Does a Dremel have enough torque to drill Zamac?

This is true Steve, but the scope of this thread has expanded to just a bit more than addressing this one particular hole. It sort of covers most all holes in general. The next reader may have to do a 00-90 drill/tap, while yet another might need a

If 'twere me, and I had but one or two to do, I'd probably do it by hand, however, that is not what he asked.

.............F>

Trainman ( snipped-for-privacy@prodigy.net) wrote: : Even tapping by hand, into metal, use the fluid. I've tapped into the : coupler pad of an Athearn F unit frame by hand, 2:56 through a 1/16" thick : soft metal. By HAND, you can get the tap too hot to touch.

: Don

Never used a hand tap(up to #6) and used cutting fluid on zamac. Never got hot. However, I never tap more than 2 or 3 turns before backing out the tap and clearing the threads. Also, always used high quality taps made to cut tool steel. They go thru zamac like butter.

: >Distribution: : >

: >Good Lord people, we're talking about a #50 drill and number 2 screw! : >Unless you're drilling a 2 inch deep hole you ought to be able to do this : >with a pin vise. I just mounted Kadee coupler boxes on a pair of older P2K : >FA's and it took me less than 15 minutes. And I'm not a professional by an : >any stretch. If I had used my Dremel(couldn't find it) it might have : >taken me 10 minutes. And I'd never use it for the actual tapping process; : >much easier to control the tapping and chip clearing by hand. : >

: >Steve

: This is true Steve, but the scope of this thread has expanded to just a bit more than : addressing this one particular hole. It sort of covers most all holes in general. : The next reader may have to do a 00-90 drill/tap, while yet another might need a : 10-32. The overall idea applies to all of them.

: If 'twere me, and I had but one or two to do, I'd probably do it by hand, however, : that is not what he asked.

: .............F>

Yeah, I get it. I don't read this forum very often anymore. Forgot about thread drift. Went back and read the posts again. I still think that sometimes we overdo techniques. I used to think that I had to have lots of number drills to model correctly. Now I drill just about everything with 3 or 4 different sizes. If the hole is too small in plastic i just use the drill as a reamer and make the hole bigger. Also don't look at the number anymore; just grab one that's close and go......

You can always tell the expert or experienced cook by the way he adds his ingredients to his dish. The more experienced he is, the less he has to worry about measuring everything. I can measure a teaspoon of salt in the palm of my hand and I know exactly what a cup of milk looks like and when I have reached that volume.

In the machine shop it is the same. Us "old heads" have learned to be able to intuituvely use the correct tool as well to know that precision is not always an absolute thing. But some of the guys are still learning and do not have the "feel" of things. Others of them, frankly, do not have a lot of talent in the field and will never cultivate instincts; so for them it is necessary to measure and use the recommended tool for the job.

.............F>

screw!

to do this

of older P2K

professional by an

might have

tapping process;

Steve,

My interest goes a bit beyond the original poster's question.

I run a repair shop where I drill and tap a lot of various size holes, as well as thread rod with dies. So, when someone recommends a specific product by name to make those tasks easier I generally try to lay hands on some to try it for myself. In this case doing so turned out to be slightly more involved than a trip to Ace Hardware.

-- Len Head Rust Scraper KL&B Eastern Lines RR Museum

If you want to use the Dremel, use the lowest speed setting, sharpest drill bit, lube it often and use gentle pressure. Back the drill out frequently and keep it lubed.

If you can get/make a dimmer switch with an outlet attached, that might be even better. Plug the dremel > Would a variable speed Dremel tool have enough torque to sink a #50

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To All: Another Dremel question: If you use a Dremel to cut track, is it better to use the small metal circular saw that Micro-Mark sells or those disks that come in a container with your Dremel? I don't like using the rail cutters, because they burr too easily. :-)

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No problem with the dimmer of the Dremel?

Most low priced dimmer switches say do not use for motor loads, but the Dremel being a pretty small load it might work OK. I have a 6" 115VAC electronics fan (pulls hot air off the living room ceiling and blows it into an adjoining room to destratify the fireplce heat) on a lamp dinner and it has been fine for years; the usual duty cycle is 4 or 5 hours on and 19 or 20 off, and only occasionally, during about 3 months

You can buy three kinds of circular abrasive cutters that will fit a rotary tool. There is a thin profile disc that, I believe, comes in a red-top package and there is a heavy-duty disc that comes in a blue-top package. The third one is very large- about the diameter of a US half-dollar- and comes packaged on a vacuum-form card with about five discs on it. IMO it is too big and thick for track cutting.

If you are going to use a rotary tool to cut track, I would recommend using the heavy-duty disc that is about an inch and a half or so in diameter. You will find that you cannot cut a perpendicular gap with the rotary tool. The gap will be at an approximate 20 degree angle to the rail. This is because the tool is so much larget in diameter than the disc. Better to use a micro-hacksaw with an abrasive blade to get a neat, perpendicular cut. It is a bit more work, but does a much neater and more workable job.

.............F>

Personally I prefer the thin saw for two reasons. Obviously the thickness, with the cut off disks I always feel the need to fill the gap it causes. Second, the saw disk I had was 2" in diameter and with the flexible chuck I am able to make cuts 90 degrees to the rail. With the cutoff disks I always end up with an angled cut.

Actually, I've found the Xuron rail nippers to be excellent and have never gotten a burr using them.

Definitely the carborundum disks, but even better are the fiberglass/abrasive disks offered by other suppliers. I find that when I'm cutting rail on the layout I tend to be concentrating on the task and about

Regards, Greg.P.

I've been using an "in-line" lamp dimmer on my old single speed motor tool for years. Never had a problem. If I was running it continuosly for long periods of time I might be concerned.

Steve Caple ( snipped-for-privacy@commoncast.net) wrote: : Frank A. Rosenbaum wrote: : > If you can get/make a dimmer switch with an outlet attached, that might be : > even better. Plug the dremel into it and turn it on to the lowest setting,

: No problem with the dimmer of the Dremel?

: Most low priced dimmer switches say do not use for motor : loads, but the Dremel being a pretty small load it might work : OK. I have a 6" 115VAC electronics fan (pulls hot air off the : living room ceiling and blows it into an adjoining room to : destratify the fireplce heat) on a lamp dinner and it has been : fine for years; the usual duty cycle is 4 or 5 hours on and 19 : or 20 off, and only occasionally, during about 3 months

: -- : Steve Caple

IIRC, Dremel makes these too. I bought some at Home Depot recently, in order to cut down some wire shelving for a closet in my workshop area. I had to use the flexible cable/chuck attachment in order to get a good angle for a perpindicular cut, but the fiberglass disks performed well and not one has shattered.

I agree completely. But some just INSIST on using power tools. It's not wrong, just often unnecessary.

Dan Mitchell ==========

S C Sillato wrote:

VERY true. And the entire cutting tool doesn't have to get hot to cause problems. ASTONISHING high temperatures can be generated microscopically at the actual point where the metal is being cut, even with HAND tools. Such high temperatures can soften metals, 'draw' tempers, and cause local microscopic welding effects. All these 'undesirables' are PART of what cutting fluids are designed to reduce.

Dan Mitchell ==========

Tra>

Use the cut-off abrasive disks, and the highest speed setting. Wear safety glasses, as the cutting action throws sparks and metal fragments ... also, the disks occasionally shatter and throw fragments. The thinnest disks make the neatest cuts, but are more likely to break. Just be careful.

The saw will also work, but is harder to control, and downright dangerous IMHO. I've seen these things 'grab' and 'kick', causing SERIOUS injury.

Dan Mitchell ==========

Old Sarge wrote:

I've had best luck with the abrasive cut-off wheels.

Don

I tried using a "generic" speed control on my old single speed dremel, and had a problem with the motor "cogging" at slow speeds.

Don

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