Dremels...what do you use them for?

[jimi43]

In recent posts...whether Dremel or Aldi....the need for a small, fast, torquey (!?) handheld whizzy thing seems to be universal.

I thought it might be interesting to see what you use yours for and if anyone here has adapted theirs with mounts and jigs...

I am particularly interested in the mini-router, tablesaw and drill stand adaptations....basically opening up these little darlings to the miniature, delicate world of fine woodworking.

I was a little disappointed when searching that, apart from the router and circular saw attachments...oh and the extension...there is little out there in Googleland that has been done to take full advantage of these.

THIS SITE IS A GOOD START TO WHAT I MEAN

Any ideas guys and gals?

Jim

 

[woodbloke]

I don't use a Dremel...Proxxon were recommended to me - Rob

 

[Mike Wingate]

I use my original Dremel in it's drill stand for drilling PCboards.

 

[Smudger]

Cleaning up old tools, polishing, cutting. My wife uses hers (was mine but I blinked) for drilling.

 

[Harbo]

Have a look at the Proxxon Catalogue - you will be surprised!


Rod

 

[matt]

I do all my family's dental work, and my own too with the wife holding a mirror.

 

[jimi43]

Have a look at the Proxxon Catalogue - you will be surprised!


Rod

Yes...I have seen the stuff at Axminster and very impressive it is too!

Does the Dremel fit in all the jigs...or do you have to buy their handtool at £90 odd?

Jim

 

[MickCheese]

I used mine last weekend for cutting the hole for a tap in a stainless sink.

Very useful.

Mick

 

[dedee]

The dremel is excellant at cutting new slots in screws when the original crossheaded slots are too mangled to be of any use.

Andy

 

[laird]

Used mine a fortnight ago to cut a small hole in the back of a chest of drawers, so I could shine a light through, plus fit a bar through, to depress the ring box that SWIMBO had thrown in - and was now locking the drawer.

 

[chingerspy]

Mainly use mine for:
Cleaning up and sharpening fishing hooks, cutting barbs off too.
Models
polishing

Nothing special. I have the rechargeable pistol grip one.

 

[wizer]

I really like my dremel but I do feel it's under used. It comes out once in a blue moon, normally when I need to cut metal where an angle grinder is overkill. Eventually I want to use it for decorating\carving on turned items, hence the need for the flexi shaft. Just not sure if I want to keep the dremel or move over to proxxon. I think the proxxon range is much better and more related to woodworking.

 

[Smudger]

What I want is a cheap supply of the 3M type fibre polishing wheels. Also in 6" size for a bench grinder...

 

[woodbloke]

I really like my dremel but I do feel it's under used. It comes out once in a blue moon, normally when I need to cut metal where an angle grinder is overkill. Eventually I want to use it for decorating\carving on turned items, hence the need for the flexi shaft. Just not sure if I want to keep the dremel or move over to proxxon. I think the proxxon range is much better and more related to woodworking.

PFT advised me that the Proxxon range is better built than thre Dremel. I use mine for grinding and honing scribing gouges (amongst other things) - rob

 

[jimi43]

From what I have seen they certainly look beautifully made but this is reflected in the price.

Since I have a Dremel already I think I will do more research to try to find jigs and things to adapt it until I find the need to splash out on the Proxxon....

Anyone made any jigs for theirs?

Jim

 

[mrfixit]

Mine often wins the "Tool of the week" award from me.

Cutting or polishing various bits of metal.

The sanding wheels are on 24/7 standby for shaping or tweaking repairs to carvings or mirror frames.

The grinding stones are good for re-profiling the levers in old draw locks. I have an extensive collection of old keys and it's easier to make a lock fit a key than the other way round.

 

[Chris Knight]

Mainly use mine for cutting and some inlay work with the crummy Dremel router base.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I have a mains Proxxon, after my B+D started smelling and chucking out sparks. It gets used for a huge number of metalworking jobs, including removing rusted bolts from the land rover chassis.

The worst/most interesting job would have been impossible to do without it: repairing five-inch rising butt hinges. These are truly huge, installed circa 1905 on our four-foot-wide front door (which is itself a glorious piece of joinery). Over the years they had worn down and the pins had become very loose (one had snapped, but we didn't know until we took the hinges off). I have been unable to source replacements, and fitting modern, smaller hinges would completely mess up the door and frame.

With the help of a local blacksmith, we drilled and fitted new pins, and repaired the spirals with weld. With hindsight I'd have researched this a bit more first, as the effect on cast iron is to create Austenitic steel at the junction between weld and old metal. This is incredibly hard (used in modern armour plate), and prone to fracture.

Anyway, the next stage was to grind new spirals - a horribly challenging task by hand. Not only do both parts of each hinge have to match (so that there is a good bearing surface), the pair of hinges have to be near as dammit identical. The only way muggins here achieved this was with small straight diamond burrs, working radially (WRT the pins), and prpendicualr to the axis of the hinge.

It took hours and hours, with several soul-destroying moments when the welding fractured on one hinge and large lumps fell off. Eventually we did it and re-hung the door satisfactorily (much stronger on that side now, and closes properly). Overall it took about six months start-to-finish, and everyone got used to using the side door so much that we had to search for visitors sometimes!

For the propeller-headed, the right way to do it is most probably with stainless MIG wire in a pure Argon shield, with lots of pre-heating of the castings. I've NOT tried this, but the chemistry makes sense - the chromium displaces the carbon and prevents Austenite forming, and the pre-heating and gentle cooling stops cracking.

Anyway, the door's back in service and I reckon the hinges are good for another 100 years or so (as long as they're oiled!). COuldn't have done it without a dremel/proxxon tool...

 

[trumpetmonkey]

I have a dremel on back order - wanted one after christmas and seems like everyone was sold out, i guess it was a popular christmas present! Still waiting. It's a bit late now, but I wanted it to speed up carving lovespoons for a valentines craft fair as per this link from my web page. (more lovespoons visible if you go through the gallery after clicking on the main lovespoon image. http://www.qdscarpentry.co.uk/gifts.html

Anyone got any advice on using them for carving like this?

 

[Eric The Viking]

I wanted it to speed up carving lovespoons for a valentines craft fair as per this link from my web page. (more lovespoons visible if you go through the gallery after clicking on the main lovespoon image. http://www.qdscarpentry.co.uk/gifts.html

Anyone got any advice on using them for carving like this?

Dunno specifically, but I've tried those mini-sanding drums IMHO a complete waste of time on softwood. These are the dog's:

They're diamond disks and really do cut through practically anything (have used on granite).

As are these, also diamond, for metal shaping:



I used them on the hinges and will use them on glass tiles shortly.

I missed the Aldi tool (wasn't quick enough getting there), but got some of the accessory packs, which contain milling cutters of various shapes. I now find you can get wood burrs separately and not expensively:



The last two pics come from Chronos, who I got my Proxxon from - good service and pretty keen prices too (at least was true at the beginning of last year).

HTH.

Almost forgot: I like the Proxxon because of the build quality, and the fact it has a replaceable chuck rather than a collet (my one does, anyway). It makes it a bit more useful and a bit less hassle changing tools over.