5,000 rpm slow enough?

I have a Proxon that goes 5000 rpm, and its a bit on the fast side. Push just a litle and it will melt the plastic. Its good for stuff like resin and metal, but for plastic I would get something a bit slower. I am looking for something slower myself, so let me know if you find something.

I scratchbuild in styrene all the time and don't have any problems with melting plastic using either of my Dremels run on low speed. Let the tool do the work for you and don't use heavy pressure. Remember speed isn't the enemy, friction is. There is a tendancy to want to hurry what we are working on, so we apply more pressure. The same problem comes up when I'm teaching someone woodworking. If you are burning or, in the case of plastic, melting your work piece, slow down and ease the pressure of your cut.

hi redbutcher what you can do with the dremel is like i did , toss the battery and connect a powersupply from a modeltrain (transfo) to it so you can run it verry slow forward and reverse , had no problems anymore with melting plastic

QUOTE: Originally posted by maffen hi redbutcher what you can do with the dremel is like i did , toss the battery and connect a powersupply from a modeltrain (transfo) to it so you can run it verry slow forward and reverse , had no problems anymore with melting plastic

Great trick i may have to try that some day, we all nee a backwards runnig dremel

get a rheostat for the thing

(think something like long amounst of nichrome, light dimmers, lamp dimmers, etc)

OK thanks all, So when folks say they have melted plastic it because they are pessing to hard causing friction that melts the plastic. The power regulators sound like a good idea too. Thanks again folks.

My experience suggests that 5,000 rpm is just about slow enough to work with plastic IF the drill bit is sharp. If it's even a little dull, the plastic is liable to melt. The various sanding drums, grinding burrs, etc. also are likely to be troublesome at that speed.

A couple of weeks ago, on the thread "Is Dremel worth it?" in this forum, I sounded off (probably at too much length) on this subject. I think Dremel is missing the boat, as far as the hobby market is concerned, by putting so much emphasis on speed and power. The ideal Dremel-type tool for a modeler would be small in diameter and easy to hold near the tip, and would have a speed range from 0 to about 5,000 rpm. Dremel used to make a "table-top speed control" (I still have and use mine) that, in conjunction with a single-speed Moto-Tool, would let me put the motionless drill bit exactly where I wanted it and ramp up the speed gradually. At the moment, my favorite power tool is a scaled-down version of the Dremel made by a German company called "We-Cheer." It's about an inch in diameter, uses Dremel chucks, and, though it's single-speed, works well with the old Dremel speed control. I got it from Woodcraft (on the web at <www.woodcraft.com> for about $25.00.

Otherwise, for most plastic applications I'm a fan of the original, small-size Dremel "Mighty-Mite." The truth of the matter is that for most modeling applications, the full-size, 110-volt Dremel tools have far more power and speed than will ever be of any practical use.

Dremmel and the good folks at black and decker have thought of the hobbiest...Both have extension adaptors that screw onto the unit it self where you would normaly put the bit or disc in. It is about 3 feet long and has a pen like end to it where you connect your accessories. its flexible and removes the bulky unit out of your hand and hanging on a stand. They even sell those if you dont have a hook to hang your unit on. I myself use the b&d rtx with variable speed from 5000 to 30000 rpm. I build all types of models and on my ships i always put in wood decks. I use the rtx to make all of the decks and also to work my plastic. As one gentelman said earlier its not the speed its the pressure. I only melt plastic when i want to. Pick up the extension cable and you will see how much better your abilities will get.

Well I ran out a got a dremel mini-mite. The thing freaking rocks. I have been putting in dents and cutting stuff off my Panzer IV like MAD . Making the dents alone on the exhaust is sooooooooo sweat . Thanks for all of your help .