I took a look at google images for his model and the dimmer really is just a dimmer ... providing they sell brushes kits (2) for his model, the principle was ok from the first post; plug it right to the input.
If the person who originally posted the question still follows the discussion; it is strongly suggested that you do NOT use the tool wired that way for too long as the motor will overheat and break (or some of its internals will melt down)... take it as a temporary fix only.
Or do like I did. I took a 600 watt dimmer and put it in a project box with a cord on one end, and a receptacle on the other. I use it to control the speed of dremel type tools (anything with universal motor under about 400 watts) and to regulate output of my soldering iron. Also comes in handy to dim the occaisional lamp.
As long as you don't run it wide open for long periods of time it will last as long as if you had the built-in speed control. My luck with Dremels has been terrible. The cheap chinese crap lasts just as long, for 1/4 the price. Much as I hate chinese crap.
after you make your temporary repair, dremel sells all the parts you might need for a nominal cost if you call customer service.
I was like that once - long ago.
Then I got my first DIE GRINDER!
OOOOOoooohhhh Baby.
Atomic powered Dremel.
What a TOOL to have in hand. Oh, The POWER!
But warning - this dude ain't for balsa wood, kiddies.
And you probably outta practice on something else before trimming those gnarly toe nails...
Trace it with a volt meter. Probably a bad solder job and the heat from the controller loosened something up. Easy fix if you have a decent iron.
More China crap...
You can get a Router Speed Control from Harbor Freight for ~$13 on sale pretty often.
"ROUTER SPEED CONTROL
Get better results and longer bit life when routing tough woods, plastics, even aluminum. Plug your router into the control unit and you instantly have a variable-speed tool. Works with any universal AC/DC brush type motor, 15 amps and under. Will not work with soft- or slow-start motors.
ITEM 43060-1VGA"
See:
Your going to have a hard time building one cheaper than this and have it look and work as well.
I have one of those HF pseudo-dremels. Not very torque-y at all. Bogs down very easily. A very light touch is required.
Jerry
I've got a good air powered one of those for the "serious stuff" but the crappy dremels don't even stund up th the "balsa and toenails" type jobs.
Built mine about 15 or more years ago in a $2 surplus project box, using the cord from an old iron and the receptacle from an old stove-top with a dimmer I picked up in a box of stuff at an auction. I think total cast was $5 or less and it STILL looks and works just fine.
Well, balsa is no problem, byt dam, Clare, those toenails....
Pneumatic rotary tool at 120psi, should fix a stereo in a matter of seconds ;) It's a "I fixed it, now go back to radioshack"
Not to dig up an old topic, but I just ran into this
If it runs at all, hopefully at full speed, jst plug it in to a sewing machine rheostat, Works fine for me.
Boris
Plus the collets are brass and wear out in no time. Good for a one or two time use project, no substitute for a pneumatic die grinder. Bearings suck on them, too. Whadda ya want for $6 anyway? Spend a couple of bucks more and get the mini-pneumatic die grinder. Some of the ones I have accept Foredom collets, too.
Stan
Well you need an air compressor for one of those, a tool relatively few people own. I use a pneumatic die grinder occasionally, but it's louder than my Dremel and it spews out a bit of oil in use.
Sorry not to reply to this directly, I don't seem to have the original.
If you're interested in making PCBs have you looked at the mailing list "homebrew snipped-for-privacy@yahoogroups.com" and their archives?
Well that would defeat the purpose of the oil in the first place, which is squirted into the tool to lubricate the air motor. Perhaps you're referring to the high speed air turbine tools? Either way unless you already have the compressor as I did, an electric tool is far cheaper and is not tethered to a big heavy noisy piece of equipment.
My $12 die grinder calls for 1-2 drops of oil per use, I've never seen oil come out of it Gerry :-)} London, Canada
Tethered? I plumbed my house[*] for air. ;-)
[*] Places I'd likely use air tools.According to James Sweet :
[ ... ]
Ouch!
[ ... ]
I certainly do. :-)
Hmm ... this is cross-posted to the following newsgroups:
sci.electronics.basics sci.electronics.repair rec.crafts.metalworking alt.engineering.electrical
Of those, the third (rec.crafts.metalworking) is likely to have a very
*high* percentage of readers who own an air compressor. The reply suggesting a pneumatic die grinder probably came from someone in RCM who did not notice the other newsgroups in the cross-posting, so it was reasonable to expect that an air compressor would be present.I forget what the application was for the Dremel (somewhere upthread) so I don't know whether the oil is a problem or not. If working on metal, I would suggest that the oil is probably a benefit, not a problem.
If oil is a problem, I would second the suggestion for a Foredom. Note that not only does it have a fairly hefty flexible shaft, but for smaller tools (e;g. what a Dremel would be comfortable driving) there is a handpiece with a short very flexible shaft just before it which makes precise hand control a lot easier. I use an ancient Foredom with the extra flexible handpiece for tuning English concertina reeds, with a Dremel foot pedal for speed control, from a near total stop (needed on the tiny reeds at the upper end of the collection in a typical concertina) to near full speed (for the lowest pitch reeds).
Enjoy, DoN.
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