Rotary tool Opinions
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Robert Reed
- Posts: 2277
- Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:01 am
- Location: ASHTABULA,OHIO
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Rotary tool Opinions
A while back I had bought a cheap($12) Chinese Dremel look alike tool for what I thought was a oneoff circuit board job and then pitch it. The tool is such a peice of crap that is impossible to even set it on a surface without it walking all over the board due VERY sloppy bearings. Now I have increased need for such a tool (genuine Dremel or equivalent) and was wondering what might be the best size and what would be a good collection of accessories for it?
My experience with those things is when it comes to Dremel the only name is Dremel. The immitation stuff is almost always junk, been there and done that. Bearings? I have used several that were sleeved brass not even using bearings.
I was given a Dremel 400 Series XPS and I love the thing. I use it mostly for light gunsmithing work so my choice of bits & tools wouldn't help much.
I love the handle, really nice contour. These things are just one of those get what you pay for affairs.
I see you are in Ashtabula. I also see you guys got about 6" of snow. We got a few flurries down here in Bedford Heights (SE Cleve Burbs).
Ron
I was given a Dremel 400 Series XPS and I love the thing. I use it mostly for light gunsmithing work so my choice of bits & tools wouldn't help much.
I love the handle, really nice contour. These things are just one of those get what you pay for affairs.
I see you are in Ashtabula. I also see you guys got about 6" of snow. We got a few flurries down here in Bedford Heights (SE Cleve Burbs).
Ron
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Robert Reed
- Posts: 2277
- Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:01 am
- Location: ASHTABULA,OHIO
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I will Checkthat one out. Is it small enough for detail work? When I worked in the Independance (Ohio) R&D lab I used to pass thru your neck of the woods twice a day. I lived in Mentor then (still a long haul) and envied you "southerners" for the lack of snow. Been 3-9" of snow on the roof out here for at least 3 weeks.
Hi Robert.
That chinese tool is not built for circuit boards, it is meant to scare away the termites once, here:
http://image.poco.cn/photo/20080228/395 ... 87_640.jpg
http://image.poco.cn/photo/20080228/395 ... _1_640.jpg
http://image.poco.cn/photo/20080228/395 ... _2_640.jpg
Miguel
That chinese tool is not built for circuit boards, it is meant to scare away the termites once, here:
http://image.poco.cn/photo/20080228/395 ... 87_640.jpg
http://image.poco.cn/photo/20080228/395 ... _1_640.jpg
http://image.poco.cn/photo/20080228/395 ... _2_640.jpg
Miguel
- Abolish the deciBel ! -
I have a "Dremel" type tool. Made by Dremel but with Sears CRAFTSMAN stickers on the outside. The Sears kit I have came with more parts and attachments at a lower cost than a similar kit marked Dremel. Sears also sells a rotary tool under the name Gyros PowerPro. I do not know if this is a remarked Dremel or not.
As for replacement drill bits and cut off wheels.... I found some off brand rotary tool parts that work just as well as the Sears/Dremel parts. It is the motor part that you really need to spend the money on.
When searching for a high speed rotary tool here are my opinions. I'd STRONGLY suggest that you go with a variable speed unit. Get a bunch of accessories with it as if you are a DIY type person you will find all sorts of uses for it beyond electronics. If your primary intention is circuit boards you should consider the bench press option. This is a bench mount for your Dremel tool that turns the device into a bench drill press. They also make router tables, dry wall guides etc. A friend has one of these that was battery powered. It works as intended but in my opinion my plug in device was much more powerful. And mine didn't run out of charge in a few minutes.
As for replacement drill bits and cut off wheels.... I found some off brand rotary tool parts that work just as well as the Sears/Dremel parts. It is the motor part that you really need to spend the money on.
When searching for a high speed rotary tool here are my opinions. I'd STRONGLY suggest that you go with a variable speed unit. Get a bunch of accessories with it as if you are a DIY type person you will find all sorts of uses for it beyond electronics. If your primary intention is circuit boards you should consider the bench press option. This is a bench mount for your Dremel tool that turns the device into a bench drill press. They also make router tables, dry wall guides etc. A friend has one of these that was battery powered. It works as intended but in my opinion my plug in device was much more powerful. And mine didn't run out of charge in a few minutes.
No trees were harmed in the creation of this message. But billions of electrons, photons, and electromagnetic waves were terribly inconvenienced!
Miguel,
Great pictures. This is what you call a true DIY. I'd probably not be satisfied driving this as I'm used to driving cars with safety features such as seat belts and crumple zones. Plus when it rains and snows I'm dry and warm. But it sure beats walking!
Great pictures. This is what you call a true DIY. I'd probably not be satisfied driving this as I'm used to driving cars with safety features such as seat belts and crumple zones. Plus when it rains and snows I'm dry and warm. But it sure beats walking!
No trees were harmed in the creation of this message. But billions of electrons, photons, and electromagnetic waves were terribly inconvenienced!
Hi,
Cool pictures! I almost forgot what this thread was about.
It looks like they made the wheels for that thing with a Dremel
Anyway, i have a Dremel too and it works pretty well but yes you
cant press too hard when you are working with larger cutting bits
because the motor bogs down. That's the only drawback however.
I thought about making a speed regulator too because it might not
be that hard because inside it has a brush type DC motor! A
little back emf feedback and a small circuit and of course a phase
control triggered triac or scr and that would do it...no more bogging.
As far as must have bits, here are some suggestions.
1. Number 1 is cutoff disks. You must have some of these because
they are great. You can cut through bolts with these in maybe 30
seconds. You can even cut off stubborn nuts on bolts that wont
come off without even ruining the threads if you are careful.
You can cut through almost any material, but #2 is even better.
These disks come in two varieties: small and large. The large ones
are the best because they last longer and can be used to cut off
big nuts or bolts, but the small ones are good for more delicate stuff.
The large ones are about 1.25 inches in diameter. The smaller ones
are maybe 1 inch in diameter or smaller, and wear down to much
smaller sizes pretty fast.
2. Diamond cutoff wheel. This is a must if you want to experiment
with cutting magnetic materials like ferrites and stuff like that, just
in case you want to make your own ferrite cores with air gaps.
These wheels will cut just about anything i think, and have a very
narrow width so that they dont remove too much material in the
process.
3. Rotary cutters. These are mostly round with teeth along the
whole length and come in various shapes. Good for removing
larger amounts of material from wood and plastic and maybe
soft metals. These are sort of like router bits.
4. Sanding discs. Round and cylindrical. Both come in handy,
but you need the proper mandrel for each.
5. Drill bits. Various sizes, including #66 for DIP package pin holes,
and bigger for resistors and stuff like that. The carbide are the best
but the high speed steel dont break as easily. If you get carbide,
it's best to have a drill press too so you dont break them too much.
Alternately try the right angle attachment.
6. Right angle attachment. This lets you drill/cut/grind from the
side of the tool rather than from the top. Makes a lot of tasks
much easier to handle because the tool is rather hard to handle
the way it comes but with this attachment it makes it a whole
lot easier.
7. Grinding wheels. These are used for grinding metals just like
any other grinder except they are very small. Some people use
these for sharpening saw blades, and many saw blade sharpening
shops use these for some big blades too.
8. A set of collets. This is mandatory. The collet that comes with
the tools are usually 1/8 inch, and to chuck the smaller shank
diameters you absolutely have to have smaller collets too. They
make at least 4 different sizes and you really need all 4 too.
Alternately, a replacement chuck that works like an ordinary drill,
but i think the max speed is limited to 20k rpm with those chucks.
9. Plastic cutting disk. This is made from a saw blade (they make
1/2 inch diameter saw blades for the Dremel). Grind all the
teeth off of the saw blade and you have a great plastic cutting disk
that does not bind or grab the material as you cut.
One danger with the ordinary saw blade is that the teeth often
grab the material and make the whole tool jump. If your fingers
are in the path they get cut to the bone. Thus, i dont recommend
using the raw saw blades with the hand tools. They do however
make a cutting bit that looks a little like a very thick body saw
blade with attached shank, which seems to work very well without
grabbing too much as it has a smaller diameter of about 3/8 inch.
The larger raw saw blades though are about 1/2 to 5/8 inch
diameter and are made out of some kind of tempered steel.
These are the ones that are fairly dangerous.
10. Of course eye protection is a must also. Debris fly around
when cutting or grinding so you really cant get away without
this or something is going to get into your eye sooner or later.
11. Believe it or not, ordinary sewing needles make make-shift
drill bits. They work good in wood and plastic and even fiber
PC boards and the thin copper, but dont work well with metals
in general. They dont leave a very clean hole in pc boards
however, but that can be cleaned up with another tool.
12. Speed control. If the tool doesnt have one, you wont want to
use it. Either get a tool that has one already or buy one separate.
The better lamp dimmers also work pretty well if you cant find a
speed control you can make your own.
Ultimately control with a foot switch would
be really great if you can build that so you can control the speed
while you are drilling/cutting and using both hands.
NOT RECOMMENDED LIST:
Raw saw blades around 5/8 inch diameter.
Cool pictures! I almost forgot what this thread was about.
It looks like they made the wheels for that thing with a Dremel
Anyway, i have a Dremel too and it works pretty well but yes you
cant press too hard when you are working with larger cutting bits
because the motor bogs down. That's the only drawback however.
I thought about making a speed regulator too because it might not
be that hard because inside it has a brush type DC motor! A
little back emf feedback and a small circuit and of course a phase
control triggered triac or scr and that would do it...no more bogging.
As far as must have bits, here are some suggestions.
1. Number 1 is cutoff disks. You must have some of these because
they are great. You can cut through bolts with these in maybe 30
seconds. You can even cut off stubborn nuts on bolts that wont
come off without even ruining the threads if you are careful.
You can cut through almost any material, but #2 is even better.
These disks come in two varieties: small and large. The large ones
are the best because they last longer and can be used to cut off
big nuts or bolts, but the small ones are good for more delicate stuff.
The large ones are about 1.25 inches in diameter. The smaller ones
are maybe 1 inch in diameter or smaller, and wear down to much
smaller sizes pretty fast.
2. Diamond cutoff wheel. This is a must if you want to experiment
with cutting magnetic materials like ferrites and stuff like that, just
in case you want to make your own ferrite cores with air gaps.
These wheels will cut just about anything i think, and have a very
narrow width so that they dont remove too much material in the
process.
3. Rotary cutters. These are mostly round with teeth along the
whole length and come in various shapes. Good for removing
larger amounts of material from wood and plastic and maybe
soft metals. These are sort of like router bits.
4. Sanding discs. Round and cylindrical. Both come in handy,
but you need the proper mandrel for each.
5. Drill bits. Various sizes, including #66 for DIP package pin holes,
and bigger for resistors and stuff like that. The carbide are the best
but the high speed steel dont break as easily. If you get carbide,
it's best to have a drill press too so you dont break them too much.
Alternately try the right angle attachment.
6. Right angle attachment. This lets you drill/cut/grind from the
side of the tool rather than from the top. Makes a lot of tasks
much easier to handle because the tool is rather hard to handle
the way it comes but with this attachment it makes it a whole
lot easier.
7. Grinding wheels. These are used for grinding metals just like
any other grinder except they are very small. Some people use
these for sharpening saw blades, and many saw blade sharpening
shops use these for some big blades too.
8. A set of collets. This is mandatory. The collet that comes with
the tools are usually 1/8 inch, and to chuck the smaller shank
diameters you absolutely have to have smaller collets too. They
make at least 4 different sizes and you really need all 4 too.
Alternately, a replacement chuck that works like an ordinary drill,
but i think the max speed is limited to 20k rpm with those chucks.
9. Plastic cutting disk. This is made from a saw blade (they make
1/2 inch diameter saw blades for the Dremel). Grind all the
teeth off of the saw blade and you have a great plastic cutting disk
that does not bind or grab the material as you cut.
One danger with the ordinary saw blade is that the teeth often
grab the material and make the whole tool jump. If your fingers
are in the path they get cut to the bone. Thus, i dont recommend
using the raw saw blades with the hand tools. They do however
make a cutting bit that looks a little like a very thick body saw
blade with attached shank, which seems to work very well without
grabbing too much as it has a smaller diameter of about 3/8 inch.
The larger raw saw blades though are about 1/2 to 5/8 inch
diameter and are made out of some kind of tempered steel.
These are the ones that are fairly dangerous.
10. Of course eye protection is a must also. Debris fly around
when cutting or grinding so you really cant get away without
this or something is going to get into your eye sooner or later.
11. Believe it or not, ordinary sewing needles make make-shift
drill bits. They work good in wood and plastic and even fiber
PC boards and the thin copper, but dont work well with metals
in general. They dont leave a very clean hole in pc boards
however, but that can be cleaned up with another tool.
12. Speed control. If the tool doesnt have one, you wont want to
use it. Either get a tool that has one already or buy one separate.
The better lamp dimmers also work pretty well if you cant find a
speed control you can make your own.
Ultimately control with a foot switch would
be really great if you can build that so you can control the speed
while you are drilling/cutting and using both hands.
NOT RECOMMENDED LIST:
Raw saw blades around 5/8 inch diameter.
LEDs vs Bulbs, LEDs are winning.
-
Robert Reed
- Posts: 2277
- Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:01 am
- Location: ASHTABULA,OHIO
- Contact:
Hi Robert,
Sorry, i meant to add that one to the list too but forgot.
I dont have one but i think they might be ok to use
although a little strange to handle.
In any case, the angle attachment i was talking about works
very well and what this does is cause the bit to be angled
at 90 degrees to the body of the Dremel, which makes a
huge difference how you use the tool and helps with
various tasks like grinding and drilling. It's a world of
difference. I got mine about 5 years ago but would have
gotten it much sooner had i known how much difference it
makes. I've been using Dremel products including a smaller
model drill since the early 1970's mostly for PCB work.
At least try one to see what i mean.
Sorry, i meant to add that one to the list too but forgot.
I dont have one but i think they might be ok to use
although a little strange to handle.
In any case, the angle attachment i was talking about works
very well and what this does is cause the bit to be angled
at 90 degrees to the body of the Dremel, which makes a
huge difference how you use the tool and helps with
various tasks like grinding and drilling. It's a world of
difference. I got mine about 5 years ago but would have
gotten it much sooner had i known how much difference it
makes. I've been using Dremel products including a smaller
model drill since the early 1970's mostly for PCB work.
At least try one to see what i mean.
LEDs vs Bulbs, LEDs are winning.
My flex shaft dermel has got to be 25 years old and still runs great. I use it only occasionally now but used to use it frequently. In my old workshop I had it hanging from a hook and had the power outlet switched with a home-made knee switch so I wouldn't need to use a hand to turn it off or on. A footswitch or foot speed controller would probably be great too. I don't know if it will work better on a lamp dimmer or a fan speed control. I suspect the latter.
However I have found the flex shaft to be inconvenient when working away from the bench. The newer models I think it is detachable.
Don't even think of the Harbor Freight one for <$20 it runs on 12V and has little torque and breaks easily. Dosen't even come with a 12V supply, you have to get your own.
Its the perfect time to buy one. Its a mature product with good discounts during christmas and lots of large accessory packs at HD and Lowes etc.
However I have found the flex shaft to be inconvenient when working away from the bench. The newer models I think it is detachable.
Don't even think of the Harbor Freight one for <$20 it runs on 12V and has little torque and breaks easily. Dosen't even come with a 12V supply, you have to get your own.
Its the perfect time to buy one. Its a mature product with good discounts during christmas and lots of large accessory packs at HD and Lowes etc.
-
Robert Reed
- Posts: 2277
- Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:01 am
- Location: ASHTABULA,OHIO
- Contact:
Hacklesup
"However I have found the flex shaft to be inconvenient when working away from the bench. The newer models I think it is detachable. "
Not being familiar with all aspects of these tools, but the flex shaft shown is only shown as an attachable accessory to the existing rotary tool(s). So I guess the basic tool can be used either with or without. It sounds as though the one you mentioned has a permanent and dedicated rotary tool to be used with it .
It looks from the adds that it would handle a little easier for doing PC work which is what grabbed my interest.
How do you like yours for doing that kind of fine detail work?
"However I have found the flex shaft to be inconvenient when working away from the bench. The newer models I think it is detachable. "
Not being familiar with all aspects of these tools, but the flex shaft shown is only shown as an attachable accessory to the existing rotary tool(s). So I guess the basic tool can be used either with or without. It sounds as though the one you mentioned has a permanent and dedicated rotary tool to be used with it .
It looks from the adds that it would handle a little easier for doing PC work which is what grabbed my interest.
How do you like yours for doing that kind of fine detail work?
One advantage of the flex shaft unit is the motor is significantly bigger - no bogging down, etc. Depending on what you are doing, you have to find a place to lay or hang the motor. I used a cheap motor control / triac phase control for speed control, now use a 25Watt Variac, just because it's nicer.
I've used it for everything from PC boards, to cutting small pieces of car body sheet metal & brackets.
The handpiece lets you get into places you can't get a traditional Dremel:
http://www.jlindustrial.co.uk/DRM-06456 ... oduct.html
The system does cost more, but I have found it worth it.
Dave
I've used it for everything from PC boards, to cutting small pieces of car body sheet metal & brackets.
The handpiece lets you get into places you can't get a traditional Dremel:
http://www.jlindustrial.co.uk/DRM-06456 ... oduct.html
The system does cost more, but I have found it worth it.
Dave
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