The Real Difference Between Reconditioning and Resharpening

Most shops use "resharpening" and "reconditioning" as synonyms. A drill gets dull, it goes out, it comes back sharp — the terminology doesn't seem to matter. But when you're evaluating a service provider or trying to understand why your drills are coming back with shorter life than expected, the distinction matters quite a bit.

What Resharpening Is

Resharpening, in the narrow sense, is the grinding of new cutting edges on a used drill — restoring the two cutting lips to a sharp condition. A basic resharpen touches the cutting face and the relief angle behind the cutting lip. Done correctly, it restores cutting geometry and the drill cuts well again.

A basic resharpen does not address: web thickness, flute condition, overall drill length, or any damage outside the immediate cutting zone. For a drill that's been resharpened once or twice on a quality machine, this is often sufficient.

What Reconditioning Is

Reconditioning is a more complete restoration that addresses the drill as a system. In addition to resharpening the cutting edges, full reconditioning includes:

• Web thinning. As material is removed from the drill point during each resharpen cycle, the drill gets shorter but the web doesn't get smaller with it. After several sharpenings, the web at the point is thicker than new. A thicker web means a larger chisel edge, higher thrust requirements, and increased tendency to walk on entry. Web thinning grinds back the web to restore the original ratio — it's a separate operation requiring a different setup.
• Point geometry verification. Both lips should cut at the same height, with correct lip relief angle, included angle, and symmetry. A basic resharpen may produce sharp lips that are unequal in height, causing the drill to cut oversized holes.
• Overall length assessment. A drill shortened significantly through repeated resharpenings has less flute depth in the cutting zone, affecting chip evacuation and the effective depth it can drill before chips pack.
• Cleaning and inspection. Full reconditioning includes cleaning chips and coolant residue from the flutes, inspection for cracks in the body, and a check of the shank for straightness.

What MachinistPost Does

At MachinistPost, every drill gets full reconditioning on a WinsloMatic automatic drill grinder — not a hand resharpen. The WinsloMatic grinds both lips simultaneously, ensuring equal lip height. Point angle, relief angle, and web thickness are all addressed as part of the standard process. For drills that need web thinning (typically after 3–4 resharpen cycles), that operation is included.

When You Need Reconditioning vs. Resharpening

If a drill has been resharpened once or twice and is still in good condition — no cracks, adequate length, reasonable web thickness — a quality resharpen is sufficient. If a drill has been through multiple cycles and you're seeing higher thrust, tendency to walk, or oversized holes despite sharp edges, full reconditioning with web thinning is the right call.

The easiest way to tell: look at the chisel edge at the drill point. On a new or properly maintained drill, the chisel edge is short relative to the drill diameter. If the chisel edge looks wide and thick, the web needs thinning. A drill sent for reconditioning at the right point in its life — before the web gets so thick it can't be thinned within the remaining tool length — will return in better condition than one resharpened repeatedly without addressing the web.