Dremel - which one to get

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VancouverS4

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As I get more comfortable with this hobby I would like to get into some polishing, under cutting etc.

A Dremel (or Dremel like) tool seems to be a great piece to have. Which model does everyone recommend and which accessories.

Thanks in advance.
 
VancouverS4 said:
As I get more comfortable with this hobby I would like to get into some polishing, under cutting etc.

A Dremel (or Dremel like) tool seems to be a great piece to have. Which model does everyone recommend and which accessories.

Thanks in advance.
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What ever you get, get one that has a flex-shaft pencil grinder attachment and either has variable speed, or buy a 110v variable speed foot pedal.
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If you get a Dremel tool,get the one with the ball bearings on the shaft. They used to have one with bushings and they would wear out easily. I went through a few Dremel tools in the past. My last tool kit is the Canadian tire brand and it's been one of the better ones I've had.
 
Your right they are very good tools. We had one at the shop and used it for porting cylinders and heads. But unless you are going to use it a lot a Dremel tool or similar type is a lot more affordable.
 
Foredom is the professional "version" of the Dremel- and priced accordingly. I actually have a Milwaukee M12 "Dremel-like" battery-powered tool. No flex shaft, but is pretty handy for a lot of small grinding/polishing tasks. The bearings aren't perhaps the best but it seems to be holding up OK. For fine polishing, a set of felt bobs- enough for each grade of abrasive, right up to chromium oxide (3 micron- exceedingly fine), are very good to have.

One accessory I've found really useful is a set of Cratex abrasive-embedded rubber wheels. There are offshore knock-offs, but the genuine ones are definitely the best, albeit not cheap. I've used mine for all sorts of gentle deburring and initial polishing. They seem to be hard to find "locally", but KBC Tools lists them.
 
Magellann said:
Mine has been very good so far. Actually it is better than the Dremel brand ones that I have had.
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My first Dremel was bought at Woodwrd's Hardware in Vancouver, where I was working at the time (c.1978 or so). It lasted 30+ years. Not made you-know-where, I'd guess.
 
silverfoxdj said:
And the would have the appropriate pricing I fear..
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Not really, considering if one searches via Amazon.
My cousin is a retired dental tech.
Crowns etc, and he found tools from China delivered hundreds of dollars cheaper than what he could source locally.
Yes, one can buy a Dremel (trade name) but to what end?
From $40 to hundreds and your buying replacement parts left right and center and when you spend once you cry once.
Just suggesting some research might prove beneficial is all.
Rob
 
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Stock up on those and learn how to use them. There's nothing better for cleaning up bedding jobs and doing inletting. Stay away from the carbide bits. They bite and jump around, I learned that at my expense. The grinding stones are perfect for most of the work you'll be doing on stocks and the odd metal work.
 

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A rotary tool like a Dremel or clone can be a really handy thing. But in the hands of those that buy into that advert they used to have that a Dremel is the tool to replace them all it can become the source of mayhem and destruction in less time than it takes to say "...oops....". For something like "polishing" in particular. It can save a lot of hand work but at the same time it can turn clean sharp lines into dull wavy lines in the blink of an eye. It can also turn nice flat or cylindrical surfaces into oddities that reflect light like a "house of mirrors" distorted bendy mirror. And when applied to action work?.... well, it is often not the proper tool and that sort of "polishing" is better done with jigs and proper slip stones to enable the proper sort of control for such work. I'll bet many a trigger has been made unsafe through the use of a Dremel.

In short go easy with them. They are great for some things. But not as many as you may think. Good hand tools like small slip stones and good files for working metal are far better for doing many things with proper control. You'll need BOTH sides of the power vs hand tools to do the jobs correctly.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my Dremel. But I also respect the ease with which it can ruin a part. When I do use it I do so with care and sensitivity. And generally only when I don't have a hand tool that can do that job. I suspect that maybe 5% of my gun tinkering uses the Dremel or clone. But it would be much harder to perform that 5% if I didn't have just that sort of tool.

Because I don't use my rotary tool a lot and when I do I want the handpiece to be quite easy to use I prefer a corded model of these tools. I also plug it into a foot operated speed control. I'm too busy at the tool itself supporting it from running away to run the speed control at the same time. By moving the speed function to my foot I can also alter the speed while working the tool. For my money a foot control is the only way to go.

If you're going to mostly to stock work I'd go for more of a Foredom style. Either the proper Foredom or a clone. The lower speed and greater torque will work well at wood working applications and wood working size cutters.
 
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having used many over the years Dremel is decent, there are different versions out there, Foredom setup is the best, you get the main motor with foot or rheostat control, they have a wide variety of handsets, I have the plain 1 inch round handset for general work, takes 1/8 or 1/4 collets and is the go to setup, have the 90 degree handset, 45 degree handset both take the dental bits, flex head micro collet takes collets from 1/32 to 3/32 and a hammer head, it is great for peening metal and pins, like a mini jack hammer.

avoid the cordless Dremel but if you try the Milwaukee m12 tool its a handy as the batteries last a long time, even better if you have the M12 drill driver already
 
I have a 110 volt Dremel with the flexible extension - love it - don't use it that often as I end up doing things away from electrical outlets (not gunsmithing, but I have used them on pistol grips) - the two rechargeable ones I have suffice for field work but lack guts. And, yes, it's very easy to "oops" if you're not very careful. Not as dangerous as a pneumatic die-grinder at full speed but they can get away from you.
 
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