Getting to grips with a Dremel

Harrison

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Dec 1, 2007
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West Sussex
I just got a nice new Dremel 300 for Christmas/Birthday from my lovely Wife.

One thing that is a little confusing with it however is that it came with 30 accessory pieces, some more obvious than others, but no details on what each is, what they do, or how to use them.

I eventually think I identified them all using the poster chart included which shows every accessory available, and also by going to a Dremel site and seeing a list of what was included with my Dremel.

The included accessories are a good variety with an engraving, sharpening, cleaning/polishing, one type of cutting disc, and some sanding discs and wheels. There still wasn't a huge variety though so I've just ordered the Dremel 200 piece accessory Set (found it new from an ebay seller for £37 which seemed a good price). It also comes with the SpeedClic system so that will save a bit of money.

So now some questions.

What is the best cutting tool to use to cut Amiga plastic casing? And what is the best tool to use to finish the edges off (smooth them) once it has been cut?

I first want to cut out part of an A1200 case to fit an internal laptop DVD-RW. I know I have to keep the speed fairly low to avoid melting the plastic, rather than cutting it, so was going to try some test cuts on some rubbish plastic as 2-4 speed settings to see how it went.
 
diamond circle tool

diamond circle tool

sorry free translation above, i am afraid it costs as much for one piece then your kit. It is just a round circle plated with materials. Would first practice a little, maybe for plastic you do not need to buy it, i used it for computer cases where it needs i'ts speed to move on. With the default tools they do not last, trust me they gave up on me in 5 minutes :unsure:

It can be used to tidy a cut a little up to. One drawback is that it leaves some burns..
 
Didn't quite understand the whole of your post jvdbossc, however regarding the default tools, I've read that if you use any Dremel tools at the wrong speeds they won't last long, and you have to match the speed with the material being worked on.
 
OK, let me share some wisdom with you. Some of this I got from Zetr0, so I can't claim credit for all of this advice. Some of this is from my own experience.

1. Use PVC insulation tape to mark out the areas to be cut. When you are cutting, the burrs won't stick to the main body of plastic and will easily be removed with the tape.

2. Put items to be cut in the freezer overnight before cutting; the plastic will be easier to cut and won't burr so much when it's freezing cold. ABS melts far too easily.

3. Use a metal-cutting disc at a slow speed, as these tend to be more abrasive than other discs and don't shatter quite as easily as other cutting discs.

4. Cut the plastic just inside the line you have marked and finish the shaping of the hole with a small file (e.g. a jeweller's file set) at an angle to keep a straight line and finish with fine grade (e.g.1200 grit) silicon carbide wet-and-dry sandpaper, to end up with a Zetr0-smooth (tm) finish.

5. Above all, take your time; patience is the key to a good cut. Don't force the cut as the plastic will heat up too quickly; let the disc do the cutting. Slow and steady wins the race.....

6. As with all cutting, the rule is 'measure twice, cut once'; mistakes can be costly...:wooha:
 
resitor wire

resitor wire

Well indeed, it is difficult to expain the tool I use for such jobs, but anyway for plastics I have less experience anyway, so the post above is indeed a good informational one. (and indeed I did missed some points when cutting, but hey nobody gave me any tips):oops:

What I wanted to add is, I did trie to use the cutters like a good homefather, but it turns out that the real expensive ones last forever :D

Wondering if we can't use a resitor wire to cut a plastic case :roll: If you take a straight line (like a metal ruler) on top and the bottom, allow some space to cut, enough power, certainly it would cut...and with the right patience and movement, it would be a clean cut.
 
Thanks Merlin. I will try these tips out on some spare gash plastic and see how it goes.
 
Well like you i also got a dremmel 300 for chrimbo, mainly to do the same job as you.

I used one of the cutting disks to cut the plastic off the case, however, I left some distance from the actual marked area so I could finish the rest off by filling it down. (I actually used a new pumice stone to file it as needed and it worked a treat)

You will notice that useing the cutting disk it does melt the plastic fairly quickly, it just bunches into blobs of plastic so just stop and take it off...

I am a complete amature with stuff like this but even I made a good job of it...

I am just having problems getting the brand new 4x buffered IDE interface to work now.... Nothing is ever simple huh!


Good luck to you (y)
 
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