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Old 12-26-2016, 08:35 AM
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Default Dremel: Uses?

I bought a dremel a year or so ago. ~ $50. Reason I did was I had this screw, pointy side sticking out of a sliding door, in my cottage in Hawaii. Nasty screw. Rusty. Could not figure out how it got imbedded in the door that way, but wanted to remove it. I worried that someone could get a nasty cut or puncture. Used the cutting disk and cut it flush to the door.

Kinda an expensive solution for one screw, but a hacksaw would have messed the door up.

Used it a coupla weeks ago again, at my Japan place, to remove some unneeded metal supports from a lamp shade.

So I think it is a pretty handy tool for cutting small pieces of metal, but I wonder what else folks use them for....

Anybody?
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:05 AM
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I use it to cut my dog's nails. She would really fight me and I was also afraid to cut them and make them bleed when I used a clipper. Now my wife holds her in her lap and I tap each one until I get them at the length I want them. At first the noise bothered her a little but now it's no problem.
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:08 AM
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I use mine for carving fishing lures.
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:14 AM
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I've used mine for polishing feed ramps on M1 carbines, on my Walther PPKS, and on a Colt 1903.

I also used it recently to modify recoil spring guide on all my Ruger MK .22 pistols. A little modification I learned from Majestic Arms to help the re-assembling them a little easier.
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:14 AM
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My gunsmith says they are the greatest firearm tool ever invented and they result in about half his yearly business! He says a dremmel would have turned even John Browning into a BUBBA!
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:22 AM
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I have one of the battery powered Dremels. Probably at least 20 years old. It came with NiCad rechargeable batteries. Those went bad after about 5 years, but I never throw anything any. So about 4 years ago, I got the idea to fix it. Nothing to lose. Took the battery case apart and replaced the NiCads with Eneloop NiMh. Runs great and holds a charge for months.

I use it mostly for polishing stuff. With the soft cotton wheels and the red jewelers rouge, it works great on pistol feed ramps. Also, it polishes up scratched watch crystals pretty good. I have used it with some Flitz, to polish a small area on a car headlight lens that was starting to get a little foggy. It doesn't really have enough torque to do anything else tho. I keep saying one of these days I'm going to get the more powerful corded model.

Last edited by Bozz10mm; 12-26-2016 at 09:29 AM.
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:32 AM
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Nose and ear hair.
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:33 AM
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I use the cutoff disk the most but sanding drums and polishing pads come in a close second followed by grinding stones. I also use a few wire drill sizes for carburetor jets. I suppose it depends on what YOU do for work or hobby. I'm into everything from reproducing antique car parts to tool and die making. I use mine so often that it has a permanent hanging spot on a work bench and stays plugged in.
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:40 AM
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At various times, I have used mine to:
  • Cut the bayonet lug off of an AR front sight assembly.
  • Smooth the edges of holsters prior to applying gum tragicanth.
  • Smoothing the ends of PVC pipes.
  • Cut bolts to length.
I've got one of the medium sized kits, along with a flexible extension shaft.

A useful addition is a speed control rheostat for a router. It makes it VERY easy to fine tune the speed of the Dremel.
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:40 AM
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Dremel...


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Old 12-26-2016, 12:01 PM
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You need to be good with a Dremel. You seldom get a second chance. They are handy in my carburetor repair service. They are handy as bead blasters -- cordless drills--power washers--air compressors--cutting torch--parts washers--A good lift --and a cold frig for the beer and a good ac unit. They make life easier. I would hate to be without one. Like a pocket an a shirt.

Last edited by 4barrel; 12-27-2016 at 12:46 PM.
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Old 12-26-2016, 12:30 PM
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Well, I'm fixin' to find out how I'll use it.

Santa brought one this year. I can't believe I don't have one already, and Santa was even more mystified.

She thought I already had every power tool there is.
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Old 12-26-2016, 12:38 PM
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I use mine as a memory exercise. Where'd I leave the damn thing?
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Old 12-26-2016, 12:42 PM
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Home dentistry.
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Old 12-26-2016, 12:46 PM
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Still trying to figure out why I got one. This thread helps.
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Old 12-26-2016, 01:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Targets Guy View Post
Still trying to figure out why I got one. This thread helps.
It certainly does. I've always confused my Dremel with my RotoZip.
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Old 12-26-2016, 01:09 PM
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The little cut off wheels are great. The little grinding wheels can be used to shape things, I even use little carbide burrs. I have a bunch of dremels in my shop and one is mounted in a tiny drill press frame. When I make knive sheaths I hand stitch and use the little dremel drill press to drill the holes for stitching.

Yes an idiot can ruin stuff with a dremel
OR a drill press, or a hammer or a screwdriver or a cutting torch or just about anything else. Not the tool, its the guy using it.
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Old 12-26-2016, 01:10 PM
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Once I bought my Dremel, I had no further need for my electric toothbrush.
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Old 12-26-2016, 01:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 6518John View Post
My gunsmith says they are the greatest firearm tool ever invented and they result in about half his yearly business! He says a dremmel would have turned even John Browning into a BUBBA!
IMHO, the skill level required to make the Dremel come into its own while being used in the gunsmithing trade is high and therefore not achieved by a lot of users. And from those who fail to achieve that skill level comes the bad reputation that the use of Dremel Tools in gunsmithing gets from some.

I have developed a saying, "There are three things that if didn't exist, I wouldn't have bothered in becoming a practicing gunsmith; compressed air, Q-Tips and Dremel Tools." I have both a Dremel and a Foredom Tool. The Foredom hangs in a permanent place over my workbench accessible to use around the vise. The Dremel is put away until it is needed for a job the Foredom Tool won't reach.

I agree that almost everything that can be done with the Dremel/Foredom can be done by hand. But, that takes time. I feel that after the tools and books are bought, the gunsmithing skills acquired, the workbench built....a gunsmith is in the business of selling time. Any tool that uses less time to give the same job results that hand work will should be used. Obviously, it takes some real judgement as to when it is appropriate to use the Dremel/Foredom vs. hand work.

IMHO, for any Gunsmith to condemn any use of a Dremel or Foredom out of hand is pure arrogance. And, I will bet $ to doughnuts that the gunsmith saying that has a Dremel or its equivalent stashed someplace in his/her shop.

Dremel/Foredom uses are limited only by imagination and skill.

"Bubba" has certainly created multiple gunsmithing repair jobs by misuse and lack of skill. I had a customer that imagined himself as a budding pistolsmith. The third time he brought a bubba job to me for correction. I told him that I would do the job for one consideration....that he bring his Dremel to me and to never purchase another. Darned, if that wasn't exactly what he did. I still have that Dremel today. It is my backup to my main Dremel. .......
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Old 12-26-2016, 01:30 PM
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As a carpenter, I use it a lot. I use the sanding drums for a lot of detail work and final fitting. You can buy roto-zip bits for it and use it for cutting out outlets and other plunge cuts. I have a router attachment for mine and router bits that I use to dap hinges and door hardware. A very useful tool.
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Old 12-26-2016, 02:10 PM
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I use a Dremel a lot. I use it to polish, grind and cut. I use it on metal, glass and wood. You can get carried away with it though so, you must be careful.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck24 View Post
Home dentistry.
You laugh, but some really do. I was joking with my dentist once about doing my own fillings with a Dremel and JB Weld. He told me they had a guy who did exactly that.
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Old 12-26-2016, 02:17 PM
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The big thing about using a Dremel is practice. It can get away from you in a flash. The minuet you try to force it is the minuet you just made a mess out of what you were doing. Hand and material control is very important. I use mine a lot and love it.

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Old 12-26-2016, 02:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chaparrito View Post
Nose and ear hair.
Steady hand there.


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Old 12-26-2016, 02:29 PM
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Well I’m a retired 40 year pipefitter/welder and working with metal is what I do/did.

I find a Dremel is a good tool if used wisely. Use it like a chain saw and you can get into trouble real fast, use it as a scalpel and you can get good results. Take your time check your progress often and your good to go.

Years back I built a couple muzzle loader pistols from kits, gentle use of the Dremel made the job go easier and faster. Had to do both metal and some wood work.

Also trim back strain screws while doing trigger work in the old days. Did a few feed ramps on 1911s and other items as needed..

Conclusion it’s not the tool, it’s the person using it that determines the outcome!
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Old 12-26-2016, 02:33 PM
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I have polished a few items(no guns-I don't have the stomach for it) and cut many screws and nails I could not otherwise reach without destroying walls or floors.
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steelslaver View Post

Yes an idiot can ruin stuff with a dremel
OR a drill press, or a hammer or a screwdriver or a cutting torch or just about anything else. Not the tool, its the guy using it.
I can ruin stuff with a plastic spork.

I have a corded Dremel I very rarely use. My son swears he remodeled a kitchen and a bathroom with a hammer, a couple of screwdrivers, and a Dremel.
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Old 12-26-2016, 09:24 PM
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Quote:
Conclusion it’s not the tool, it’s the person using it that determines the outcome!
Very true. Most people have no idea how fast a Dremel will remove metal and lay into the project and destroy it in short order. Reality is a Dremel is not a 'gunsmithing' tool - it is a power too that MIGHT have an occasional use in gunsmithing but not regularly.
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Old 12-27-2016, 02:38 AM
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Oh yeah, I found out two things right quick with the Dremel. One, you can ruin something much faster with it rather than hand tools. Two, use it only on small inexpensive parts, leave the big expensive parts alone with it!
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Old 12-27-2016, 02:51 AM
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Over at the FALFILES.com, we have the WECSOG, the "Wile E Coyote School O Gunmithin." To become an accredited member, you must post a photograph of a bleeding injury of which you inflicted upon yourself while using a Dremel on a gun part.

Last edited by BUFF; 12-28-2016 at 03:33 AM.
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Old 12-27-2016, 03:11 AM
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A Dremel can be very useful, but like has been stated here multiple times, you have to be very careful. I like to use mine on low speed with felt wheels to lightly polish metal. And if you want to change a brushed finish stainless or aluminum piece to a bright shiny piece, it will easily do it with some polishing compound. I once took a marine RC boat engine and polished the head on it until it looked almost like nickel. And it does a great job on polishing knife blades too with Flitz or Simichrome polish.
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Old 12-27-2016, 03:51 AM
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As some have said, it is the USER, not the tool. I was a school-trained musical instrument repairman. My Dremel has made MANY projects much easier. To include firearms.
Use for polishing, blending, cutting...
Takes a lot of practice.
Newbies need to practice a lot.
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Old 12-27-2016, 04:18 AM
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Dremel has a tremendous assortment of accessories and bits available. You can sharpen chain saws, cut tiles, and remove grout. You can buy a drill chuck for it, and a stand that converts it to a drill press. You can polish and grind almost anything with it. I've been using a Dremel since the 1970s, and I can't tell you how many times I've used it to do something I could not do without it.

I've used my Dremel to make a TSA-compliant keychain Swiss Army knife that I can carry with me when I fly: I cut off the knife blade with a cutting disc, and then used a sanding disc to smooth and polish the stub of the blade.

I just finished a kitchen remodel. The screws for my new cabinet knobs were "universal", made to fit drawers of various thicknesses, and were scored at preset lengths along the screw. I needed to cut about a dozen of them, and the Dremel was the quickest and easiest way to do that. I can't imagine how long it would have taken me if I'd had to use a hacksaw!
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Old 12-27-2016, 05:45 AM
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I could make the joke about the true purpose of the Dremel being to keep gunsmiths from starving in lean years. But that's a well-beaten path.

So instead, I'll say something sagely:

"The Dremel allows you to do quickly, what you should probably be doing slowly."
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Old 12-27-2016, 06:12 AM
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My Dremel Tool (actually I have 3 different versions) is one of my most used tools in my Shop. I mostly use it for polishing and cutting off screws, rods, etc. I usually do NOT use it on Firearms other than for polishing bunged up screws on new acquisitions or for polishing and shaping the end of Strain Screws. I am not bragging by any means BUT I have been using Dremels ever since they came out 35 + years ago and I'm pretty good with them. I would NEVER recommend that a Novice or Ammeter GS go near a gun with one as only a second too long can make a part too small! If you are not use to them they can also go skipping along your work piece and cause irreversible damage. Not to say they can not be used for guns, but MOST inexperienced fellas would be much better served working with non- powered tools for a while.

I use Dremels for my cars, M/C, wood working, and all over the house and it is a terrific tool but MUST be used with caution. I find the BEST accessory is the Flex-Shaft attachment which allows much more precision control. I also use the different size collets a lot because I use a bunch of Dental Burrs and drill bits that are too small for the standard size collet.

If and when my main Dremel goes bad (they do not last forever), I will probably get a Foredom Moto-Tool. They come in many versions and have many many hand pieces available. I like the idea of the variable speed foot pedal also.


PS: I am very friendly with my Dentist and he usually saves his unused Burrs, Rubber Polishing Wheels and sanding Discs that he bought but never uses. He gives them to me and they have become some of my favorite tools for the Dremel. Professional Dentistry Tools hold up and work MUCH BETTER than the Dremel carded stuff - especially the Rubber abrasive polishing wheels (1" dia. ). Some require changing the Collet to a smaller size but you can get the 4 sizes Dremel makes as a kit.
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Last edited by chief38; 12-27-2016 at 06:58 AM.
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Old 12-27-2016, 08:24 AM
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Bought one a few years back to help my grandson build his Pinewood Derby racer for Cub Scouts. We had fun!
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Old 12-27-2016, 10:12 AM
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A friend of mine carves egg shells, he started off using a Dremel, his Dentist gave him a high speed drill, that he wasn't using any more, he does beautiful work.
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Old 12-27-2016, 11:41 AM
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I've had one since the early 60's. Used it quite a lot back then for different hobby things and it was a learning experience (ruined stuff).
I never used it much for gunsmithing once I got into that. I know many saw it as a speedy and efficient way to do things but I kept remembering my experiences with it.
I used to build a lot of muzzle loaders in the 70's and lock inletting with one was 'the' thing to do. Lots of ruined lock inlets too or just plain sloppy fits.
I still use it occasionally to slot a broken off screw to remove it. The primary function is to polish the inside bow of trigger guards w/a split rod and emery cloth.
'Other than that it hangs on a coat hook on the back of the shop door underneath some some other seldom used items.
I have a Foredom,, that's permanetly hooked up to an MMC checkering head. Real time saver for the laborious work. But it's just for the layout and first pass, then it's back to the hand tools for the deepening & finishing up.

Yes I see some real crude attempts at repairs and custom work done w/a dremel and they have provided me with more than enough work over the years.
But so have recoil pads, multiple hole swiss cheese scope mts jobs and poor polishing jobs under reblues that were done with expensive Baldor buffers by so called professionals.
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Old 12-27-2016, 12:02 PM
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My wife makes baskets, bowls, etc. out of gourds. She uses a dremel a lot for this.

We have one that has a cable attachment where you can hang the tool overhead, and hold the end of the cable like a pencil for precise work.

I occasionally use one for cutting or polishing small items.

I mostly keep a dremel away from my guns.
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Old 12-27-2016, 12:19 PM
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I don't see a single Dremel in this video:

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Old 12-27-2016, 12:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steelslaver View Post
The little cut off wheels are great. The little grinding wheels can be used to shape things, I even use little carbide burrs. I have a bunch of dremels in my shop and one is mounted in a tiny drill press frame. When I make knive sheaths I hand stitch and use the little dremel drill press to drill the holes for stitching.

Yes an idiot can ruin stuff with a dremel
OR a drill press, or a hammer or a screwdriver or a cutting torch or just about anything else. Not the tool, its the guy using it.
Yep........My Dad said there were people out there that could tear up an anvil......
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Old 12-27-2016, 01:21 PM
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Mine has mostly been used to grind screwdriver slots in broken studs or stripped screw heads. A couple of times I have used it to cut bearing races off a shaft.
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Old 12-27-2016, 01:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marshwheeling View Post
Mine has mostly been used to grind screwdriver slots in broken studs or stripped screw heads. A couple of times I have used it to cut bearing races off a shaft.
I've also used mine to cut slots in broken screws.
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Old 12-27-2016, 01:48 PM
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I've got 4 of them,one with flex shaft hanging over bench. Also
have a small industrial die grinder. Have all the cut-offs, polishing
and burrs, brushes and stones. Use them almost daily. Only
short coming with them is that they don't hold up well on side
pressure. A man has got to know his limitations, it's a good tool
if you know how to use it. For most people I would suggest they
not use them on their guns. I will have to admitt I have seen a
lot of Bubbaed feed ramp jobs from dremils. Would have been
cheaper to have a smith do it in 1st place. There is a big difference between polish and grind.
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Old 12-27-2016, 06:11 PM
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As a hobbyist (1:35 scale military models) I do own and use a Dremel.

As a part time gunsmith, it makes a great hobbyist tool.


OK, EDIT: That's not entirely true nor fair. I have used my Dremel to polish feed ramps, using rouge and felt wheels after I had stoned/sanded them smooth. But as a former die maker, I learned as an apprentice that powered tools not only enable you to remove material quicker, they also enable you to screw it up faster. Using a tool properly takes practice, the lack of which is where most Dremel hack jobs are born. If I still worked on guns (as a source of income), I'd look on the Dremel as an income source.
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Old 12-27-2016, 08:22 PM
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We used a Dremel tool to sharpen marlin hooks for a long time. Using the little sanding drum and the polish wheel, followed by hand Arkansas stone.( learned it from the Kona boys, btw)
Nowadays the Japanese hooks come so sharp it's not necessary.
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Old 12-27-2016, 08:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chief38 View Post
I find the BEST accessory is the Flex-Shaft attachment which allows much more precision control.
Definitely! Much better control--you can focus on what the bit is doing, not managing the weight of the Dremel itself. If you hang the Dremel, the flex shaft keeps the work away from the motor vents--less metal & abrasive dust sucked into the motor.
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Old 12-27-2016, 09:08 PM
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I have filed flat the lead round nose .22 ammo and found center point and then made a hollow point out of it.

I have lots of sub-sonic but they are not a HP design......
with a little work the pest in the back yard are DOTS and don't run off, to where I can't dispose of them.

I use 4-5 clear plastic CCI bullet holders, taped together, to steady the ammo, during surgery.

( dead on the spot )
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Old 12-27-2016, 09:10 PM
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Dremel is the tool that makes a bad idea seem reasonable!

I bought mine years back to inlet a stock to free float a barrel. Did the job in minutes.

Used it yesterday to lop off a bolt head in an otherwise inaccessible location. Made that job doable.

Then there's the, "just a little bit more... WHOOPS!" Won't go into that in detail other than to admit it happened.

So, it's a good tool to have, use it with discretion and go slow. It's easier to remove material than it is to put it back on.
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Old 12-27-2016, 09:28 PM
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Great tool for trimming toilet bowl bolts that are a bit too tall
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Old 12-27-2016, 11:52 PM
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Mostly use mine to cut off the compression rings on pex water lines.
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