Using a dremel tool. - Page 2

Old Stony · March 27, 2017, 05:54 AM

DT....Good point ! I use a Dremel all the time for different projects and they have lot of things they are good for. It's hard to teach common sense and that's mostly what a guy needs to keep himself out of troubles with his tools. A little advice is a good thing, within reason.

dahermit · March 27, 2017, 07:37 AM

Quote:

So a Dremel can screw things up; or more precisely, MISUSING a Dremel can screw things up. Because of this, we see disparagement of Dremel's throughout this thread....

Not disparagement, just do not buy one and use it on guns. Dentists use something similar every day.

Quote:

Has anyone noticed the parallel this has to the gun control argument? "Guns can be misused, therefore guns are bad?"

Maybe in your mind...but to everyone else it is going to seem quite the stretch. No one has stated anything to the effect that you should not have the right to own and use a Dremel, just not use it on guns.

Quote:

A Dremel is a tool; learn to use it correctly, and study before you do anything critical with it. It's not the devil, and it won't eat your kids; it's a labor saving device which, used properly, allows you to do some things quicker and easier than you could without it.

Just where is this school that teaches a Dremel owner how to use it? Or is he (the owner), going to "learn by doing" on the nearest gun, like the O.P. was asking about?

**4V50 Gary** · March 27, 2017, 07:48 AM

Do what mete suggested. I have a dremel, but use it very sparingly.

keithdog · March 27, 2017, 08:54 AM

Thanks everyone for your input. It sounds overwhelmingly that using a Dremel to help clean, smooth a guns working parts is a bad idea. I think I'll pass on using mine for that purpose. Thanks again.

Model12Win · March 27, 2017, 10:32 AM

No true gunsmith uses a dremel.

Just my $0.02.

g.willikers · March 27, 2017, 10:53 AM

Poor craftsmen blame their tools.

Dufus · March 27, 2017, 12:28 PM

Quote:

No true gunsmith uses a dremel.

I would think that there are some true gunsmiths that use them.

amd6547 · March 27, 2017, 01:58 PM

I've used my Dremmel on firearms, and it has proven very useful. Never a problem.
In fact, when I built an AK from a parts kit a few years ago, it was a lifesaver.

gunnre · March 27, 2017, 05:17 PM

For me the Drexel gets pulled with flitz only to make my stainless Vaguero look new again.

FITASC · March 27, 2017, 05:42 PM

The best use of a Dremel on a gun is this - the white felt wheel, a little red jeweler's rouge, and the feed ramp - that's about it.

g.willikers · March 27, 2017, 06:22 PM

There used to be a Dremel accessory made of hard rubber that polished and shaped, using a very light touch.
Don't see them offered anymore.
They work really well, too.
I still have a few.
Aha, they're back:
https://www.dremel.com/en_US/product...cylinder-point
They're available in several shapes, too.

HiBC · March 27, 2017, 08:11 PM

Rubberized is Cratex. There is a fiber one called MX.

Having a Dremel is a step up from not having a Dremel,as far as a resource.

It might be considered an entry level tool that serves well enough folks still get the job done with them 30 years later.

I don't even know what they cost these days...$59? A guess.

For the price of a box of ammo you are "tooled up to be a gunsmith" .Well,you need a claw hammer with one broke claw,your Honey's manicure tools,a nail for a drift punch ,some sandpaper,a kitchen table and a cell phone and you can post on youtube.Someday,maybe even a vise!!

I think the issue is that just like with shooting or playing a violin,buying the tool does not buy competence.

If the public could buy a Stradivarius (OK,I spelled it wrong) for $59 I'd buy better ear plugs.

If your STARTING POINT is "My new gun don't work.I don't know why. I'm getting my new Dremel out" Or,"Gee,I got my new gun AND I have a Dremel,I want to do something...."

You may be about to contribute to the Dremel Reputation.My long previous post did not condemn the Dremel. I have worn a few out. I know what they do.

I will maintain that a large percentage of the real estate we have to work on is that zone between the peaks and valleys of the existing surface finish.

I say that as someone who was trained by a Master Mold and Die finish professional. I built molds and I polished them. You watch the valleys. Remember,we don't want to appreciably change size or form. I actually would calculate and plan the allowance for EDM finish depth into my electrodes so when I polished the cavity,it would be right.
You have to know when to stop.
Very often,polishing out the deepest of machine marks will only give you a worn out rattly gun. I knock off the peaks.Use the deep cutter marks for lube and sand traps.
Soft polish media,buffs,felt,etc are not best for anything but a surface that has been accurately stoned to at least 600 grit.You maintain accurate,defined geometry with stones and laps.
And the secret to a good polish is a good tool finish.
Please remember the recent post by a woman who was competing in a steelmatch with a recently purchased used handgun.
Her life was changed when her handgun discharged in her holster.
No,that is not the Dremel's fault.It took a Dremel and a person grinding with the dremel on trigger parts.(It might have been a file!)

Somehow,to a previously non -tool guy,a Dremel brings forth his inner Hephaestus, from the forges under Olympus. It may be a primal force as great as reaching puberty. Something HAS to happen.

I get it. Guns may not be the place to start.

arquebus357 · March 27, 2017, 08:30 PM

I used Dremels for years but not on guns, just modeling. Take a look at the much cheaper but I think better, Black & Decker rotary tool. Foolproof bit changing system, variable speed and rugged.

Old Stony · March 28, 2017, 09:17 AM

Sorry guys...but I think I'll keep using my evil Dremels, and take my chances. Hopefully I'll survive the experiences using such a dreaded tool, but things like fitting and shaping grips, working on knives, shortening screws and lots of other small things just seem to be a logical place to use some minor power tools.
I saw an ad for some 1911 manufacturer a while back....maybe Ed Brown? The guy was using a dremel to do some shaping on the rear of the frame. I guess that's a good reason to never buy their products if they won't do that sort of thing with files and sandpaper.
IMO this whole Dremel thing is blown out of proportion !!

Dufus · March 28, 2017, 12:21 PM

^^^^^^^^

Amen.

745SW · March 28, 2017, 02:17 PM

My Dremel's go back a good many years. My first one was a a variable speed model with bronze bearings, they were pricey back in the early 70's. I wore out the bearing at the working end of the tool, banged the bearing with a flat punch and mallet. This will give the bearing a bit more life. Used it fine for a while but don't use it to the point the tool gets hot. Getting it hot is bad news and it took out the internal speed controller. Turning on the tool would trip the main breaker. Years later I became richer and/or the Dremel became cheaper and I have several all are ballbearing variable speed.

I have several because as soon as the tool gets very warm I drape it across a fast fan to cool and use another. Most of my Dremel's are of the older design using a metal sub-frame. The later type, along with most other handheld power tools, no longer use a metal sub-frame. The plastic body of the tool is also the frame. I say it's best not to run these types of tools to the point they feel hot.

I use the Dremel for cutting, grinding and polishing but not drilling. The body of the Dremel is not rigid enough for drilling. The end attachments used most frequently are cut-off wheel, emery embedded rubber wheel and various grinding attachments.

Most of my firearms are untouched by the Dremel. Largely used on the 1911 and for deburriing on some others.

pete2 · March 30, 2017, 10:06 AM

I read somewhere that no problem is so large that a dremel tool can't make it larger, some truth to this. I still use mine for polishing.

Hawg · March 30, 2017, 11:34 AM

I have dremels I use for a variety of things. I can't remember working on a gun with one but I may have, won't say I haven't or wont ever. On the other hand I have seen the need to polish feed ramps on guns that refuse to feed hollow points or SWC's like 1911's and M1 carbines.

745SW · March 30, 2017, 12:43 PM

An alternative to the standard Dremel is to remove the internal speed controller and have the wires (3) of the male plug changed to color coded banana plugs, red-black and green for ground. Using a variable DC power supply of 0-50 volts and current of about 5 amps should be ideal. If it's a laboratory grade power supply so much the better. This will give superior speed range and torque while keeping the tool cooler.

Bill DeShivs · March 30, 2017, 12:51 PM

An easier method is to just plug the Dremel into a rheostat-like a sewing machine foot pedal.
It works fine and there is no loss of torque.

745SW · March 30, 2017, 01:20 PM

I would agree a rheostat would be cheaper and more practical for most and quite frankly the makers of the tool would never use the power supply method because of costs.

But like Gaston Glock (plastics) I utilized what I have on hand, laboratory test equipment. The motor of the Dremel is a permanent magnet DC motor. The cleanest power would be a. battery while a highly regulated supply would be the next best.

James K · March 30, 2017, 05:14 PM

"I have an aversion to someone who has not mastered the basics of gunsmithing and metalworking using them without the requisite knowledge and skill."

Wouldn't the same thing be true of ANY tool? I have seen guns totally ruined by unskilled "experts" using hand tools; the ham handed do not need power tools to screw things up; power tools just make it easier.

Jim

FITASC · March 30, 2017, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Wouldn't the same thing be true of ANY tool? I have seen guns totally ruined by unskilled "experts" using hand tools; the ham handed do not need power tools to screw things up; power tools just make it easier.

All one needs to do is to look at most screws that have been buggered by some garage "gunsmith"

Old Stony · March 30, 2017, 08:16 PM

I 've cleaned up a lot of those "buggered screws" using a dremel.

745SW · March 30, 2017, 10:00 PM

I'd say the Dremel is almost as important as the kitchen sink. There are times I lacked a driver/bit for a fastner. I simply get a driver/bit that is similar and modify with the Dremel. Other times the driver/bit doesn't fit quite right, the Dremel may work for that too.

The most common mod I make using the Dremel is cutting a slot on the non-working end of a bit. In this way the bit can be driven with a flat screwdriver. Many times the shank of a magnetic bit driver would be too wide/big to fit down the opening of the recessed fastner. Just need to feel when the bit engages the fastner and driver.

March 27, 2017, 07:48 AM	#28
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Do what mete suggested. I have a dremel, but use it very sparingly. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

March 27, 2017, 08:54 AM	#29
keithdog Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2013 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 321	Thanks everyone for your input. It sounds overwhelmingly that using a Dremel to help clean, smooth a guns working parts is a bad idea. I think I'll pass on using mine for that purpose. Thanks again. __________________ In MY house, I AM 911

March 27, 2017, 10:53 AM	#31
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Poor craftsmen blame their tools. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.” Last edited by g.willikers; March 27, 2017 at 11:00 AM.

March 27, 2017, 01:58 PM	#33
amd6547 Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2006 Posts: 2,313	I've used my Dremmel on firearms, and it has proven very useful. Never a problem. In fact, when I built an AK from a parts kit a few years ago, it was a lifesaver. __________________ The past is gone...the future may never happen. Be Here Now.

March 27, 2017, 05:42 PM	#35
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	The best use of a Dremel on a gun is this - the white felt wheel, a little red jeweler's rouge, and the feed ramp - that's about it. __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

March 27, 2017, 05:54 AM	#26
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	DT....Good point ! I use a Dremel all the time for different projects and they have lot of things they are good for. It's hard to teach common sense and that's mostly what a guy needs to keep himself out of troubles with his tools. A little advice is a good thing, within reason.

March 27, 2017, 10:32 AM	#30
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	No true gunsmith uses a dremel. Just my $0.02.

March 27, 2017, 05:17 PM	#34
gunnre Member Join Date: February 6, 2016 Posts: 83	For me the Drexel gets pulled with flitz only to make my stainless Vaguero look new again.

March 27, 2017, 06:22 PM	#36
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	There used to be a Dremel accessory made of hard rubber that polished and shaped, using a very light touch. Don't see them offered anymore. They work really well, too. I still have a few. Aha, they're back: https://www.dremel.com/en_US/product...cylinder-point They're available in several shapes, too. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.” Last edited by g.willikers; March 27, 2017 at 06:47 PM.

March 27, 2017, 08:11 PM	#37
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,286	Rubberized is Cratex. There is a fiber one called MX. Having a Dremel is a step up from not having a Dremel,as far as a resource. It might be considered an entry level tool that serves well enough folks still get the job done with them 30 years later. I don't even know what they cost these days...$59? A guess. For the price of a box of ammo you are "tooled up to be a gunsmith" .Well,you need a claw hammer with one broke claw,your Honey's manicure tools,a nail for a drift punch ,some sandpaper,a kitchen table and a cell phone and you can post on youtube.Someday,maybe even a vise!! I think the issue is that just like with shooting or playing a violin,buying the tool does not buy competence. If the public could buy a Stradivarius (OK,I spelled it wrong) for $59 I'd buy better ear plugs. If your STARTING POINT is "My new gun don't work.I don't know why. I'm getting my new Dremel out" Or,"Gee,I got my new gun AND I have a Dremel,I want to do something...." You may be about to contribute to the Dremel Reputation.My long previous post did not condemn the Dremel. I have worn a few out. I know what they do. I will maintain that a large percentage of the real estate we have to work on is that zone between the peaks and valleys of the existing surface finish. I say that as someone who was trained by a Master Mold and Die finish professional. I built molds and I polished them. You watch the valleys. Remember,we don't want to appreciably change size or form. I actually would calculate and plan the allowance for EDM finish depth into my electrodes so when I polished the cavity,it would be right. You have to know when to stop. Very often,polishing out the deepest of machine marks will only give you a worn out rattly gun. I knock off the peaks.Use the deep cutter marks for lube and sand traps. Soft polish media,buffs,felt,etc are not best for anything but a surface that has been accurately stoned to at least 600 grit.You maintain accurate,defined geometry with stones and laps. And the secret to a good polish is a good tool finish. Please remember the recent post by a woman who was competing in a steelmatch with a recently purchased used handgun. Her life was changed when her handgun discharged in her holster. No,that is not the Dremel's fault.It took a Dremel and a person grinding with the dremel on trigger parts.(It might have been a file!) Somehow,to a previously non -tool guy,a Dremel brings forth his inner Hephaestus, from the forges under Olympus. It may be a primal force as great as reaching puberty. Something HAS to happen. I get it. Guns may not be the place to start. Last edited by HiBC; March 27, 2017 at 08:59 PM.

March 27, 2017, 08:30 PM	#38
arquebus357 Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2016 Location: Atlanta, Georgia area Posts: 455	I used Dremels for years but not on guns, just modeling. Take a look at the much cheaper but I think better, Black & Decker rotary tool. Foolproof bit changing system, variable speed and rugged.

March 28, 2017, 09:17 AM	#39
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	Sorry guys...but I think I'll keep using my evil Dremels, and take my chances. Hopefully I'll survive the experiences using such a dreaded tool, but things like fitting and shaping grips, working on knives, shortening screws and lots of other small things just seem to be a logical place to use some minor power tools. I saw an ad for some 1911 manufacturer a while back....maybe Ed Brown? The guy was using a dremel to do some shaping on the rear of the frame. I guess that's a good reason to never buy their products if they won't do that sort of thing with files and sandpaper. IMO this whole Dremel thing is blown out of proportion !!

March 28, 2017, 12:21 PM	#40
Dufus Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2014 Posts: 1,965	^^^^^^^^ Amen.

March 28, 2017, 02:17 PM	#41
745SW Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2011 Location: California Posts: 776	My Dremel's go back a good many years. My first one was a a variable speed model with bronze bearings, they were pricey back in the early 70's. I wore out the bearing at the working end of the tool, banged the bearing with a flat punch and mallet. This will give the bearing a bit more life. Used it fine for a while but don't use it to the point the tool gets hot. Getting it hot is bad news and it took out the internal speed controller. Turning on the tool would trip the main breaker. Years later I became richer and/or the Dremel became cheaper and I have several all are ballbearing variable speed. I have several because as soon as the tool gets very warm I drape it across a fast fan to cool and use another. Most of my Dremel's are of the older design using a metal sub-frame. The later type, along with most other handheld power tools, no longer use a metal sub-frame. The plastic body of the tool is also the frame. I say it's best not to run these types of tools to the point they feel hot. I use the Dremel for cutting, grinding and polishing but not drilling. The body of the Dremel is not rigid enough for drilling. The end attachments used most frequently are cut-off wheel, emery embedded rubber wheel and various grinding attachments. Most of my firearms are untouched by the Dremel. Largely used on the 1911 and for deburriing on some others.

March 30, 2017, 10:06 AM	#42
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	I read somewhere that no problem is so large that a dremel tool can't make it larger, some truth to this. I still use mine for polishing.

March 30, 2017, 11:34 AM	#43
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,189	I have dremels I use for a variety of things. I can't remember working on a gun with one but I may have, won't say I haven't or wont ever. On the other hand I have seen the need to polish feed ramps on guns that refuse to feed hollow points or SWC's like 1911's and M1 carbines.

March 30, 2017, 12:43 PM	#44
745SW Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2011 Location: California Posts: 776	An alternative to the standard Dremel is to remove the internal speed controller and have the wires (3) of the male plug changed to color coded banana plugs, red-black and green for ground. Using a variable DC power supply of 0-50 volts and current of about 5 amps should be ideal. If it's a laboratory grade power supply so much the better. This will give superior speed range and torque while keeping the tool cooler.

March 30, 2017, 12:51 PM	#45
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	An easier method is to just plug the Dremel into a rheostat-like a sewing machine foot pedal. It works fine and there is no loss of torque. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

March 30, 2017, 01:20 PM	#46
745SW Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2011 Location: California Posts: 776	I would agree a rheostat would be cheaper and more practical for most and quite frankly the makers of the tool would never use the power supply method because of costs. But like Gaston Glock (plastics) I utilized what I have on hand, laboratory test equipment. The motor of the Dremel is a permanent magnet DC motor. The cleanest power would be a. battery while a highly regulated supply would be the next best. Last edited by 745SW; March 30, 2017 at 01:42 PM.

March 30, 2017, 05:14 PM	#47
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	"I have an aversion to someone who has not mastered the basics of gunsmithing and metalworking using them without the requisite knowledge and skill." Wouldn't the same thing be true of ANY tool? I have seen guns totally ruined by unskilled "experts" using hand tools; the ham handed do not need power tools to screw things up; power tools just make it easier. Jim

March 30, 2017, 08:16 PM	#49
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	I 've cleaned up a lot of those "buggered screws" using a dremel.

March 30, 2017, 10:00 PM	#50
745SW Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2011 Location: California Posts: 776	I'd say the Dremel is almost as important as the kitchen sink. There are times I lacked a driver/bit for a fastner. I simply get a driver/bit that is similar and modify with the Dremel. Other times the driver/bit doesn't fit quite right, the Dremel may work for that too. The most common mod I make using the Dremel is cutting a slot on the non-working end of a bit. In this way the bit can be driven with a flat screwdriver. Many times the shank of a magnetic bit driver would be too wide/big to fit down the opening of the recessed fastner. Just need to feel when the bit engages the fastner and driver.