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Dremels / Rotary Tools


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Anyone here have any expertise in Dremels and rotary tools? Is it worth paying for the brand? Corded vs cordless etc?

Would be cool to be able to do simple routing with it, for pickups etc. I know Dremel sells a router attachment as well as a drill press attachment etc. (I already have a Bosch cordless drill but I know they’re a bit different)

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I recently dipped my toe in the pickup routing pool and purchased a small router from Vonhaus. It did the job easily and was reasonably priced. It's corded which I didn't find a problem, if you were using it for hours I think cordless would be less hassle. 

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Well, I've got two, a Dremmel and a clone, Both mains powered.

I don't use them very often, but when I need them, nothing else will do. The Dremmel does feel a bit better quality in the hand, but either do the job. Last job was cutting down some bone down for a nut. The accessory range is great for cutting, sanding, polishing.

I do have a tile cutting jig, that was slow but did a good job. Not sure I would fancy one for routing out a guitar other than tidying up after drilling out most of the wood with a more heavy duty tool.

I suppose a hobbyist may use one on a regular basis, but as infrequently as I use mine, I wouldn't be without one.

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I have several Dremels, cordless small and large, corded - for a while they sent me review copies. While I have had some good cheapies the genuine Dremels have never disappointed.

The small cordless I use all the time for delicate jobs. The big cordless once got an exhaust off for me that probably would have been impossible any other way.

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I have a cordless Dremel 8800 and like it, but for tiny precision work I would recommend getting one that's lighter, or adding the flexible shaft extension / snake. The exchangable battery adds substantial weight at the back. 

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I have a Dremel and a couple of clones. Not much in it for me in terms of quality. I would only ever use them for fine work - I wouldn't try to route a pickup cavity with one. I have Dremel router base and I don't rate it - it's too big for inlay and too flimsy for most other things. I'm looking to get a precision router base for inlay type work.

My preference for cavities or pockets would be a router - the one I use for most stuff is a Black and Decker I've had for about 5 years and cost about £50. I have been tempted to buy one of these trimmer\routers as they look pretty handy and aren't too expensive.

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Thanks for the input. I think on balance it is a good idea to reserve this for polishing and cutting etc. I don’t mind spending a little more for something that will last, and buying a dedicated router for routing tasks.

Are there different shaft size standards? In terms of aftermarket bits, etc?

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I used to make and fit staircases so I was routing and trenching for years, I’ve got many routers , but I have to say the new  Makita cordless is very impressive, if you don’t already have the batteries and charger it would probably work out expensive , if you do I would recommend it 🙂

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The other thing always to remember with routers is the cost of the cutters themselves. A typical template cutter is about £20 - I find it's worth having several for cutting different depths for cavities and pockets. You can get cheaper ones but my experience with them has been a bit of a lottery - I did have one that worked loose and cut deeper than I wanted and nearly wrecked a bass body. I tried it again on a test piece and ended up with the same result so binned that cutter!

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I have a whole lot of big, costly cutters and a monster 1/2" router I bought to fit some kitchen worktops. Other than that I've always used my cheap 1/4" shank one. The spindle lock was crap, but once I took it off I found I could use two spanners on it which greatly improved the grip.

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Echo the dremel for done work and finishing only in hard to reach areas and I exclusively use it with the extension cord and a plugged in one. The Tacklife clone isn’t bad either.

For routing - get a decent router. Same for templates or make the templates yourself.

I cannot stress enough having just done a build the importance of decent bits. You can get big packs which are fine, but those Trend cutters as people mention with the bearing at the top, not the bottom are essential.
 

For a router I did spend a bit extra and got the Bosch cordless one, but the Ergonomics of it as opposed to ‘normal’ ones suited me.

 

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1 minute ago, therealting said:

Thanks for the advice everyone - I’ll spend the money. Are there varying shaft sizes for the various bits, or is there a blanket standard in aftermarket accessories?

I’ve only ever known 1/4 and 1/2 in shanks, if there is a different one I wouldn’t buy it because all brand cutters are that size 🙂

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Get the right shank size for your router

Trend C121HX1/4TC Craft 1/4" Shank Pro Guided Template Profiler Router Cutter Bit-C121HX1/4TC-Diameter, Cutting Length 12.7mm Bearing 9.5mm Tungsten Carbide Tipped https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07P5RXV6G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_u3eaFbKJW4HX6

Trend C121X1/4TC Craft 1/4" Shank... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0001P11IY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
 

You will defo need something like those above for cavity routing

 

Tacklife 15pcs Router Bit Sets... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CNVQYZX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

this generic set for other things is not bad like rounding a body off etc

Edited by Cuzzie
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24 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

I’ve only ever known 1/4 and 1/2 in shanks, if there is a different one I wouldn’t buy it because all brand cutters are that size 🙂

I got an 8mm collet and cutters with my B&D router as well as the 1/4" collet. The Triton router also had a 6mm one though this goes completely unused!! But completely agree, if you stick with 1/4" and 1/2" you'll be fine and be able to get everything you need like the cutters @Cuzzie mentioned.

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I've got a mains powered handheld Dremel and I've never thought I made a mistake buying it.

The only issue I have is in finding bits for it.

I'm about to do some routing for a bridge, but I'm not sure the Dremel is going to be appropriate for that.

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As @Reggaebass says 1/4" and 1/2" are the shank sizes (and you'll notice Trend cutters being mentioned again). I'd say that 95% of the routing I do uses 1/4" shank cutters - I only have a few 1/2" shank cutters which are only used occasionally for very specific jobs. I also only use the 1/2" bits on a router table and I'm much more wary using them. You have to respect any router though as they have real potential to do damage to your work or yourself.

The 1/4" template cutters (with the bearings) are the ones I use most often and couldn't do without:

5kbEynZ.jpg?2

This gives you an idea of the range of sizes (and why the large cutter scares me!!):

ummFXmb.jpg?2

I only bought the Triton router with the 1/2" collet fairly recently specifically for use on a router table. Up until then, I managed to do everything I wanted with a standard Black and Decker router with 1/4" cutters.

As @Cuzzie says, Dremels have their use and are excellent for smaller, awkward jobs.

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1 hour ago, prowla said:

I've got a mains powered handheld Dremel and I've never thought I made a mistake buying it.

The only issue I have is in finding bits for it.

I'm about to do some routing for a bridge, but I'm not sure the Dremel is going to be appropriate for that.

I would say get a proper router - unless there is an absolute minty one, don’t buy second hand, you just don’t know what some fool has done with motors etc and abusing it.

I did go more expensive, but I felt it suited me and is pretty good for free hand routing as well, remember for any cordless you have to factor in batteries! If you have other cordless tools and there is a common system that can sway what you want.

i went for this

Bosch Professional GKF 12 V-8... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076LXH113?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

May be teaching folks to suck eggs but please please drill out with a normal bit or a Firsch Forstner bit as much wood as possible and just use the router to make it purty. Give it too much to do it spits out and jams

tip for drilling depth - but of masking tape around the drill bit at the requisite depth if you don’t have a drill press with a depth limiter

And it’s great fun!

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