What angle do you sharpen a drill bit to?

For general-purpose drilling in wood, plastic, and mild steel, grind each cutting lip to a 118-degree included point angle — that is 59 degrees on each side of the bit's axis. Harder metals like stainless steel drill better with a steeper 135-degree point, which is also common on split-point bits. The 118-degree standard is what most twist bits come with and what you should restore. Getting the angle roughly right matters less than keeping both lips symmetrical.

Why do both cutting lips have to be even?

Because if one lip is longer or at a different angle than the other, only that lip does the cutting — so the bit drills an oversized hole, wanders off center, and cuts slowly and hot. A properly sharpened bit has two lips of identical length and angle, meeting at a centered chisel point, so both share the work equally. Symmetry is the single most important thing in drill sharpening; check it by eye against the point and by the size of the hole it drills.

Can you sharpen a drill bit without a grinder?

Yes. A drill bit sharpening jig or a dedicated bit sharpener (a small powered device) holds the angle for you and is the easiest route for beginners. You can also touch up a lightly dulled bit with a diamond file or a sharpening stone by hand, working each lip evenly. A bench grinder is fastest for badly dulled bits, but the jig or sharpener gives more consistent results if your freehand technique isn't there yet.

How do you know when a drill bit is sharp?

It bites and cuts curls of material with light pressure, drills a clean round hole at the marked spot, and stays cool. A sharp, correctly sharpened bit produces two even spirals of swarf (metal) or shavings (wood), one from each lip. A dull or badly sharpened bit squeals, smokes, needs heavy pushing, walks off the mark, and produces dust or a single spiral. Test on scrap before you trust a freshly sharpened bit on your workpiece.

When should you replace a drill bit instead of sharpening it?

Replace it when the flutes are worn down, the bit is bent, the shank is chewed up from spinning in the chuck, or so much length has been ground away that it is too short for your work. Sharpening restores a dull edge, not a damaged body. Cheap bits are often not worth the sharpening time; a good cobalt or quality HSS bit is worth resharpening many times. If it overheated and turned blue, the temper is ruined and it won't hold an edge — replace it.

How to Sharpen Drill Bits (By Hand on a Bench Grinder)

Written & researched by Priya Anand DIY & Tools Editor

Updated August 2026

Close-up detail of the material being worked in a power tools & workshop project, in bright midday sun

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Sharpening a dull twist drill bit by hand is a genuine money-saver and takes about ten minutes to learn. It costs nothing but a few minutes on a bench grinder you likely already own, and there is no permit or hazard beyond the ordinary care of using a grinder (eye protection, no gloves near the wheel). The whole skill comes down to two things: restore the 118-degree point angle, and keep the two cutting lips exactly even. A bit sharpened symmetrically drills a clean, on-center hole; an uneven one drills oversized and wanders.

Sharpen Your Drill Bits by Hand — A Quick How-To (BrainFizz)

Tools and materials

A bench grinder (or a drill-bit sharpening jig for beginners) and safety glasses — mandatory near a grinding wheel.
A cup of water to quench the bit and keep it from overheating and losing its temper.
The dull bits themselves, and a sharp reference bit to compare the point angle against by eye.
These sharpen the bits that feed every drill; if it’s time to upgrade the drill itself, see our best cordless drills.

Over-the-shoulder view of a person drilling into a timber board on a workbench, sawdust in the air, in warm late-afternoon light

Step 1: Inspect the point and set the angle

Look at the tip. A good twist bit has two symmetrical cutting lips meeting at a centered chisel edge, each ground at about 59 degrees to the axis (118 degrees total). Hold the bit against a sharp reference bit to see how far yours has dulled. If the flutes are worn, the bit is bent, or it turned blue from heat, stop — that bit needs replacing, not sharpening.

Step 2: Grind the first lip

Rest the bit on the grinder’s tool rest at roughly 59 degrees to the wheel face, with the cutting lip horizontal. Touch it to the wheel and, in one smooth motion, roll the bit slightly clockwise and drop the shank a touch to sweep the whole lip and create clearance behind the edge. Grind for only a second or two at a time — light passes, not heavy pressure.

Golden-hour view of a person drilling into a timber board on a workbench, sawdust in the air

Step 3: Quench often

Dip the bit in water every couple of passes. Overheating turns the tip blue and ruins the hardness (the temper), leaving a bit that won’t hold an edge no matter how you grind it. If you see color changing, you are grinding too long between quenches.

Step 4: Grind the second lip to match

Rotate the bit 180 degrees and grind the opposite lip using the exact same rest position and motion, aiming to match the first lip’s length and angle. Sight down the point frequently: the chisel edge in the center must stay centered, and both lips must be the same length. This symmetry is everything — an uneven bit drills oversized and off-center.

Wide view of a person drilling into a timber board on a workbench, sawdust in the air, in soft overcast light

Step 5: Test on scrap

Chuck the bit and drill a test hole in scrap metal or wood. A correctly sharpened bit bites immediately with light pressure, produces two even spirals of swarf, drills on your mark, and stays cool. If it wanders or drills big, one lip is still doing more work — back to the grinder to even them up.

Where to go next

A sharp bit is only half the job — technique matters when the material is tough, as in drilling into concrete or drilling into brick (which use masonry bits, not twist bits). Understand your tools with drill vs impact driver. It all lives under the power tools and workshop hub.

We never buy or physically test the tools we rank — our picks come from aggregated owner reviews and expert consensus, explained on how we rank.

How to Sharpen Drill Bits