What's A Good DREMEL To Start With?

[Jo6Pak]

I've never owned a Dremel, figured it's time I did. Nothing fancy, but enuff to get me by doing bass mods. Think I want a corded model. How important is continuously variable speed? How important is having more than one speed, for that matter? What are the must-haves in the tool/accessories?

If someone can recommend a combo/starter kit for <$50, that'd be kewl.

THANKS!

EDIT: What about something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-100-N-1...0637665&sr=1-2

[bui]

This is a good question...I want to know too, mostly about the variable speed part.

I have this one:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94076

Got it on sale for $6...so far, it's done everything I need it to.

[Jo6Pak]

Originally Posted by bui

I have this one:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94076

Got it on sale for $6...so far, it's done everything I need it to.

Wow. Looks like I'll be heading to their store in Carrollton tomorrow morning.

[bui]

Originally Posted by Jo6Pak

Wow. Looks like I'll be heading to their store in Carrollton tomorrow morning.

I haven't checked to see if it'll accept "official" Dremel bits, but I'm sure it will. It looks like they have a variable speed model too...as for durability, I've had it since January and it's still working...the cutoff wheels are a bit fragile though (I may have gotten a bad batch, since half seem to break as I change them out, and the rest seem fine).

Check your weekly mail for their ads for coupons (actually, they might even have the coupons in store).

[Pilgrim]

The Dremel cut-off discs are fragile, too - they're just an abrasive ceramic. If you twist them or tap them on something hard, they can break. You have to get the touch for using them.

[Staccato]

Variable speed is the thing, if your budget fits...

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

The Dremel cut-off discs are fragile, too - they're just an abrasive ceramic. If you twist them or tap them on something hard, they can break. You have to get the touch for using them.

I bought the slightly-more-expensive diamond wheel for just that reason.

No Dremel here...I snagged a Craftsman variable speed starter kit (comes with goggles and band-aids) and just added accessories over the years. The different brands are pretty much interchangeable.

Riis

[62bass]

I have owned the Dremel Multipro model 395 kit for a couple years. Someone bought it for me as a birthday present (an avid Dremel user)

I've used it a bit but never found anything I'd do on an instrument that I couldn't do better with other tools I have in my moderatly equipped home shop. It's handy around the house at times but it's designed for the home crafts people. I don't consider it a serious pro tool. But the Dremel quality in the tool itself is good for light duty. I've seen some of the low priced competition and wouldn't buy them if I just had to have one of those types of tools. Their quality isn't as high. But for occasional use the cheaper ones might be fine.

I'm pretty picky about my tools.

On the other hand-let me warn you about another Dremel tool that I got as a present-the Dremel model 6000 Contour Sander. I've used it a total of maybe 5 hours for some tight sanding jobs around window trim and it's absolute rubbish. Underpowered. I need to replace the brushes already. The various contour sanding attachments are hard to instal easily and don't fit well. The diamond shaped flat sanding pad fell apart after a few hours of sanding. The heat build up caused the hook and loop pad to separate from the base. Unfixable.

Dremel has recently come out with one of those sanders with other attachments for cutting, similar to the Fein shown on the TV ads lately. I wouldn't buy one. Save your money and get the Fein or the Porter Cable. They'll last for years and work at a much heavier level.

Just had to get that off my chest.

I think the main problem with Dremel is it's for very light duty only. You might find it useful for light jobs on an instrument when portability is most important. I think a lot of us remember how Billy Shhehan used one to seriously hack up his old Fender on the road. Without dedicated tools it might do okay at that. If I was planning on doing some light routing I'd just get a small laminate trimmer from a name brand.

The cost of the attachments can add up quickly.

But I've met some guys who are absolute Dremel fanatics. They're strange dudes. They tend to wear clothing from Lands End catalogues and have their hair tied back in a ponytail.

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by 62bass

But I've met some guys who are absolute Dremel fanatics. They're strange dudes. They tend to wear clothing from Lands End catalogues and have their hair tied back in a ponytail.

No ponytail but, otherwise, you're pretty dang close. Have we met?

The Dremel does have its limitations, true, but it does perform light tasks well. The flexi-shaft is a must when doing fine work in tight spaces. Here are the accessories I use most:

*Micro drill bits (also helpful when tweaking nut slots)

*Cut off wheels (great for removing rounded-out screw heads)

*Carving kit (burr bits...I recut a rounded-out truss rod nut)

*Grinding wheels

Riis

[MNAirHead]

You want the tool with the collet that takes large and small shank diameters.

I would avoid the harbor fright tool as it has runout and is only good for short bursts.. not hour long grinding.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Zooberwerx

No ponytail but, otherwise, you're pretty dang close. Have we met?

Yes, on the Yorkville/Traynor club site.

[202dy]

It's all about using the right tool for the job.

The Dremel is a great light duty tool. I have four or five of them in the shop. One is set up as a dedicated router. One of them is generally loaded with a fiberglass reinforced cut-off wheel. (These are more robust than the little ceramic wheels.) Another is left empty and used for general purpose grinding. The others are strictly for construction kinds of things around the house. At least one of them is lying around in a box of parts.

So what is light duty? What does it do well? It's great for doing anything that a larger router or laminate trimmer would be overkill. Inlay work is one of the uses. Another is for cutting saddle slots in new bridges. It is essential when flattening the slot before installing an under saddle pickup. With the right bits, it is good for cleaning old glue out of fret slots before installing new frets.

There are tasks that are done quicker and as accurately with hand tools. Cleaning out the seat for a new nut comes to mind. For those items, the Dremel is overkill.

The Dremel is not designed to hog out a lot of material quickly. You wouldn't want to use the Dremel to rout a new pickup recess. A laminate trimmer will do the job much quicker. A 1 1/2 horsepower router is even better.

If you are going to buy only one Dremel, choose a variable speed model. This is especially true if you are going to use it for tasks around the house. Two speed models only allow for two choices: Too slow and too fast.

As far as bit choices go, the stones are good as are the carbide cutters. However, the choices for doing very small precision work is limited. This is where you want to have a good relationship with your dentist. Dental burrs come in really small sizes and are made to run at extremely high speeds, like 500,000 RPM. The dentist throws them away when they are too dull to cut your teeth. But they are plenty sharp for rosewood and ebony. Ask nicely and tell him what you are going to use them for. After chatting for fifteen minutes on craft, he'll probably throw a bunch of them in a box for you for free.

Knockoffs made by other companies: It's your money. Just remember that the sweetness of a good price will never last as long as the the sour taste of using a poorly made tool.

[Jo6Pak]

Went to Harbor Freight this morning. As usual, half the junk in the store was on sale, so I ended up getting the one that normally sells for 20 bucks, for $10. It's the 80 piece kit. That's what it sez anyway, I didn't count them all. It's a 1600 rpm, single speed unit. Oughta be plenty for my needs...

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by Jo6Pak

Went to Harbor Freight this morning. As usual, half the junk in the store was on sale, so I ended up getting the one that normally sells for 20 bucks, for $10. It's the 80 piece kit. That's what it sez anyway, I didn't count them all. It's a 1600 rpm, single speed unit. Oughta be plenty for my needs...

With that rig, you can move to Guatemala and become a dentist.

Riis

[standupright]

Originally Posted by Zooberwerx

With that rig, you can move to Guatemala and become a dentist.

Riis

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by Zooberwerx

With that rig, you can move to Guatemala and become a dentist.

Riis

Oy Vey!

In North Dakota:

Uff Da!