Dremel tools - good or bad?

by **Sonodora** » 17 Jun 2005 21:22

I've searched this site over, and found zillions of refs to using Dremel tools, but I haven't found (so far) a detailed discussion of the various Dremels in relation to locks and lockpicking; i.e., the recommended Dremel models for this and that. Am I overlooking some good thread?

I'm thinking I'll buy a Dremel to make picks, plus using it for crafts and around-the-house type small jobs that aren't suited for my larger tools. I've looked at the various Dremel reviews on Amazon, and it seems you either love them or hate them, and that they are either junk or the epitome of toolhood. So I'm having a hard time making up my mind if Dremels are really worth getting, and if so, which models are good quality. Would anyone care to offer an opinion on the subject?

Excuse my ignorance if I've posted this in the wrong Forum...

by **Grudge** » 17 Jun 2005 21:55

I haven't used a Dremel actually cut picks out of blanks, but I have used them to clean up some pick edges and to make safe lock cut-aways. Although great for those kinds of jobs (buffing, light grinding & cutting) I just don't think they would be the best way to rough out a pick. Just too much grinding for that. From the pick do-it-yourselfers on LP101 it seems like a bench or belt grinder is the recommended way to go.

by **dwkbb** » 17 Jun 2005 21:58

I have a Dremel tool and I really like it. I use it for a variety of jobs. However, I have found that I use a bench grinder primarily when making picks. It is faster and I can make more precise cuts by manipulating the material against the stone as opposed to working the tool against the pick-to-be. The Dremel comes in handy when cutting steel, finer detail grinding, and for sanding or polishing.

by **Mad Mick** » 17 Jun 2005 22:29

The Dremel is a wonderful tool....really!

I'm now on my second Dremel, but that is of no fault with the tool itself, that is due to operator abuse...a new Dremel will completely strip out the wooden/fibreglass deck of a 20ft boat if used properly and not forced beyond it's intended use! :oops:

But, I digress...

For general purpose work, the tool is very capable. The method is to use the speed of the tool to remove material, not to rely on brute force. Shapes can be quickly roughed out using the cutting wheels, then by switching to a different stone/disk, a more precise profile can be sculpted. There are many different attachments which have their own application, but can also greatly aid in pick production.

Attachments listed in no particular order of preferrance:
Flexible shaft
Router table
Drill press

Let's take the first one...
The flexible shaft allows finer control of the cutting tool, by not having to manouver the full weight of the motor assembly. When used with fine grit tools, a fantastic finish can be achieved.

The second:
The router table allows the cutting tool to remain stationary, whilst the work-piece itself is manipulated...much like using a bench grinder, but the cutting tool is at 90 degrees.

The drill press:
This attachment can also be used in the same way as the router table...lift up the drilling platform and manouver the work-piece against the cutting tool. This attachment also allows vertical-milling operations to be performed...cutaway locks can be made. (I made an automotive camshaft locking tool with the drill-press...) Cutting bit selection/speed is important.

With that said, the tool alone, without any attachments has been used by many of our members to produce excellent picks.

Hope this persuades you to invest in a Dremel.

by **GateTwelve** » 17 Jun 2005 22:44

Dremels are great. Period. I don't think there's a person on these forums that will say dremels are useless.

Benchgrinders can be quite a bit more expensive than dremel tools, and you cannot make precision tools very easily with them. The upside to grinders is that due to the HUGE circumference of the grinding wheels, they cut through your materials at an unmatched speed. This makes your task very quick. But it's kind of a catch 22, due to the fact that since the wheels are so big, and that it eats your material so fast that when you screw up, the error is usually uncorrectable. The wheels are also very wide (the smallest metal grinding wheel I have seen is 1/4" in width, making small cuts and precise cuts nearly impossible. Don't get me wrong, I am not badmouthing grinders. I would not trade mine for anything. :wink:

The other option is to make your tools with a hand file...the ultimate way to get precise cutting. But it takes a VERY long time, and if you are not very skilled, it is hard to get pleasing results.

Dremels give the best of both worlds: precise cutting, ease of use, speed of making things.

I personally use the dremel 400 xpr. It has 35,000 rpms, and is corded. It eats pretty quickly through steel, and you can scale down the speed of the rotation. I had the cordless model (7.2 volts), but found it irritating that I could only get half of a pick cut before the battery was begging for a recharge. Plus the cordless only had 20,000rpms. I have never been more pleased with a dremel than I have been with the 400 xpr.

by **Shrub** » 18 Jun 2005 5:01

As long as its a proper Dremel the model doesnt matter and is down to your taste on which bits you want with it,

The copys can be either very good or very bad, if you have a mate with a copy who says its good then that one will be ok otherwise leave alone,

Dremel is the name of the brand, the name of the tool is either an engraver or mini handheld grinder,

Stick with Dremel and you wont be dissopointed.

by **Chrispy** » 18 Jun 2005 6:03

As all of the previous posts state, dremels (or rotary tools) are a must have for the lock pick maker. I definitely recommend you purchase one.

by **Sonodora** » 18 Jun 2005 7:34

Grudge said....I haven't used a Dremel actually cut picks out of blanks, but I have used them to clean up some pick edges and to make safe lock cut-aways. Although great for those kinds of jobs (buffing, light grinding & cutting) I just don't think they would be the best way to rough out a pick. Just too much grinding for that. From the pick do-it-yourselfers on LP101 it seems like a bench or belt grinder is the recommended way to go.

That's a good point, and I do have a 1" belt sander that would work for removing a lot of metal, and a bench grinder that will really eat away the metal. But I was thinking that a Dremel could work even for roughing, if I'm working with something like wiper blade reinforcement metal where there is not a lot of metal to be removed. Anyway, I guess, based on the other posts, I'll go ahead and get a Dremel. I'm sure the SO will agree since there are so many positive reviews here... (cough, cough)...

One poster mentioned the 400 XPR, which the local giant discount store carries; it seems to be a towards-the-top-of-the-line model with lots of goodies included in the package. I've seen reviews of several of the Dremels, and I wonder if some are perhaps of better quality than others.

The 400 is (I think) one of the most powerful, at least compared to the other ones the local store has in stock. Does power make a lot of difference for basic roughing, polishing, etc., when working with pretty small stock (i.e., wiper blade reinforcement)?

I do think I'll get a corded one, just so I won't be worried about running out of power quickly. But I can easily see where the cordless ones would be really handy for various odd jobs around the house.

Also, the router attachment looks kind of neat, though it won't fit the 400 XPR, it seems. Has anyone used the router attachment to, say, rough the edge of a pick that one is forming on the side of a piece of sheet metal?

by **n2oah** » 18 Jun 2005 11:34

I love my dremel. I own the MultiPro Variable speed model (I bought it long before the XPR came out) I must say the dremel is a must-have for the DIYer and lockpicker. It has come in handy for so many things that I use it everyday! I haven't tried out the router table or drill press yet, but they seem to work well judging by other's reviews.
The dremel also has so many attachments that it's crazy! http://dremel.com/HTML/owners_club/index_fr.html and that's just a tiny portion of them!

by **Sonodora** » 18 Jun 2005 21:10

I have received subtle hints that a new Dremel 400XPR might be in one of those gift-wrapped boxes hanging around the house....!

Put that together with the windshield shade rings and wiper blade reinforcing strips (did I mention that I noticed our wiper blades were in serious need of replacement? Good thing my SO has an observant person (such as myself, for instance) around to keep an eye on these important matters... :wink:

) and, of course, Raimundo's picks for templates, and I could really be on a roll here... Here's hoping Raimundo gets that pick set in the mail right away!

by **pun1sher** » 20 Jun 2005 8:32

i don't have any personal experience with one, but here is a video with a sebment where he uses one:[url]
http://www.cosmicbass.com/lp101/Making_Picks_1.wmv
hope it helps!

[/url]

by **carloski** » 21 Jun 2005 3:29

i have a dremel, its not a tool that i use day 2 day, i use it more for when
im removing ignition cores from the housings on certain vehicles

by **Shrub** » 21 Jun 2005 5:24

You dont need one and you cant do as much as you would like with one but for the price its worth getting one and once got you will not understand how you managed without one even though you will spend most of the time looking for unbroken bits to use :lol:

or useing the wrong bit because you snapped the proper one earlier :lol:

Its not the tool thats dear its all the fitting etc you need to keep buying,

Never use a router attachment to grind a pick, if nothing else the hole around the cutter is too big for the pick to span properly and its an accident waiting to happen.

by **TypicalNuser** » 22 Jun 2005 15:26

Its true that I don't use a dremel everyday, but when its there I'm sure glad I have one. In fact for detailed hand work where control is an issue I like to use the flex attachment but I notice some power is lost from the friction in the shaft during high demand.

I also use a foredom roto tool: http://www.blackstoneind.com/foundation ... tegory=132

Though its hard to justify the price I thought I'd just throw in another option.

Dremel tools - good or bad?

Dremel tools - good or bad?

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