Gimlets.. -

**MartinCH** · 3rd July 2023, 01:06 AM

Hi All,

Quote from 1920's a bit of old lore . If others do this let me know

Sharpening

" Gimlets - In order to sharpen a gimlet, a hole should be made with the the tool itself in a pice of hardwood, such as oak, to the depth of about one inch. After withdrawing the gimlet the hole should be filled with a mixture of fine emery and oil. The gimlet should then be again inserted and when screw down about another half an inch should be turned vigorously forward and backwards until a perfect cutting edge is formed. From time to time during this operation fresh emery and oil should be added. A fine polish may afterwards be given to the gimlet by repeating the operation, but using a piece of softwood and filling the hole with dry emery flour or brick dust"

Well I have not yet tried brick dust for polishing but I use this concept often. Typically I drill a hole into any nearby scrap, break off some chips of polishing compound, add some oil then spin the bit in the said hole. Only take a few seconds.

The techique works on brad points and normal drill bits - But I have not had any success with augers (b think it sharpened the spurs). Obviously it does nothing help relief angles. It does however put an impressive edge on the bit. Improves exits and generally faster drilling.

Sharpened a brad with this approach today- the bit was penetrating slowly and and getting hot- if one keeps going the jarrah will start smoking and tip will become soft from the heat.

After I polished the bit shot through next inch in a flash. Very impressive...

Sharp gimlet are very quick penetrating as well, much the same speed as the cordless- and easy to steer into very steep angles

PS - Gimlets generally leave clean exit holes....

**Mountain Ash** · 3rd July 2023, 09:39 AM

That's a great tip, thanks. Where did you get it from?

**MartinCH** · 3rd July 2023, 10:26 PM

I was looking thought the woodworking books in the antique bookstore one day and while flipping the pages came across the gimlet paragraph and decided that a bit of gem. Hence it came home with me - see if I can find more. Mostly that quest eludes me but I was intrigued by the oilstone section.

The book in question is Home Carpentry A practical guide for the Amateur, John Barnard.

The internet is bit replete with tips -and they are a motley crew but I felt a need to share this one as it quick, easy to do and useful

.

There are several areas of hand tool use were I have drifted from my understanding of conventional hand tool use. If there is interest, I will spinup a couple of additional threads.

**Mountain Ash** · 4th July 2023, 07:54 AM

Please share more.

**macg** · 4th July 2023, 10:53 AM

I have seen a similar bit of advice regarding this sharpening method

in an old text but, it referred to sharpening the lead screw of an auger bit.

Graham.

**Boringgeoff** · 4th July 2023, 11:25 AM

Hi Martin,
Did you tell me that trick at the HTPSWA tool sale in May? If not you, someone did, and at the end of the day a few of us discussed this advice. We were concerned that this method is wearing the outer edge of the gimlet where the method I and one of the others use is to sharpen the inside edge of the gimlet with a slim round file. Obviously from your original post it works for you so I better do a couple of trial runs to see for myself.

Cheers,
Geoff.

**MartinCH** · 4th July 2023, 11:16 PM

Yes - that would have been me- thanks for the gimlets my friend bought. We sharpened them a little later that day and he was a little surprised at the speed, accuracy and utility of "boring" bits, hand driven. I am surprised sometime's as well and I used them a while.

But they do have advantage of designed for wood as opposed to drill bits designed for steel.

As for diameter erosion - the hole is bored to the diameter and of what load is applied to the base of the bit not the sides. Generally when I pull bits out it obvious that base is polished - but the sides, not so much.

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