Drill doctor won't sharpen bit

Jill Timm's class, The Amazing Dremel, into one blog post.
Bwahahahahahahah!!!
I did not take into account how many notes I took during the workshop. In fact, my table neighbor at the workshop teased me for two days on how many notes I took.
My plan is to split the information into three blog posts:

• Dremel bits and what they do (hey - that's what you're reading now!)
• Tips for using a Dremel with specific materials
• Dremel resources for artists

Please note that this post only focuses on what the bits look like and what they do. Oh, and the bits mentioned are the only ones that we used in the workshop - we didn't use any routing bits. Sorry.
That said, let's talk Dremel bits.
I think that one of the things that both attracted me and freaked me out about the Dremel was its huge buffet of accessories. The packages are labeled by use, but it still seemed like gibberish to me. Jill created the perfect environment for overcoming my Dremel fear.
You can read about my class in the following blog posts:

• The Amazing Dremel with Jill Timm - Day 1
• The Amazing Dremel with Jill Timm - Day 2

This post is in no way meant to replace the total awesomeness of taking Jill Timm's class. I benefited so much from hearing Jill's experiences and seeing her work in person. If I had bought a Dremel and experimented with it on my own, most likely I would have never tried it on the range of materials that we did in class.
Jill recently announced that she's taking her Dremel class on the road and would love to be scheduled by your group. I highly recommend the class if you have a chance to attend.
The main categories of bits, according to Dremel, include the following:

1. Carving & Engraving
2. Sanding
3. Cutting
4. Grinding & Sharpening
5. Cleaning & Polishing

These categories are pretty consistent among other manufacturers of rotary tool accessories, so you can often find alternatives if you shop around. Carving & Engraving I used two different types of bits that fall into the carving & engraving category - diamond bits and high speed cutters.
Diamond Dremel bits
Diamond bits can be used with the following materials:

• Aluminum
• Bookboard
• Ceramic tile
• Glass
• Mirror
• Steel

Dremel high speed cutters
High speed cutters can be used with the following materials:

• Bookboard
• Linoleum
• Polymer clay
• Wood

Sanding Sanding involves two different parts - the drum and the sanding band. Sanding bands come in different grits, just like sheets of sandpaper.
Dremel sanding bands and drum
To use the sanding band, you simply slide it over the drum. Replace it when it wears out. Easy peasy.
Sanding bits can be used with the following materials:

• Aluminum
• Bookboard
• Plexiglass
• Polymer clay
• Wood

Cutting There are different types of cutting wheels for different materials.
Abrasive cutting wheels
Abrasive cutting wheels can be used with the following materials:

• Bookboard
• Plexiglass
• Wood

Fiberglass cutting wheel
Fiberglass cutting wheels can be used with the following materials:

• Aluminum
• Bookboard
• Ceramic tile
• Wood

To use a cutting wheel, you have to attach it a mandrel.
Dremel mandrel
Unscrew the tiny screw on top of the mandrel and remove one of the washers.
Slide the wheel onto the screw, then add the second washer. Attach the screw to the mandrel base and tighten.
Replace the wheel it when it wears out.
Grinding & Sharpening Grinding and sharpening stones are made of two basic materials: silicon carbide (green bits) and aluminum oxide (brown, orange, pink, or grey bits). You may have noticed that some of my grinding stones are oddly-shaped. This is because the stones wear out with use. You can reshape your grinding stones using a dressing stone.
Orange grinding stones
Orange stones can be used with the following materials:

• Ceramic tile
• Glass
• Mirror
• Steel

Blue/green & pink grinding stones
Blue/green and pink stones can be used with the following materials:

• Aluminum
• Ceramic tile
• Glass
• Mirror

Cleaning & Polishing Felt polishing wheels and cones are used in combination with polishing compound.
Polishing felts and mandrel
Polishing compound
To use a polishing felt, you have to attach it a mandrel (different from the cutting wheel mandrel). The felt has a tiny hole in the center of it - you screw the mandrel into the hole to attach it.
Felt polishing wheels and cones can be used with the following materials:

• Aluminum
• Ceramic tile
• Glass
• Mirror

Here is the complete manual for your device:
http://www.drilldoctor.com/ftproot/500750X_Users%20Guide.pdf

To clean out grit: With the Drill Doctor unplugged, shake accumulated bit grinding dust from behind the Wheel Cover into a disposable container. Remove dust particles around the wheel with a small, dry brush. Dispose of the container and drill bit dust in a safe and environmentally approved manner. With a dry cloth wipe the inside and outside of the Sharpening Port to remove any grinding dust that may have accumulated. A standard 1" vacuum hose works equally well.

This is a good one because a worn blade
actually causes less vibration. You can
sharpen the blade using a drill. Use a drill
bit about the same width as the cutting burrs
and drill into the face of each one ever so
slightly, almost perpendicularly. Assemble
the juicer and unlock the adjust screw on
the center of the bottom. Turn it clockwise
until the blade contacts the chute, then back
it off a half turn. Don't forget to tighten the
lock nut. I've been using the same blade
for years.

The angle things on the grinder are usually set up for drill bits and never moved again. If you need to sharpen your shovel, I would get a 4 1/2 grinder with 80 grit disc in there and grind away from the edge, Not into it, it cuts 10 times faster, cleaner, straighter, than the grinder, use fit or the lawn mower blades too, and the machete, use the grinder for your drill bits and other precision type stuff, don't let the wheels get rounded off or uneven, use a wheel dresser if they do. I have a couple grinders set up in my shop, one wheel for finer stuff, then a wire wheel, then a green wheel for carbide, and then another wire wheel. I use a 1 inch belt for knives and finer stuff, and a 10 disc for serious stuff along with the 48 inch belt. So you can see, I use them a lot. But if you need to use the grinder for your shovel, I would not use the angle stops, I would do it freehand and you can only cut the outside edge, and it will be hard to get it around there. You might have to take the angle stops off. Hope this helps.

Here's a link to a downloadable .pdf manual for your sharpener that will give you pages and pages of instructions to make those dull bits history.
Enjoy!

I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread.
If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!

clutch is bad. can be repaired but ive always had a pro do it. bit spendy

The cost of man hours,electricity,etc may far outweigh the cost of a new tool. The problem is keeping the point of the tool on the exact centerline of the shank.

our bench grinder can be used to keep your chisels, knives, gouges and other similar cutting tools sharp, which every woodworker knows is vitally important. Also, bench grinders are handy for sharpening lawn mower blades, drill bits, gardening shears and more. Additionally, a bench grinder can be used for honing and shaping metal objects when modifications are needed. For instance, perhaps you need to modify a door hinge to make it fit in a certain application. No tool is better for this task than a bench grinder.

Bench grinders are perfect for sharpening cutters, bits, blades and hand tools. Any piece that needs smoothing, shaping, or polishing can be done at the bench grinder. Straight grinders or angle grinders are portable, handheld tools with wheels that range from 4 to 9 inches. They are the best grinders for working on pieces that may be too large to fit at a bench.