It's Not (just) the Sharp Part

When approaching drill bits, or any hand tool for that matter, it’s easy to get obsessed with the sharpness of the cutting edge. However, steel can be honed razor- sharp at 90 degrees: sharp enough cut you, yet still not perform the way you want it to on wood.

So before jumping into grinding drill bits, I think it’s important to talk about cutting and tool geometry. Don’t get intimidated- wood is incredibly forgiving when it comes to the range of successful ways to cut.

I realized this when I sharpened a saw for the first time. I did a terrible job and mangled just about every tooth into a different shape, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t cut great. If you want to learn more about the magic of sharpening saws read up on Matt Cianci- he’s a genius.

After that experience, I felt emboldened sharpening, altering and even making tools. It’s about finding the range of success where the shape of the tool and cutter function in the wood, that’s it.

Here is a short video of a shop made bit in action. I figured I’d better lead with some results if I expect you to stick with me through this part of the topic.