What do You guys do with your Dremel tool?

I was lucky in finding a pair of Dremel 750s on clearance in the early 80s. They are an early rechargeable model that is comparitively weak, the reason they aren't as melty as my old plug ins. I've read that running the Dremel through a speed control, like the foot pedal can take the RPMs down to a more plastic friendly speed. As for what to do with them, I recently discovered that you chuck a short length of sprue into a large diameter collet and carve it like it's on a lathe.

That lathe Idea is not bad might have to think up a mini table

I have multiple dremels, including the battery operated 750.

I usually use them for sanding, cutting with a cut off wheel, and grinding metal...

But mostly, I just manage to injure myself.

SAFTY GOGGLES PEOPLE !!!

You can also mount them to your workbench and use them as a mini drill press.

I have an old Dremel Multi-Pro that I run through an equally old Dremel Solid State Speed Controller that has been doing a fine job for years. I have the speed controller set to just about on and it works great. I use it for thinning down plastic, cutting, drilling and sanding. Have done the lathe trick with good results until the wife got me a small lathe several years ago.

Jim 

Stay Safe.

Cafguy, does your dremel have an external or internal speed controller? how old is the dremel? my dremel that i have had since the late 70's uses an external controller that i have used to grind/sand to shape the sterns & torpedo bulges of the models in this link. http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=165105

I have a DRemel stylus model probably 10 years old . IT runs from5.000 rpms to 25,000

Cafguy, is it cordless?

https://www.amazon.ca/Dremel-1100-01-7-2-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless/dp/B000E64WKO

I have found the dremel and plastic don't get along.  I have used it to remove resin pour stubs etc. 

Yes it is a cordless model exactly as you show

Drilling, sanding and cutting. Not just models, but all kinds of household maintenance stuff.

I use them for rough cutting big Frankenstein projects in plastic and a fair amount on wood.

They aren't a power tool I much associate with plastic modeling. 

A recent really good use I found was putting together a railing around a deck using those sst aircradt cables with tightener hardware. I tried all kinds of ways to cut the cable but kept botching up the ends.

Dremel with cut off wheels does a nice clean job.

A trick someone taught me was to double up the thin abrasive disks. It really helps to keep them from shattering.

Bill

I recently used my Dremel with a rotary file bit to make the major cuts for removing the main gear well interiors for the Su-25 I'm currently building.  After that, I was able to use light, quick touches to file the plastic so it was close enough to the edges of the gear well for me to make the final, clean cuts with a #11 Xacto blade.  So, its still good for the brute force, stone axe kind of work.  When I need something faster than my hands for finishing work, I just chuck things up in my Dewalt cordless drill.  It works fast, but not so fast that it melts things.

I still use a Dremel.  I got my first one as a kid for a Christmas present, when I was still doing more wood models than plastic.  I currently have two Dremels, an AC model for heavy work and a battery version with good speed control so it will work with plastic.

I also have a smaller hand grinder that I bought at Michaels that is smaller and much lighter than the Dremels.  although it is AC powered it is pretty wimpy, and will work nicely for plastic for very light work.

One of the frequent things I do with a hand grinder is trim off width of cockpits when fuselage sides will not close.

I have three,but this is my favorite.

https://us.dremel.com/en_US/products/-/show-product/tools/2050-stylo-versatile-craft-tool

I has less torque than the other two and allows me to use it for shaping and sanding without melting the plastic.

Dave

I use mine for stirring paint.  Works great!

Actually it's not nesessary to use it. I think some people work without it. But in my opinion, like any tool, Dremel can be used for some small addition tasks.

You can go without it when creating the models from the box (milling, fitting parts, drilling holes).
But during the creation of a model, it may be necessary to make some devices.

It can be used as a small lathe, circular saw and even a router. Dremel makes it possible to make additional parts that are not in the set

I have one that I use mostly for cutting metal tubes and sometimes to cut away a section of a large kit that I'm modifying into something different, like a warship into a space warship.  My latest is taking the battleship Prince of Wales and turning it into a space battlecruiser.  

But mostly it just hangs there not far from a more powerful unit that my Mother used to use that has a foot pedal and long drive cable.

Mine is old with the separate speed control box. But the box blew up so I haven't used it in 25 years or so. At that I mostly used the drum sanders and carbide cut off wheels most. Now and then a deburr tool. Honestly I've learned to work without it so don't think about it much.

Hi;

 I thought I had posted a reply, Guess I didn't! Anyway, my Dremel is the first edition Variable Speed model. Now equipped with a Sewing machine Pedal control it is awesome. I use it as well as a drill press using the remains of an old Small benchtop Drill Press.

 I think it is one of the REAL Quality tools I have ever purchased. The only thing, Maintenance wise, I have had to do is change the Brushes. And I found another well known tool uses the same ones.The Early Oster Hair Clippers!

My Dremel hangs from a coat hook on the back of the door. Haven't used it in years

For plastic scale modeling I primarily use mine with a grinding bit to thin out kit parts to a more scale thickness. At the lowest setting and with a light touch I've gotten pretty good at it. Especially on kit parts like older aircraft kits it's great for thinning down bucket seats. I can also use it on tanks to replicate the texture look of cast armor. They are great for grinding off old molded on details if you want to replace them with something else. The tool is also great for grinding off large pour stubs on resin items. Basically the only limitation is your own imagination.

my Dremel hangs on a hook over my desk. it has a flex shaft installed and operates with a sewing machine foot controller. I use it for drilling, filing, buffing, sanding and grinding. With the foot controller I can control the speed from zero to full throtle. I use a honing bit to re-edge xacto blades and points. After my optivisor it is the most useful tool in my arsenal.

I pften make brass or aluminum nameplates for models displayed on bases.  I use the Dremel with cloth polishing wheen to polish the plates.

As a dentist, rotary instruments are a part of my daily life.  In modeling, I find them most useful for bulk material removal on plastic/putty and cutting/polishing metal.  

Having said that, I don't actually use a Dremel.  When we were switching out handpieces at the office, we had a couple older ones that weren't compatible with the new connections.  I brought them home and set up a compressed air line at my bench.  The cost of buying an air turbine handpiece new would probably be beyond what most hobby users are going to pay, but definitely worth looking at if you ever have an opportunity to pick one up in the used market.  The speed control is far superior to any Dremel and the ergonomics of the instrument make it much easier to use.

I've found several usage for it. From thinning plastic, cutting stuff off, removing molded areas I want to detail......

1/350 airplane

stikpusher

Basically the only limitation is your own imagination.

I don't have a Dremel brand but same--same. I have many uses for it and I use it often. It makes quick work of things. GMorrison once wrote something along the line of, it's too easy to make quick mistakes using one of these. Bill is SO right about that. Been there, done that. And I also follow Timmys comment about injuring one's self.  I have done that too. Depending on the type of bit you are using a person needs to be very careful with it.

But all that said--I continue to use it and it is a big part of my regiment. From grinding to cutting, it makes quick work. In fact. I just recently cut a piece of brass tubing using a cutoff wheel bit. The other thing I use it for is cutting parts from sprue. I purchased a micro tooth saw bit. The wheel is super thin, and the teeth very sharp. It cuts through plastic like butter, and cleanly. I can get right up to the edge of the piece and most often very little cleanup work is needed. Sometimes, none. But that is a bit that scares me and I have to keep my wits about me because one slip will cut you open faster than a heartbeat. 

Probably more than you wanted to know. Good discussion.

I don't use dremel they break usually after a few years you are better off going into harbor freight and pick up a similar tool built by a company called Chicago but only Get the plug in .I have mine 20 years and I paid about 25 bucks .