Thread: Dremel Use

Welcome. I'm in the same situation. Being a bachelor in an apartment, I have a bit more flexibility in terms of acquiring tools and setting aside workspace. However from my experience there are three things that you'll need to look at when you're starting out.

1.) Goal. If you're looking to scale this up to a money making proposition, you'll need shop space and proper tools. If you want to work on your personal restores, then keeping tools and finishing material disposable will have to be a consideration. In a small apartment, when something is brought into the place, something needs to be removed. Have cats? I'd start there.

2.) Storage/Organization. Unless you have a second bedroom for your use alone, you're going to be very limited in the number of tools, raw materials and finishing goods that you'll be able to keep on hand. The aim is to do a good restoration and put the razor back in rotation. It will require the right tool for the right job. Restoring razors can be a remarkably complex process to attain that point that is pleasing to both the eye and the face.

3.) Debris. Any rotating power tool (Dremel, sander, buffer, saw) will create dust and debris. I've tried window fans, vacuums, window fans and vacuums together and the dust is inescapable. Imagine, for a moment, you're working on a razor with all the proper safety gear, glasses, gloves, dust mask, etc. and the wife comes into the kitchen and says "You know that's chicken soup on the stove, right? Who’s going to clean this mess up?" This is a rhetorical question.

Getting back to the main question about the Dremel. Dremel’s have their place but it is my opinion that much of the danger with the tool comes from attachments that are not designed for the needs of the straight razor community. I’ve created a few modifications that, FOR ME, work better than the off the shelf attachments. For grinding, I’ve taken Fibratex medium hand pads and cut them into 1”diameter wheels. This seems to be closer to the inside diameter of the typical hollow ground blade. It also keeps the Dremel spindle away from the edge of the blade as it moves back and forth. I think it is the spindle that causes most of the problems.

For polishing, I do the same with felt that I get from a vendor called Southeast Felt. These can be loaded with various buffing compounds and seem to have a greater working life that the off the shelf Dremel pads.

Use a firm grip on the blade, a light grip on the Dremel.

Again, I repeat, THIS IS WHAT WORKS FOR ME! If you try this, you do so at your own risk.

One of the advantages of hand sanding is the education. You learn the relationship of the grits to the finish without having to be concerned with the metallurgy. You can heat up a blade with a Dremel and some have concerns about altering the temper of the steel in doing so.

And it keeps the wife happier.

Keep at it, have fun, expect to be disappointed at your first attempts and learn from them. You’ll be rewarded.