The Evil Dremel.

[tucosink]

Remember the tool isn’t the problem

 

[Eric Krewson]

I do final inlet tweaking with a Dremel, if you use a small diamond bit it will cut slowly and not get away from you, If the area is really close but not quite there, I use a worn-out diamond bit that will remove wood but oh so slowly.

My nephew, who has never inletted anything, tried to put a patch box in his GPR with a Dremel.

I fixed his mess with a lot of glued in patches and a Dremel for the final fit.

 

[Old-Duckman]

I do final inlet tweaking with a Dremel, if you use a small diamond bit it will cut slowly and not get away from you, If the area is really close but not quite there, I use a worn-out diamond bit that will remove wood but oh so slowly.

My nephew, who has never inletted anything, tried to put a patch box in his GPR with a Dremel.

View attachment 210860

I fixed his mess with a lot of glued in patches and a Dremel for the final fit.

View attachment 210861

Wow, perfect example of how those things can get out of control. I’m surprised that he didn’t come to you for help sooner.

 

[borne2fly]

I’ve used various Dremels seemingly forever. Excellent for freehand rough cuts and grinding but I need to put it in a rigid fixture (lathe, mill, possibly drill press) for any precision work. And even then, I have to place it in the same class as the little Atlas 101 lathe … the bearings are not “precision” bearings, so I can’t expect extreme precision from it. I use it for general purpose stuff only. I suppose one could replace the bearings and collets with precision units but after that expense you might as well get a precision tool to start with (Dumore?). The Dremel I presently have must be 30 years old and probably needs new brushes and bearings, again. It’s one tool I will never sell.

 

[Relic shooter]

I do final inlet tweaking with a Dremel, if you use a small diamond bit it will cut slowly and not get away from you, If the area is really close but not quite there, I use a worn-out diamond bit that will remove wood but oh so slowly.

My nephew, who has never inletted anything, tried to put a patch box in his GPR with a Dremel.

Your a gift to wood butchers

View attachment 210860

I fixed his mess with a lot of glued in patches and a Dremel for the final fit.

View attachment 210861

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Hats off Eric! Thats a great save!

 

[sheriff john]

My Dremel is a cousin to my computer printer. Neither are terribly expensive to purchase. Printer ink and real Dremel bits/sanding disks, etc. cost $.

 

[Eric Krewson]

When I say diamond bit, I mean calendrical bits like these on the left, I would never work on a gun with a round bit. I use the two next to the round bits a lot, I don't use the tapered ones much, I use the 1/16" one on the far left to slot underlugs, zip-zip 2 seconds and done.

I think I paid about $5 for this whole set at an elcheapo tool sale.

 

[springfield art]

I had one for years never failed. Used it until the commutator finally wore through. Brought a new one. It has not lasted a year requiring me to send it in for repair. I just use it for trimming screws and metal parts and such. I guess you can file it under they dont make them like they used to. At one point they went to a cheaper speed regulator which I think is the weak point on it.

The China-made copies you find like at Harbor Fright, etc. Don't know about their quality.

 

[bud in pa]

My first Dremel tool was a Craftsman bought at Sears. It lasted for close to 30 years. I learned the hard way not on use it on wood. I only use the new one for polishing metal and trimming metal.

 

[VAN]

I’ve used various Dremels seemingly forever. Excellent for freehand rough cuts and grinding but I need to put it in a rigid fixture (lathe, mill, possibly drill press) for any precision work. And even then, I have to place it in the same class as the little Atlas 101 lathe … the bearings are not “precision” bearings, so I can’t expect extreme precision from it. I use it for general purpose stuff only. I suppose one could replace the bearings and collets with precision units but after that expense you might as well get a precision tool to start with (Dumore?). The Dremel I presently have must be 30 years old and probably needs new brushes and bearings, again. It’s one tool I will never sell.

I do the same thing. A rigid fixture Is so necessary to get precision results. My Dremel and Ryobi variable speed moto tools are both over 20 years old and the labels claim to be assembled in the USA. Who knows where the parts were made though. I have used them to finish and smooth inletting on over a dozen muzzleloader, airgun and cartridge rifle wood stocks. They have made the job neater and so much easier without any problems. I did a lot of practice with the router fixtures until comfortable with the control part first. About the only thing I do freehand is sanding , small details or polishing.

 

[SOLANCO]

I have seen the older, hardier models on Craigslist. YMMV with geography.

 

[martha lin]

I’ve used various Dremels seemingly forever. Excellent for freehand rough cuts and grinding but I need to put it in a rigid fixture (lathe, mill, possibly drill press) for any precision work. And even then, I have to place it in the same class as the little Atlas 101 lathe … the bearings are not “precision” bearings, so I can’t expect extreme precision from it. I use it for general purpose stuff only. I suppose one could replace the tbs bearings and collets with precision units but after that expense you might as well get a precision tool to start with (Dumore?). The Dremel I presently have must be 30 years old and probably needs new brushes and bearings, again. It’s one tool I will never sell.

You're absolutely right about Dremels! They're fantastic for freehand work and light grinding, but when it comes to precision, they have their limitations. As you pointed out, Dremel ball bearings aren't known for their precision. While replacing them with higher-quality options could improve things, it might not be the most cost-effective solution compared to buying a dedicated precision tool.

 

[oldwood]

Quit Dremel 40 yrs. ago. For what they charged , I can buy 3 look alike ones from Walmart , Ace hdw.. , and Harbor Freight. Work the same , and seem to last longer. When one quits , don't feel too bad throwing it away , and replacing it w/lookalike. I have four tools plugged in , w/different favorite bits hanging on hooks on bench side. Just hate to change bits while working.

 

[rusticbob]

If you want a quality tool get a Foredom

 

[FlinterNick]

I had one for years never failed. Used it until the commutator finally wore through. Brought a new one. It has not lasted a year requiring me to send it in for repair. I just use it for trimming screws and metal parts and such. I guess you can file it under they dont make them like they used to. At one point they went to a cheaper speed regulator which I think is the weak point on it.

I only use a Dremel to sharpen my tungsten tips, i never use it for working on stocks.

I have a foredom TX that i use as a dado cutter with a seated attachment, but i prefer specific chisels for each particular job, the longer the time taken, the better the precision.

 

[FlinterNick]

When I say diamond bit, I mean calendrical bits like these on the left, I would never work on a gun with a round bit. I use the two next to the round bits a lot, I don't use the tapered ones much, I use the 1/16" one on the far left to slot underlugs, zip-zip 2 seconds and done.

I think I paid about $5 for this whole set at an elcheapo tool sale.

View attachment 211171

These are great for sharpening flints.

 

[FlinterNick]

If you want a quality tool get a Foredom

Absolutely ! Big fan of foredom.

 

[Commodore Swab]

If you want a quality tool get a Foredom

I looked around to find a bench top freedom rather than the hanging kind. With a switch on the unit rather than foot pedal. The one drawback of a freedom is its hard to grab to take to a job. For that I have a cordless Milwaukee "dremel" that gets the job done on regular Milwaukee batteries. For stock shaping as I typically start with a block is angle grinder then a die grinder with sanding drums. Sort of a super-sized dremel!

 

[reddogge]

In my decoy carving I don't use any power tools however, when I needed to hollow out a fish's mouth I had to turn to the dreaded Dremel. It did a decent job.