Yet Another "Dremels are bad, mmmmkay" thread

Hello all..

yet another safety related thread here... I just wanted to share my experience today with a variable speed Dremel tool with other restorers.

As most people know, most of us spread the gospel that Dremels are dangerous little tools that in the hands of someone not paying attention, can do far more damage than good. That said, there are still times that I break out a Dremel for specific tasks. For instance, today, I had a razor that had a very beautiful etch. There were several active rust spots throughout the etch on areas that weren't really important to the etch. So, I decided that the best tool for the task of cleaning up these rust spots was to spot-polish the specific areas using a felt wheel with some fast cutting emery on a Dremel.

Now... If you must use a dremel for restoration, then, the clear choice (No...the ONLY choice..) is a variable speed one. I have NEVER...and I mean NEVER dialed up my Dremel past about 7,000-8,000 rpm (mine is a 5,000-35,000 rpm unit) for razor restoration.


So, as I was working today, Eye protection on, and blade secured to the table..things were going fine. I was about 40% thru the task..when all of the sudden.... WHHHHHHIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

My Dremel went NUTS. and I mean FULL MAX RPM NUTS. The jerk of the motor going from 5,000rpm to 35,000+ rpm kicked the dremel off the blade and into the air, and I damn near threw the thing it freaked me out so bad.

I quickly collected myself after unplugging the tool, and made sure I wasn't hurt, checked out the blade and it was allright.

So, WTF happened? did I bump the speed control?

Nope.

My Dremel malfunctioned. No matter where I put the variable speed switch, the little bast@rd is Full Max 35k RPM.

I contacted Dremel, and they are going to repair/replace it for me (I was surprised... 5 year warranty!)

This just goes to show you... you really, really need to stay on your toes when it comes to using a Dremel.

I was OK this time. But, I got lucky. I will keep this malfunction clear in my "could happen" thoughts from here on out while using a variable speed rotary tool, and so should you.

Thanks for listening and good luck with your restores!!!

And the most critical aspect of using the Dremel:

EVERY time before you touch Dremel to blade you have to make note of which direction the damn thing is spinning relative to the edge of your blade. That simple safety check is critical and I think the failure to make note of it is the cause of most Dremel/razor accidents.

I think everyone should use this incident as reminder to be carefull when using ANY kind of power tool for that matter.

Don't be afraid of your tools, but always be aware & respect the fact that these things can injure or even kill you, no matter how comfortable you are with them.

I nearly lost an eye last year because I started getting a bit too comfortable around my tools. I use that as a reminder to take a few extra minutes to do things correctly & most importantly, safely.

Instead of using a Dremel I found a electric draftsman eraser used on paper drawings, turns rather slow (about 1600 rpm) can even stop it while its running. refitted it so I can use my polishing tools...slow and easy and safe, one speed but does the job.

I use a router speed control it works great.
The speed of the Dremel is cranked to the max but the router contorl allows for as low as 500-1000 rpm.

I have a wood lathe that the speed is adjusted by moving the belt.
I put a regular drill press style chuck on it. (can't remember the proper name right now) and then put the dermal bit or what ever else I need to use on that.
I like this because I can use both hands holing the razor and feel I have way more control this way. But even then It's still just as important to be aware of what potential hazards there are. Thanks for the cautionary update and I'm glad you are OK Brad. You said the blade was OK to so at least it wasn't an expensive lesson. Just a scary one!

Glad you werent hurt Brad, thats the most important thing!

The very first razor I worked on, I forgot about the direction of rotation and that little mistake cost me some time on the 325 DMT working out the little chips in the edge.

Dremels can be very useful, but things go wrong very fast if you stop paying attention..!

I love my Dremel-- it allows me to make twice as many mistakes in half the amount of time. Band-Aids not included...

Semper circa,
LG Roy

First and foremost, I'm glad you were not hurt. I'm glad your blade is ok too.

I've used a few Dremels and I have to say the one I like best for polishing straights is the 10 volt battery powered one. The big criticism on this model is that it has less power and torque than the wired. When working on small delicate items (not to mention ones with razor sharp edges) less power and torque is a good thing. It takes a little more time but there is less risk of an injury or a mistake. Also, without the power cord to deal with and the fact that it is lighter, I feel I have more control.

Now if I'm doing a bigger job like cutting or grinding metal, more power is most definitely the way to go.

Lastly, like many have said here, respect your power tools and safety first.

Dremels are great little tools with a lot of different uses but..... they have too much vibration for really fine work, they're too fast for most abrasive work on hardened steel and they don't have enough torque at very, very low speeds (and you can't even hit those low speeds with most dremels).

Foredom tools work a lot better with a lot more torque and a lot slower.

Here's an even better tool; one I would highly recommend to guys who want to do a lot of different work on razors without sinking a lot of money into equipment.

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/...ffchuckkit.jpg

It's a nice little kit for around 100 bucks at Caswell plating

To all of you, High RPM tools can hurt you before you know it.
As a young mechanic fabicating a power takeoff mount. I had a high speed air grinder explode a sanding disk while turning at high RPM's.
The disk bounced one time on the metal and exploded.
It went to the bone on both knee caps with out cutting my pants or my insulated underwear.
I still use air powered die grinders from time to time but I have the utmost respect for power tools of all kinds.

Wear safty glasses or better yet a face mask when using power tools.

Silver2

My dremel did the same thing and it ruined a blade. It went from minimum rpm to full for no reason and is stuck on full no matter what I set it to. I have to bring it back to. They should reimburse for the damage. Yeah right, I'll never use it again for a razor.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Undream

The jerk of the motor going from 5,000rpm to 35,000+ rpm kicked the dremel off the blade and into the air, and I damn near threw the thing it freaked me out so bad.

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Man! That's freaking scary, being near a flying straight razor! It's always good to remind how seriously dangerous is operating power tools with sharp objects.

Brad,

I am very glad you were not hurt. Thank you for sharing and the warning.

Several years ago, when I first began "restoring" straight razors for my own use, I bought a Dremel (variable-speed, corded, flexible shaft), along with a foot switch. The important thing is that the foot switch is not simply on/off; rather, it's a rheostat.

This gives me two advantages:

1. I can set a very low maximum speed on the Dremel, itself; and
2. I can actively vary the working speed from zero to the preset maximum.

Makes for much finer control when I'm working on a blade, but the bottom line is this: When I take my foot off the switch, the Dremel stops. Immediately.

Would you believe it does that, every single time? Uh-huh. Works like a champ.

Here's a link to one

Ive never used a dremel for razor work but still use mine for other things. I always use a full face shield and a foot pedal. The dremel is too fast for anything I use it for, so I tap my foot pedal with certain rhythm to lower the speed.

That instant off foot switch would be perfect.