Question: Slow Drill

Sorry ( put in all the warnings that you can think of in here) if you wired a light dimmer switch in between the drill and the electrical outlet, would it work?

Question: Slow DrillI use a cordless screwdriver-- you can get the low-end ones for very little $$. A decent hardware store will have a variety of accessories for these units-- I got a keyless chuck for mine from the local Ace Hardware store. I used this set up with a 1/16 inch drill bit to drill out over 400 portholes on my Titanic model....

I've heard (haven't tried it) that cordless Dremel tools are better than the corded units for plastic modeling. I have the corded, variable speed model, it will only slow down to 10,000 rpm-- still too fast.

HTH,

-Bill

P.S. Sorry for the on topic post...

In my experience the Minnie-Mite (Dremel's smallest cordless drill, with

10K and 5K speeds) works just fine for drilling plastic--you simply have to practice the technique. If you apply pressure for more than about five seconds, heat can build up and cause melting of the plastic at the drill site. Just keep in mind that even if you have to drill the hole in three passes, you're still saving a lot of time over alternative means of installing holes. And you have to have the right heads, usually either drill bits or burrs. Trying to drill a hole with a carbide tip is a real bad idea.

Mark Schynert

Question: Slow Drill>I have a 2 speed Dremel rotary tool. It works fine except that it's too fast (on the slower speed) to drill

they seamed to be expensive, $300 >and up.

model plastics?

$300!?! I paid $40 for a speed control from my local HS and my drill is till too fast at times :-)

-- Chuck Ryan snipped-for-privacy@REMOVEearthlink.net Springfield OH

snipped-for-privacy@worldnet.att.net wrote in :

With the standard, inexpensive dimmers: probably not. They work by decreasing the voltage, and if you dim them too much, the motor won't start at all. There are "phase cut" (not sure that's the correct word) dimmers that are supposed to work with electric motors, they cost about $ 50 over here. I haven't tried this myself, though.

I use a Black&Decker minidrill which is DC. There are many DC controllers that will work with one of these; the old advice used to be to get a model railway controller!

After a bit of research I find that Dremel tools are AC. I think a thyristor dimmer would do the trick - an electronic dimmer that works by cutting off part of each of the AC cycles. Dremel don't do a separate speed controller, which is a bit odd. I don't think AC motors work too well at very low speeds.

I find that most of the time I use the drill at the minimum power setting, and even then have to be careful to avoid melting the plastic instead of cutting it. Care and practice! :-)

One of the modeling mags had an article on doing this several years ago. They had to print a correction in the next issue about the electrocution hazard and how to ground it to prevent same.

Having been forewarned; you can use a dimmer to work your Dremel. You may have to start it at high speed and lower it to your desired working speed. My Dremel is older and only goes down to about 10K. I used a friend's new one; it goes down to 5K and was quite plastic friendly at that speed. I'm not going to invest in a new Dremel at this point so I'm going the rheostat route myself. You might find a ready made one for a reasonable price at a hardware store. I'm going to an electrical supply house where I can get a little advice on the best way to proceed. hth The Keeper (of too much crap!)

Steve - I picked up a cordless drill at WallyWorld this past summer for $5.00 It turns very slow and I've used to drill plastic, turn screws and even sand down some vacuum-formed kits usingt the drum. Works great. It's the Handi-Works

4.8-volt minidrill.

-- John The history of things that didn't happen has never been written. . - - - Henry Kissinger

I recently bought the variable speed dremel, after over three decades of using their old single speed model. I also had their little Mite two speed rechargable, which I used for plastic. The new variable speed (I think mine is the 595) is great, the slowest speed is definitely slow enough for plastic work. I now use it all the time, very little use with the battery one anymore. I am sorry now I put off buying the variable speed model so long.

and holds everything

I have an old X-Acto battery powered (2 C batteries) & a couple of other battery powered ones, Micro-someone maybe(?), that seem to be just right for drilling plastic & resin. I'll take them over a Dremel for modeling any day!

Go to

and get one of their router speed controls. If it is a multispeed Dremel, *make sure* you *NEVER* hook it up unless it is set to its fastest speed. I think the HF controls are like a whole $20.

WinBear

Uh, I wasn't talking about a decades-old Dremel rheostat... I was talking about a modern digital pulse-modulating router speed control. You do *NOT* want the Dremel's speed control fighting to work at the same time. Unless you want an excuse to buy a new Dremel...

Keep it on the highest (and therefore uncontrolled) speed only when plugged into a router speed control, or better still, use a single speed Dremel.

WinBear