit sharpening gauges can be categorized into two main categories.
These are fixed-angle sharpening gauges and adjustable-angle sharpening gauges.
Normally, fixed sharpening angle gauges are a bit cheaper than adjustable gauges. Adjustable gauges can be used in a wide range.
When you use a drill bit shaping gauge continuously, it is better to have a fixed gauge. Because it will improve efficiency. Adjustables need time to operate it. Below are the best drill bit sharpeners that you can use for your workshop.
General Tool Adjustable Drill Bit Sharpener
General Tools (a company) adjustable drill bit sharpening gauge is one of the most used adjustable gauge in the market. It is a 6-inch length in size and consists of a 4-inch ruler. It has the below useful features,
- DRILL POINT GAUGE: Checks 59 angle drill points.
- BEVEL PROTRACTOR: Measures and lays out angles.
- CENTER FINDER: Locates centres of shafts or circles.
- CIRCLE DIVIDER: Used for dividing circles into sectors, regular polygons and polygrams (up to 9 equal parts).
- TAP & DRILL TABLE: Correlates popular top sizes with correct drill sizes for the National form of threat.
118-degree Drill Bit Angle Gauge
This is a fixed drill bit sharpening gauge. It comes with both 118 and 135 degrees of angle. Some tools can measure 60 °, 70 °, 90 °, 110 °, 118 °, 125 °, 135 °, 150 °, and 160 ° angles easily with using these tools. Fixed sharpening drill bits are more efficient than adjustable sharpeners.
Conclusion
A drill bit angle gauge is an essential tool for both woodworkers and metalworkers. If you need to use it regularly, you should use a fixed drill bit angle gauge. But for the various drill bit angles, you should use an adjustable drillbit sharpening gauge.
These gauges are not expensive. Both are below the 15$. So it is better to have both if you like. As for me both are really important to my carrier.
