How to Sharpen a Forstner Drill Bit

When it comes to "do-it-yourself" projects around your house, sharp drill bits certainly come in handy. Whether you're hanging shelves or building a book shelf from scratch, a dull drill bit can be quite frustrating during the process. Here's how to sharpen a Forstner drill bit next time you are in the shop.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Forstner drill bit
• Drill grinder
• Soft stone

1. Grind the inner cutters of the Forstner drill bit. The Forstner has 3 main cutting points. The inner cutters sound just like what they are, they're blades on the inside of the drill bit. After turning your drill grinder on, gently press the inner cutters against the grinder. Watch out for a few sparks that may fly in your direction.

2. Touch the pilot to the grinder. The next piece that you need to sharpen on the Forstner drill bit is the very tip called the "pilot." However, you don't want to press the pilot directly on the grinder as that will cause it to flatten. You want to roll the tip along the grinder so that it sharpens the pilot to a point.

3. Sharpen the knife edges of your Forstner drill bit. This refers to the circular edge of the drill bit. When pressing this against the grinder, you want to make sure to sharpen the outside and not try to wedge the inner wall into the grinding machine.

4. Complete your sharpening of the Forstner drill bit by using soft stone to sand any jagged edges. A few quick swipes across each edge that has been ground will remove any rough edges. You are now ready to use your Forstner drill bit.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear eye and hand protection when sharpening drill bits on a grinder.