PapaIron

Looking closely at the Dremel, the quality is superb, I'll have to get myself one.

123Splat

For a freehand rotary tool, Dremel is gonna be your best bet for price/performance/longivity. Be sure to get a variable speed one. The most common beginning mistake is to fire that sucker up full bore, dig in, and watch the bit go scrambling across your work piece (O.K. if you are simulating battle damage, not so cool if you are trying to do dtail work). You can get accessories just about anywhere that sell tools/hardware. Use High Speed Steel bits (cheaper than Carbide) at low speed on plastic and soft wood to avoid gauling and fouling the bit. Cut-off wheels and mandrels will se a lot of use. Use Carbide bits for hard metals and ceramics, if you have to. A carbide bit won't last any longer or do any better cut on plastic and soft wood. Use cutting bits rather than grinding stones or sanding bits on plastic to avoid fouling (use sandpaper by hand when you get it to that point).

Once you really get the handle on using a freehand, you might want to go to a flex-shaft with a pen handle. Fordham is the best, but rather hard on the pocket book. I have a Fordham with foot-feed (speed control) that I use primarily for jewelry fabrication. It is exponentialy easier to use in tight spaces and for fine detail. Worth the money, if you are gonna get into it at a major scale.
There are many other cheaper flexies, like Black&Decker, but they really don't offer such good control.

Definitely go for the Dremel (Variable speed) as a starter. It will serve you well, if not abused. I never had good experiences with the battery powerd model, but that's just me. Just remember to start out slow, especially on plastic).

My six bits worth.

Splat

Panther F

IF you do get a battery powered dremel for the little jobs, make sure it's a quality tool like my 2-speed SEARS Craftsman is. It has the 4.8 volt rechargable battery pack and it's been going strong since 1995 on the original brushes and battery.


Jeff

fz1

A hand held dremel is nice but you asked what we use.

I have worn out 5 dremels in my life. All were corded versions.
fiinally bought a Foredom shaft grinder. I have the foot speed control and 2 different types of handpiece holding attachments. One hold the piece in a nylon block that can be put in a vice. The other is a benchtop clamping system to hold the handpiece.
If you have never used a shaft driven grinder you are really missing out. I know its not as portable but it has advantages. I was doing some shapeing on 1/8 alum and I used it for over 1 hour straight. It barely got warm. I have had this for over 8 years now and it still works like new. Not cheap but probably the best hand grinder out. The quality of its spindle also make your work steady as there is no play in the bearings either. My model has a 3 jaw chuck that will go to 1/4 inch.

ArmChairGeneral

I recently checked out the new cordless dremel line and they felt tight, the bearings and motor ran well and lacked any looseness i hear in some of the others.

pzrwest

A universal foot speed controler for a sewing machine will work great for a speed controler for a non-variable speed dremel tool. When I bought my first dremel tool some 35 yrs ago there weren't any variable ones available so we had to come up with our own speed controls. Some used variact transformers others like me used sewing machine controlers. I have even used a variable light dimmer control hooked up the a recepticle in a box. hence the old saying.... "necessity is the mother of invention"

Planedev

I use a brand called minicraft, the tool comes with a power supply that gives you a knob to control the speed of the tool. this is good as you can increase or decrease the speed of teh tool. It also come swith lot of accesories like a vibrating sander. the different tools plug rite into the same power supply (one at a time). They also have many accessory bits like a router bits for small jobs. I got myself the key chuck version of the tool as teh hand locked version slps everytime when i use it for drilling.

I had a dremel once, lent it to a friend, never came back.

123Splat

Fz1,

Yeah, the Fordham is the best going! But, I think we should warn the rest of the guys, They are pricey. Most of the good handpieces will run you $100USD new. You can get a fair one for around $60 USD for most of your rough work. But the pencil models are great for fine work, you just have to be gentle with them (so you don't screw up the bearings. Quick Change bit collets are nice too.

Splat

WhiteWolf McBride

My Feedback: (3)

Fz1:

Odd... I bought my 395 over 20 years ago, and have cut everything from fibreglas to wood to 6061T6 aluminum. Corded, with the ancient slider-lock on the shaft. Just this past spring I began hearing a nasty whine when I put pressure on cuts, and knew my bearings were gone. I dunno if I'll get this 395 repaired, hit eBay for a NiB 395 kit (the new black & grey cased ones) or go whole hog and get an XPR 400. I won't get anything but a variable-speed... I use the 5 to 35 thou rpm too much to be limited.

I picked up a 'backup' tool 10 years ago (I ~misplaced~ my Dremel in the blasted router table) a used Sears Craftsman 572 (rebadged Dremel 395) with the button-lock, and its still going strong. So are my Dremel router table and Dremel flex-drive, though I re-grease the cable and sleeve every few years. Avoid the Dremel drill press though... pot-metal base is TRASH. There is a guy on eBay who sells an aftermatket one that is fabulous, runs about 150, but is worth it. Router tables and other bits too.

For styrene fine drills, I've heard some use the Tamiya 2AA hobby drill (get the lower RPM unit) cause even 5 thou rpm a Dremel melts more than it drills.

I have an ancient corded industrial driver with a variable torque cutout, and it even reverses... takes the standard socket hex-adapters and the hex-drive adjust-a-chuck. Goot for power holes, like into the 6061-T6.

eBay can be good... when a store-bought Dremel is over $120, and one NiB can be bagged on eBay for $60.

jonnymorris

Actually I have noticed that the same Dremel kit can be more expensive on eBay than in the shops, and where I live in the UK it's only the big hardware chains like B&Q who seem to stock it (I tried several smaller shops, they all told me that Dremel made it difficult for them to stock it).
I bought some wood drill bits for making holes in plastic, I thought they would be as good as any (the other Dremel drill bits were not wide enough to drill out the suspension mounts anyway).

brel

I have a mini craft drill that runs of a transformer 240V AC stepped down to 14.5 volts dc with a potentiometer on it so I can slow the drill right down for soft plastics and such. you can see it at the top of this picture

alpinestar

Dremel Lithium cordless. Have used it almost every day for about 5 years now... Great tool!!!