Thank God for a new dremel

sniperfrommars1 · #1 05-24-2004, 07:58 AM

I went out and bought a new dremel last night and let me tell you Im in LOVE with this thing. This may be the best tool ive ever bought in my life. Ive had a dremel for about a year, but it was one of the handheld jobs, that only hit 15,000 rpms, overheated constantly, and kept melting the batterys connectors. This one came with a nifty led light attachment for it, and ive found it indispensable to my sg project. THis thread is maybe a little off topic, but i dont know how i could live without this thing now. Does anyone have any suggestions for attachments that I should definitely buy for it?

dot-dot-dot · #2 05-24-2004, 11:07 AM

Depends what you want to do, I suppose. The ones I use most are the reinforced cutting discs (the plain ones are downright dangerous - they tend to shatter), the nibbler and some Wolfcraft 1mm PCB drills, which are the only drill bits I've found that can be used over and over on PCBs without blunting.

frankfalbo · #3 05-24-2004, 08:32 PM

Why do I feel like this thread will end in a few days with:

"Well I hate my new dremel. I'm typing this at the hospital with an eyepatch and I've drilled three holes through my fingers."

Now that you have much more horsepower, you can't get careless! Definitely get the heavy duty cutoff wheels, and never the plain ones. They are just awful. I use the wire wheel all the time to clean/buff out saddles. Especially the Edge saddles. Be careful not to press too hard or get it too hot because it will erode away the metal and make your saddle worse than before. Just a light polishing. If you have burrs then de-burr with a file or sanding stick first. The little wires will come flying out of the wheel as it wears out. They get all over. So it's best to throw it away when it starts "shedding" because they are bad. If you step on them or brush over them they just go right into your skin without warning. And wear eye protection because I don't want to think about one of those in my pupil. The sanding wheels are great, and the router bits are total crap. They are made of some lightweight metal. Plus doing anything that is too aggressive like that with the dremel will make it kick back and destroy your work. I like the keyless "drill style" chuck, if yours didn't already come with one. It enables you to fit any size bit, including really tiny drill bits good for piloting holes in wood. The adjustable router base is okay, but its flimsy. Stew Mac's is better but very expensive.

dot-dot-dot · #4 05-25-2004, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankfalbo

And wear eye protection because I don't want to think about one of those in my pupil.

Absolutely. I've had those normal cutting discs shatter, and bits embed themselves in my goggles, which is pretty scary. Without the goggles I imagine I'd be short an eye now.

CrossingStar · #5 05-25-2004, 07:16 AM

Oh yeah those discs shatter so easily. I use them to cut chunks of metal off of various things and the sparks get flying then BOOM. I go through 5 or 6 just to make a small cut. I totally have goggles, ear plugs, face mask, thick winter gloves on for protection.

sniperfrommars1 · #6 05-25-2004, 08:53 AM

Well frank im still in love with the dremel. Ive found the led light attachment to be indispensable. Its helped alot when i really would love to have light in a cramped cavity. Ive been using it so far to strip the paint out of the cavities on my project sg. Only bad part is nitrocelluse toxic? I got an awful headache afterwords. OUCHE!!!!I must add if you use the cutting disc and set them at the highest setting its no wonder they break all over the place. You really have to go slow and let the blade do the work for you. I still dont have goggles but will refrain from using the cutting disc. Ive been replacing all of my locking nuts with ones i buy at lowes and trim down for 1.00 for 4, as opposed to paying ten to 15 for a set at a guitar shop. Gotta love being cheap

dot-dot-dot · #7 05-25-2004, 11:00 AM

If you're doing anything that generates dust, you need a face mask - hooking up a vacuum cleaner as an extraction unit is also a very good plan.

And you shouldn't be using any power tool at all, ever, without goggles. Ever. At all. I've had the standard discs shatter at the Dremel-recommended speeds for the materials I was working with.

RSVampire · #8 05-25-2004, 12:21 PM

I 2nd that, you should definetly wear mouth and eye protection. Especially with a dremel.

Rich · #9 05-25-2004, 12:27 PM

I wear my little Ben Franklin looking glasses, does that count? Of course I never stick my face in my work and I make sure to never align myself on the axis of rotation

sniperfrommars1 · #10 05-25-2004, 03:09 PM

I assume most of you have had something happen or are just being anal? maybe a little of both? I did get a peice of metal in my eye once when I was cutting some trem post to a fit once on a beater guitar. From then on I make sure to at least wear safety glasses when cutting metal, but wood I cant see a use for, maybe a mask but thats for a different purpose I guess

dot-dot-dot · #11 05-26-2004, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sniperfrommars1

I assume most of you have had something happen or are just being anal?

It's mostly that I'm pretty sure (after checking with my biochemist girlfriend) that eyes don't grow back, and that a goodly sized shard of metal, plastic or a big wood splinter will do enough damage to make one of them utterly useless. Wood dust in your eye can lead to very unpleasant infections - even if it's unlikely I think it's ridiculous to take the risk.

It's not like goggles are uncomfortable or expensive. I can't see why anyone would not think it a good idea to wear them. I find dust masks rather uncomfortable, so in general I use extraction instead, but if I'm working on anything with any chance of bits flying off then I have long sleeves, riggers gloves, goggles and a mask. I have absolutely no desire to lose chunks of flesh.

At the very least you should be wearing goggles and gloves; if you slip with the dremel most of the attachments will get right down to bone in a fraction of a second. One of the PC forums I visit had a thread a few months ago about "modding injuries". Trust me, you don't want to use a Dremel without gloves.

Algiman · #12 05-26-2004, 05:32 AM

Your girlfriend is right - you only get one set of eyes.

Even if you are cutting wood the attachments on a dremel can shatter. Being off axis of rotation isn't protection either - these things can come off with one hell of a speed behind them and ricochet.