Found a cheap way to keep my drill bits sharp at the tool library

I kept grabbing dull bits from our community tool library and they'd bind up on simple stuff like pine. Last weekend I grabbed a cheap carbide bit sharpening stone from Harbor Freight for $8 and ran each bit through it after I used it. Took maybe 30 seconds per bit and they cut through a 2x4 like butter. Has anyone else tried sharpening bits before returning them to the library?

2 comments

2 Comments

karen_shah563d ago

Hell yeah, "cut through a 2x4 like butter" - that's exactly what I noticed too. I started doing the same thing at our local maker space after getting sick of fighting with bits that felt like they were just spinning in place. Picked up the same Harbor Freight stone actually, and the difference is night and day. Last week I sharpened a 1/2" spade bit that was straight up smoking through plywood. After a quick 20 second hone it went through like paper. It's annoying how people treat shared tools but I figure if everyone spent 30 seconds on it we'd all be better off.

ryan_flores2d ago

@karen_shah56 I disagree. Dull bits keep you cautious. Sharp ones cut too fast and cause mistakes.