Thread: Using a Dremel

Probably should have asked this before I bought it, but...

It's a variable speed, 5000-35,000. Assuming I don't go all Bruce Willis with it, would using the lower speeds present any danger in terms of distempering the steel on a straight?

you'll be fine as long as you don't overdo it, make sure not to use excessive pressure or prolonged periods over the same spot. I'd be more concerned about user safety when working with a dremel myself.

Originally Posted by Maximilian

you'll be fine as long as you don't overdo it, make sure not to use excessive pressure or prolonged periods over the same spot. I'd be more concerned about user safety when working with a dremel myself.

I have a setup i rigged up using rare earth magnets.

holding a blade and using a dremel is asking for trouble.

General advice for knives: too hot for your fingers, too hot for the blade.

Considering a razor edge to be much thinner, be VERY careful. Keep water around to cool the blade if you need too.

I lay my razors on top of soaking wet paper towels when working on them to help with heat management.

And be careful! Read as much as you can on here before beginning.

Start out slow and use a junk blade. When you feel ready for using it on a regular blade I would get a Bill Ellis jig to hold the blade securely. Make your motions up and down with very light pressure. Let the attachment do the work don't try to help it. Use a progression of of abrasive wheels starting with the brown color then black and finally a maroon color one. After you remove whatever stain may be on it go to the buffing attachment that is simply a cotton wheel which you'll apply abrasive paste to. Start with black then green followed by red then finally white. After that you should have a pretty shiny blade with all the previous marks gone. Then you can use a plain untreated buffing wheel to put that final shine on it.
You'll most likely want a 6 or 8 inch bench buffer eventually and that should be a 1750 to 1800 rpm motor not the common 3450 since it can burn the steel very quickly. The steps and materials above will be the same but you will use the dremel for the abrasive wheels and the bench buffer for the paste. Don't mix the buffing wheels once they are used with a particular grit paste stay with that paste for that wheel.
That should get you started. Yes you will scratch the blade but not to worry by the time you go through all these steps it will be nice and shiny:-)
That should get you started and by the way buy several of the abrasive wheels they do wear out fairly fast.

Originally Posted by Gunner777

Start out slow and use a junk blade. When you feel ready for using it on a regular blade I would get a Bill Ellis jig to hold the blade securely. Make your motions up and down with very light pressure. Let the attachment do the work don't try to help it. Use a progression of of abrasive wheels starting with the brown color then black and finally a maroon color one. After you remove whatever stain may be on it go to the buffing attachment that is simply a cotton wheel which you'll apply abrasive paste to. Start with black then green followed by red then finally white. After that you should have a pretty shiny blade with all the previous marks gone. Then you can use a plain untreated buffing wheel to put that final shine on it.
You'll most likely want a 6 or 8 inch bench buffer eventually and that should be a 1750 to 1800 rpm motor not the common 3450 since it can burn the steel very quickly. The steps and materials above will be the same but you will use the dremel for the abrasive wheels and the bench buffer for the paste. Don't mix the buffing wheels once they are used with a particular grit paste stay with that paste for that wheel.
That should get you started. Yes you will scratch the blade but not to worry by the time you go through all these steps it will be nice and shiny:-)
That should get you started and by the way buy several of the abrasive wheels they do wear out fairly fast.

The tools you mention -- abrasive wheels and different-colored pastes -- are they all Dremel proprietary? The reason I ask is I only see one type of polishing compound in the Dremel catalog -- brownish-colored.

Originally Posted by Gunner777

Start out slow and use a junk blade. When you feel ready for using it on a regular blade I would get a Bill Ellis jig to hold the blade securely. Make your motions up and down with very light pressure. Let the attachment do the work don't try to help it. Use a progression of of abrasive wheels starting with the brown color then black and finally a maroon color one. After you remove whatever stain may be on it go to the buffing attachment that is simply a cotton wheel which you'll apply abrasive paste to. Start with black then green followed by red then finally white. After that you should have a pretty shiny blade with all the previous marks gone. Then you can use a plain untreated buffing wheel to put that final shine on it.
You'll most likely want a 6 or 8 inch bench buffer eventually and that should be a 1750 to 1800 rpm motor not the common 3450 since it can burn the steel very quickly. The steps and materials above will be the same but you will use the dremel for the abrasive wheels and the bench buffer for the paste. Don't mix the buffing wheels once they are used with a particular grit paste stay with that paste for that wheel.
That should get you started. Yes you will scratch the blade but not to worry by the time you go through all these steps it will be nice and shiny:-)
That should get you started and by the way buy several of the abrasive wheels they do wear out fairly fast.

Just for the record, Bill Ellis isn't making/selling those jigs any more. However, he does have a basic "how to" on his blog. He also lists a link on where to find the magnets that will work well.

PCB

Here is a link to Bills blog which details the device I told you about to hold your razor. It's really simple to make and very cheap to get the materials.

Those attachments are not all Dremel but the abrasive wheels are. If you go to the Dremel website Finishing Abrasive Buffs

This link has the abrasive wheels but you can get them cheaper by ordering from various places. A google search will give you plenty of places to purchase them. The abrasive paste can also be purchased from a number of places. I buy mine from Graingers. You can get four bars per box in each grit for about $10 per box. That's enough to last forever:-)
The Dremel rouge is pretty close to the red I mentioned and will work in place of it. It's a small container but it does last a pretty long time.

I hope this helps you-----

o.k.... i'm starting to hate the dremel...


/time to buy a buffer
//think i need to fix some dremel damage
//cant set bevel on 2 razors...