Thread: Power tools

Thanks Everyone!! I appreciate your input.

Jon

Is the Dremel drill press really that bad? If I bring home even a tabletop drill press, SWMBO will be less than pleased. I might have to bite the bullet, as I am definitely gearing up to make my own scales.

Originally Posted by jdto

Is the Dremel drill press really that bad? If I bring home even a tabletop drill press, SWMBO will be less than pleased. I might have to bite the bullet, as I am definitely gearing up to make my own scales.

I've looked at it in the hardware store. It is kind of wobbly.

I'll have a look at it when I'm at Canadian Tire next. It's only $20 less than the lowest-priced drill press, so it might make sense to just go for the press. Either that, or maybe put the press on my Xmas list. For making holes in scales, a press is really the best thing, I suppose?

Originally Posted by jdto

I'll have a look at it when I'm at Canadian Tire next. It's only $20 less than the lowest-priced drill press, so it might make sense to just go for the press. Either that, or maybe put the press on my Xmas list. For making holes in scales, a press is really the best thing, I suppose?

You could also make your own jig that holds the scales and either a power drill, rotary tool, or hand powered drill bit straight. Probably less cost than a drill press, plus you can then use the power drill or rotary tool for other projects.

I have heard that most dremel attachments are flimsy making straight/accurate holes or even/straight routes or cuts difficult.

A Dremel is handy, but it doesn't replace specialized tools. I guess I'll just head to the store and see gore myself. I'd rather get something good that will last me 20 years, even if it requires a higher initial outlay of cash.

I'm still fairly new to restorations myself and I can speak to the pseudo-usefulness of the dremel I already had the tool itself so I had only to buy attachments. I still wish I had just saved the money and gotten a drill press and band saw I don't mind the sanding and buffing of blades as I can do all of that at work ,on breaks. Cutting and drilling scales I find I'm still foregoing the dremel and just using a power drill and coping saw for. Though the dremel makes sanding down the edges of a fresh cut set of scales quick then I polish it off by hand and begin finishing. So my vote goes to the drill press as well personally I've got that and a band saw on my Christmas list.

Yeah the more I think about it the more I see a drill press as being my best investment. I have a coping saw, papers, ball pien, a nice vice that just needs to be mounted. I am pretty much covered as far as manual tools go.

Heck I might even make a jig like Oak was talking about just to save some cash for Christmas.

Jon

In my opinion your first three tools should be a drill press, bandsaw, and some sort of small belt sander in that order.

I have a thing against buffers for two reasons.

One, the buffer is the most dangerous tool in the shop.
Two, most people do not know how to use a buffer properly and just end up rounding corners and lines in the effort to get it as shiny as possible.

IN the high end custom knife market buffed finished blades are pretty much considered amateurish because buffers tend to ruin the lines of a blade. Most serious knife collectors want hand rubbed finishes because that lends itself to keeping nice crisp lines in the blades. And hand rubbed finishes tend to have a much richer luster that you just can't get with a buffer. So a buffer would not be on my list at all.

JMHO,
Ray