Brad point drill bit is a wood drill bit. It is used for efficient and accurate drilling. When cutting edge, point angle, and cutting spurs blunt, you should resharpen it. When you resharpen a brad point drill bit you need a small triangular file. Then you can sharpen cutting edge, point angle, and spurs step by step.
Step 01 – Filing the Chip Lifters
- Clamp the bit upright in a bench vise and file the inside faces of the two chip lifters.
- For a brad-point bit, however, use a triangular needle file (right), honing until each cutting edge is sharp and each chip lifter is flat.
When you sharpen the chip lifters you have to use a small size file or specially designed grinding wheel. There is a small space between the point angle and the spurs. When you use a grinding wheel, spurs can be damaged even with a small touch. So using a grinder for the shoplifters is not recommended. A smaller size file is the best solution every time. These drill bit sharpening tools will help you to sharpen your drill bit.
Step 02 – Filing the Point Angle
If your brad point angle is dull, you can resharpen it using a file or grinder. You must be careful when using a grinding wheel. The point angle should be well sharpened and it helps to improve the accuracy and penetrate inside the material.
You should maintain its sharpening angle between 10 degrees to 13 degrees. When you sharpen it maintain an equal distance to the end spurs. When it is not centered the hole will be oversize and the drill bit will not spin properly. So it is important to check the distance to the spurs after you resharpen it.
Step 03 – Filing the Cutting Spurs
- Use the needle file to hone the inside faces of the bit’s two cutting spurs. Hold the tool with both hands and file towards the brad-point until each spur is sharp (right).
- You can use Dremel to sharpen the brad point drill bit. Dremel has cutting and grinding wheels. So using that you can successfully sharpen the brad point drill bits. But remember to use a thinner wheel
Multi Spurs Bits
- Secure the bit upright in a bench vise and use a triangular file to hone the leading edge, or face, of each spur (above). File with each push stroke, towards the bit’s brad point, tilting the handle of the file down slightly.
- Then file the trailing edge, or back, of each spur the same way.
- File all the spurs by the same amount so that they remain at the same height. Make sure you do not over-file the cutting spurs; they are designed to be 1/32 inch longer than the chip lifters.
Conclusion
Brad point drill bits are different types, hardwood, and softwood brad points are them. When sharpening these bits, you should pay attention to the cutting spurs, chip lifters, and point angle. These are small sizes and you are not able to use a grinder. Hence you should use a small file to sharpen it.
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