How to sharpen a brad point bit?

28th February 2020


	How to sharpen a brad point bit


	Shop for Brad Point Bits


			Sharpening brad point drill bits can be tricky. The bits themselves are made to be extremely accurate, and this can be compromised if they are sharpened unevenly.

			The most important thing to remember is that the brad point must be kept centred. If the tip ends up slightly off centre after sharpening, the bit will drill a hole bigger than its circumference as it wobbles around erratically.

			If you’re worried this might happen, you can always get your bits sharpened professionally!

			If you’re keen to sharpen your bits yourself, there are a few different ways to tackle them. The first is to use a specially customised grinding wheel, shaped to allow you to sharpen the spurs and brad point of your bit at the same time. For instructions on how to do this, see: How to customise a grinding wheel to sharpen a brad point bit

			Alternative tools include flat Swiss files, taper saw files, diamond cards and rotary cutting tools.

			If your brad point bit is carbide tipped, only diamond files or diamond grinding wheels will have any effect due to the hardness of the material.

			The sharpening process
			Step 1 – Sharpen spurs Sharpen the spurs first, making sure to keep to the correct angle by keeping your sharpening tool flat against each spur’s surface. All this will take is a few strokes of your file or card, or a second or two against the grinder.

			Be aware of where the brad point is at all times. Grinding it off by mistake will cause you a lot more work!

			Step 2 – Sharpen point Grind the edges of the brad point evenly so that the point becomes sharp. You should aim to give the sides an angle of around five to ten degrees. Giving each side of the point the same number of passes with the file or the same amount of time on the grinder should help you to keep it even and correctly aligned.

			Make sure you keep the brad point central. If you make a mistake, the bit will not spin uniformly, and it will create oversized holes. The width of the new hole will be double the distance between the brad point tip and the spur furthest away from it.

			One way to keep your bit centred is to attach it to a drill press, and activate it before you start to sharpen the bit. The rotation of the bit will help you to sharpen it consistently all the way around and create an accurately centred point.