Dremel - list uses

[DrGonzo]

Any ideas for what to use a dremel type product for?

So far I have:
cutting rusted bolts
cleaning golf clubs
sanding window frame in hard to get areas

just interested in other uses...

 

[JohnD]

wire brush to get rust off small parts

As a cutter it takes a very very very long time.

 

[DrGonzo]

wire brush to get rust off small parts

As a cutter it takes a very very very long time.

longer than a hacksaw ?

 

[JohnD]

much much much much longer

 

[^woody^]

Better still, list jobs which the dremmel does but which can't be done just as well with other tools.

And not just hypothetical ones either, practical uses.

The marketing men have it as the answer for all jobs, but apart from specialist intricate work, I see no other practical use in normal DIY

 

[JohnD]

Agree with that. It is handy for grinding or buffing small intricate parts, and you can use the cutting or grinding disks but they are very slow on anything substantial. You can reshape plastic with them. It is said to be possible to cut a new slot into a damaged screwhead but I would more likely use a LH drill.

It is probably handy for model making or model engineering, but I am too clumsy for that.

I can't remember what for, but I did use it to cut off some small steel parts, and it was very slow (and the disks broke several times).

For grinding or polishing anything bigger than a tooth, I think a flexible drive with small burrs is faster and more powerful.

 

[bananaspark]

used one to 'join' the drill holes for a 1 1/2 hole in cast iron soil pipe. took the best part of an hour but I just couldnt risk shattering the pipe with a heavy tool, would have cost 1000's if I'd got it wrong.

i always keep it handy as a last (but time consuming) resort.

 

[saintjanet]

Really just agree with all thats been said.I have a "cheap" one but would not be without it ,being a fiddler i'm always using it.

 

[Thermo]

i bought a cheapy version a couple of years ago. Apart fron trying to use a grinding bit to sharpen the edge of a mower blade that wouldnt come off of a mower (and it failed miserably at the job) its been in my shed gathering dust. Oh to have had one 25 years ago when i made military models though!

 

[JohnD]

I've remembered now. I used mine to re-size the case openings in my keysafes when I changed over from ordinary cylinder to Abloys. It was slow and tedious but it worked. I suspect I would have done better to use small files, though.