dremel type tool ?

[nekshot]

My dremel tool went on the fritz. I do alot of stock work (hobby only) but presently low on cash. Are there any good for the buck tools available other than the units brownells offer. Any ideas how to make a shaft drive unit with a used electric motor, I have a few laying around. I don't know where to get a good shaft with chuck seperately from the motor. Thanks for any ideas!

[waksupi]

If you are working on guns, and your Dremel quit on you, you are fortunate. (Bet a lot of guys knew that was coming, from me!)
You are much better off with a good set of wood carving chisels, than a Dremel.

DREMEL - Ruining fine fire arms, for over 40 years.

[trevj]

If you are talkin' about the 1/8" shanked Dremel tool (home and hobby sized), watch the fliers from Harbor Freight, or whoever the local purveyor of offshore tools is.

The last couple I picked up, up here in Canada, cost me less than a new set of brushes for my Dremel. Like $10 range, per kit. That's for a Dremel style tool, with a flex shaft and some assorted sanding and grinding goodies in a case.

For the larger flex shaft tools, it's gonna depend on what you do have, and what you want to end up with. If you need variable speed, you will need a speed controller suitable for the motor. You probably want the shaft to run a little (or a lot) faster than the motor turns, so you will need to arrange for a pulley speed increase. Think belts out of a vacuum power nozzle, or similar from an appliance repair or sewing machine place. After that, it's just a matter of arranging all the parts together, and setting them up so they will sit on the bench, or hang off a hook.

Small ball bearings are cheap enough. MSC, McMaster Carr. Belts and pulleys to step up the speed, can be got from same sources.

Probably bears asking. What died on your current one? If it's anything less than a total meltdown, it'll probably be cheaper to fix it than replace it. Bearings are a standardized part, read the number off the old one and order replacements. Brushes wear.

I tend to view something being on the fritz, as all the invitation I need, to rip into it and see why. Between a circle of like minded friends, and the internet, I have usually been able to find out the why, and very often found out how to repair same.

Cheers
Trev

[StarMetal]

If you are working on guns, and your Dremel quit on you, you are fortunate. (Bet a lot of guys knew that was coming, from me!)
You are much better off with a good set of wood carving chisels, than a Dremel.

DREMEL - Ruining fine fire arms, for over 40 years.

I've seen more guns ruined with screwdrivers, files, and hacksaws then Dremel would ever do. Yup, knew that was coming from you. If you use a Dremel correctly they are great.

Joe

[Char-Gar]

1. Contact Dremel..They will rebulild your tool for a small fraction of a new tool.

2. Dremel tools have tempted many folks to undertake work beyond their ability and when this happens Waksupi is correct.

3. If a Dremel is used correctly in places where it can be used, then Starmetal is correct.

I find a Dremel with a small sanding drum very useful in shaping the exterior of stocks. I start with rasps, spokeshaves etc. Then I go to the Dremel with a sanding drum to take out all of those marks and make some final changes.. I then use a good mill bastard file to remove the Dremel marks. Last stage is progressively finer stages of sandpaper down to 600 grit till the wood is as smooth as a baby's behind and free from all marks and scratches.

I don't find much use for a Dremel in inletting. A small burr to clean up a corner is sometimes helpful. Chisels and scrapters do 99% of the inletting work. I do all the inletting as if I would use no glass. I shoot and make corrections if necessary. When the job is done, I relieve a few places and use glass for strength. I find glass bedding to make very little, if any accuracy improvment over a good proper wood to metal inletting job. I do not recommend hoging out wood with the dremel planing for the glass to make up for the lack of care. Bad karma there!

In stock work, like metal work, I always follow the "rule of halves". I figure how much stock to remove and remove half of it. I then remeasure and once again remove half of what is needed and continue down to final dimensions. Slow to be certain, but you won't remove material than can't be replaced which happens when folks are not careful and slow.

[JDFuchs]

I would check around the local pawn shops. Some times great deals can be had. Tho know what your looking at. Dont be afraid to go home find what the new and normal used prices are for any item, and return to buy.

[waksupi]

If you are serious about stock shaping, these two files are a necessity. They ain't cheap, but nothing else is as good for the job. And Boggs Tools can resharpen any file when needed, at VERY low prices.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=5188&st=&s=

pattern maker's file

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/productdetail.aspx?p=6764&st=&s=

Half round Vulcanite file

[Char-Gar]

yep.. those are costly tools! I will save my nickles in a jar. I do have a set of needle files that I use for detail work on stocks. They are slow, but I am in no hurry.

[nekshot]

Thanks fellas for the input. I am totally aware of dremels screwing up guns. My specialty is buying guns that are messed up. I do have those files and alot of other very expensive files I inherited from my father. He was a master bench man(a name given to wood workers who could make any thing at his work bench). His range of work went from paternmaking to making hand carved furniture to spiral stairways and sleighs scaled down from originals. They did not have a straight piece of wood on them. He never steamed wood to bend, rather he laminated using jigs he would make for each job. Sorry about the hot air but while he hoped for me to succeed him, I instead was more interested in guns. I do have some of his chisels, and files. Back to my dremel, the one brush wore into the armiture and cannot come out.

[Charlie Sometimes]

Google Sportsmans Guide- they have some nice sets for sale and maybe in stock right now- even have flexible shafts versions, too. I got a Ryobi a couple of years ago that has been really good.

[leftiye]

It's just like "guns don't kill people, people do" It's the nut behind the dremel, not the dremel (though it DOES take some care and experience). There are used Dumore grinders on evilbay that are reasonable (much more heavy duty than a dremel too). Probly the same units that Bronell's has.

My favorite stock whittling tool is an air powered die grinder with a large wood burr in the collet chuck. No comparison in rough forming a stock. Followed by the ever trusty rasp. Can also make a mell of a hess of your shop muy rapidamente (or of the stock if - again - you're not careful).

[Charlie Sometimes]

Got a new Sportsmans Guide catalog today- they have a nice 236 pc. All-Power Rotary Tool set for sale for $50- item # DX9X-140634.

Talk about coincidences.

[nekshot]

Thanks fellas, it looks like this sportsman guide tool is worth a try. If nothing else I will use it to sharpen my chainsaw.

[Shiloh]

Standard screwdrivers rather than hollow ground screw drivers, have damaged countless firearms for decades. Get yourself a set of gunsmith screwdrivers. Even an inexpensive set
is better than regular screw drivers.

I have a heavy duty flexshaft with footswitch control. I use it for polishing mostly but have repaired or improved damaged screws. Also used to fit parts.

Shiloh

[waksupi]

Do a forum search on Sportsman's Guide. It seems there were some delivery, and customer relations problems with them.

[carpetman]

Ive used Sportsmans Guide many times---nary a problem

[leftiye]

Ditto what Carpetman said - SG has treated me right for 30 years. 100% return policy - for any reason. (I returned a $1300 night vision scope, no questions asked)

[waksupi]

I didn't remember just what the topic was. It seemed to related to back ordered items, wrong sizes sent, hard to exchange items, things along that order.

[nekshot]

I purchased a good bit of wool military clothing over the years from sportsman guide for my kids for hunting. One time they sent me something wrong but exchanging it was no problem. I am only one out of many customers of theirs. I recently saw oldfart is marked now on the board and all my deals with them were very prompt and exact. This is what is great with this many members, a crooked deal comes to light.