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Dremels.....


bishbosh

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OK,

Now the 90 has gone and I have moved on to smaller toys, I am in need of a tool to do delicate grinding in small spaces. I already have a powerfile, but this is way to big so I am thinking along the lines of a Dremel.

What I don't know is if the grinding tools available for a Dremel are going to last more than five minutes when working with steel.

Does anyone have any experience of working with steel with a Dremel?

Also, what model should I go for?

Thanks.

Bish.

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I use a lithium battery Dremel for steel and wood.

I find the tiny cutting discs effective but short lived. The grinding discs requre gentle going as there isn't much torque so very high speed is in order.

The wire brush is a little difficult as it needs to be on full power to have much of an effect but if you don't remember to lower the speed as you come off the job then it spins up and throws off wires.

The sanding drums are good for light cleaning.

I find the Dremel consumables a little costly for what you get and so have been using the variety box from Halfords.

The standard collet is 3mm but I also have a pin chuck and a couple of other collet sizes.

Most of my use has been drilling sub mm pin holes when making wooden hinges and jewellery and also wax buffing small wooden jewellery and cabinet parts.

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For general work, I use the dremel cutting discs in pairs - much less prone to breaking due to fat-handedness.

I find the grinding stones effective for light work, i.e. surface ruse removal, but use them in anger and get them hot and they just fall off the mandrel.

The wire cup brushes in my opinion go round too fast, and mis-shape easily.

I do use the thing a lot though, for all sorts of little odds and sods.

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I've got three Dremels at work, and the missus has a hand held jobbie for jewelery making.

I use mine more for cutting plastics and finishing rapid prototype parts, she uses hers for polishing and drilling.

We tend to have the same complaints, you have to take your time or you burn through the accessories, and you end up with a better finish. You'll find an initial glut of spending on things like the larger collets, and variety boxes. These days she tends to buy the cheapo kits from ALDI when they come around and finds identical performance to the Dremel ones, but when in doubt we both revert to B&Q's pretty extensive range of genuine Dremel.

I've bought two Dremels direct from a web based company i can't remember the name of, but the Dremel its self worked out at about £20. Cheaper than repairing a broken one annoyingly. Also, she tend to get miniature drill bits from APTC (Axminster Power Tool Center) in Nuneaton, probably because thats where i send her!

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I use a die grinder a lot, seems a waste running a compressor just for a little grinding so I bought a

20quid elcheapistani dremel copy. Lasted 5mins? well yes but not an awfull lot longer, the replacement lasted

almost a year as I never used it, lent it to my brother when he asked to borrow my Dremel and he killed it. I

bought a Dremel, Robert Dyas had them on special offer at £20, I didn't bother with Dremel accessories. I bought

a collet set for it, there are about 5 or 6 sizes. I buy carbide 3mm burrs from drill service/ebay. It has worked

great since 2004. I was given a Dremel accessory kit by someone who's Dremel died when he used it continously for

a few days. Those little cutting disks are fantastic they just wizz through steel, but the sligtest wiggle while

it's in contact with something and they break. The nylon brushes in the kit were a joke, not tried the felt wheels.

It doesn't replace a die grinder but does a lot of the little jobs pretty good.

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I have a mains powered Dremel, intended for getting in to small spaces that a grinder / sander will not. Also, having a high enough speed for very small drills.

I did not feel I needed it to be portable and battery operated versions are a fair bit more expensive - so I went Mains.

I've been surprised how useful it's been. I had a cheaper version from Homebase a few years ago - but at high speeds it sounded like it was going to explode and minute. Luckily - it let the smoke out before it had a chance.

I'd buy another one if I lost the current one.

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Sorry to jump on your thread Bish, I was thinking of getting one of these also i had seen these in Clas Ohlson, has anyone had any experience with them they seem a better deal than the Dremel ones.

http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?id=80299430

http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?id=147893098

but we all know about cheap non OEM parts....

Cheers, Jason.

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I used to keep a 1" diamond cutting wheel (bought from Maplin IIRC) in my work toolbox with the Dremel. Excellent for hard metals, it will cut through a spanner with no effort at all. I always thought it would be a brilliant scrapyard tool with a cordless dremel.

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My first dremel lasted probably 5 years or so and am currently on second base (mains) model.

Never had any major problems - reverted to original dremel cutters after short lived pattern parts.

I've found the 'reinforced cutting wheels' a million times better than the fragile cut off wheels that come as standard.

I always found it interesting that they were banned from the Ford R&D centre in basildon. I believe it was as a result of repeated eye injuries!

Awesome tool - wouldn't be without one.

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I've had my cheapy Dremel copy for about 5 years now, got it on offer from Makro for about a tenner thinking if it only did a couple of jobs it's be worth it, but it's had some right hammer over the years and still going strong!

the dremel bits do cost though so shop around on the net.

i wouldn't go for the top end models personally as they all do the same thing really, it's a small motor to be used for small fiddly jobs you can't get a proper grinder in, thats all.

Make sure you use eye protection when using though, they're buggers for shooting bits of wire and stuff off at high speed, i had a grinding disc put a right gouge in my old goggles, would definitely have been sporting the pirate look if i'd not had them on.

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I've got a halford's mains dremel copy, I probably abused it a bit to much. it works for 5mins at a time before making death noises. leave to cool and it's fine again.

cutting side, these are the best http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6PC-Diamond-Cutting-Disc-Wheel-Set-Fit-Dremel-Engraver-/250644171601?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET&hash=item3a5b8e8b51

the heaver duty shanke holds the wheel well under hi torque and the blades last a long time, I cut through many welds with one disc, when blunt they still work well from grinding. Forget the ceramic disc's, to delicate

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