Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 07:57 PM

I was going to buy myself a basic 9.6 volt drill. Either a Dewalt, Black & Deckor, Makita or Crafsman Cordless drill. Are you guys saying I should get a Dremel instead?
Would it do all the same jobs and more?

Bon

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 07:37 PM

ahh, thanks, Kevin. I guess I should have clicked on that sooner.......looks a little small to me, I would rather have a Skil Saw and a single direction finsih sander....or something that gets umpteen layers of paint out of a corner or carved grapevine. I bet a Dremel could do that, Huh?

Next Question:
WHY, OH WHY do people paint (and paint and paint again) windowsills, door jambs, antique furniture, etc. made out of beautiful wood? I just don't get it.....

I have a "dry sink" sitting on my patio waiting for me to finish "re finishing" it. It's just pine, but it will be beautiful if I ever finish it. It had 10 layers of paint on it; 6 shelves and 4 doors.......the underneath sides are killing me.

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 07:22 PM

The Wax Plant was partly in use when I was there (the ground floor for sure). Wingspread is certainly a beautiful house (like most Wright houses, you couldn't live in it, but it is certainly beautiful). yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 07:20 PM

Sorcha, click on that blue clicky in the post I made further up the thread, and have a shifty round the site. It's got more about Dremels than you probably want to know.

I don't know what it is about men and gadgets. Not just men, but in my experience women seem to go in for more evidently functional gadgets, men go more for one's that seem like "neat", and then find out uses for them which can end up being useful. "I need somethingt that will do this job for me" versus "That thing looks really great - now what could I use it for?"

Or maybe that's just me?

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: GUEST,Bigchuck
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 07:00 PM

I have four of the little beasties. Couldn't live without them. Damn, I think my cookie has died or something. No wonder I can't see my PMs.
Sandy

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 07:00 PM

Any of you guys ever hear of Lorena Bobbitt? Make sure to put your toys away when you're done. Imagine if Lorena had had an Insinkerator!

Subject: Racine, Belle City of the Great Lakes
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 06:54 PM

Ohmygosh, how could I have forgotten Insinkerator, the pride of Racine, the prince of garbage disposals?

Peter, we used to sneak under the fence of the Johnson estate. Got chased off three times - once by a caretaker, once by a skunk, and once by a bull. We were allowed to skate on some ponds on the outskirts of the Johnson property.
The headquarters of Johnson's Wax was also designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It had some structural problems and was empty last time I was in town. I wonder if it was restored.

Many years ago, I discovered that the wife of my son's soccer coach also came from Racine, and had worked with my sister at Girl Scout Camp. Upon this discovery, we immediately broke into the Racine City Song:

Oh, Racine, Racine, what a dirty rotten city
With your torn-up streets and your filthy-smelling river
Oh, I love you with my heart, and I love you with my liver,
Oh, Racine, what a hole!

OK, Spaw, I'll take the bait, what's this about the wax job?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 06:54 PM

Rotozip sounds like something you do to the guest who started Rick's thread. Or possibly a technique used by a hooker.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 06:43 PM

Excuse me, God, but just what the hell is a "Dremel"? Matt has instructed me on the SawsAll, but Dremel I don't know......do I need one of these for furniture refinishing?

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 06:30 PM

Spent a lovely day in Racine a couple of years ago at the Frank Lloyd Wright house (Wingspread), went through Johnsons Wax, and went to a fabulous restaurant in an old druggist store -- and what I remember is that it was the home of the INSINKERATOR!! Also that much of the downtown watefront area had been renewed badly like many another mediumscale American town. What a mess.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Bert
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 06:20 PM

The Rotozip is a Dremel on steroids. It's quite a bit bigger and is used mainly for cutting holes in sheetrock. To do that it has what looks like a regular drill bit but it cuts on the side, not the end. It also has a right angle cutting off tool attachment that will take blades for metal, masonry and tile.

A kit costs about US$100. Not nearly as versatile as the Dremel, but much more powerfull and makes a lot of dust. Here's their website

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 05:49 PM

As well, I am a dremel junkie... and will be till the day I die...

;-)

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 05:43 PM

I've never tried anything small Rick as I think you're better off with the old chisel stuff for accuracy, but I have yused it to "hollow out" a larger area after being outlined. You can remove material safely and accurately in depth, very smooth surface too. For purfling inlay, its great because you are basically cutting a channel. Stew-Mac has a handy-dandy little adjustable roller to move easily along whatever edge you're working. If you want to get that 45 series appearance, you can do it easily and get the soundhole too.

You gotta' buy one man....you'll play with it for days and discover some really neat stuff.

C'mon Joe......Ask about the wax job!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Kim C
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 05:43 PM

Mister has a Dremel and I don't know that he's ever used it for anything. I, however, do make jewelry, and would like to use it for that. Never have got around to it though- mostly I have just stuck to bead stringing. :)

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 05:29 PM

Don't answer that Joe....but bert, tell me about the "Rotozip" tool. I LOVE the advertising. Is it useful? For what?

Catspaw, I've never tried the router attachment. Can you use it to put inlys in? How?

Rick

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 05:18 PM

Ever had a wax job Joe?

Spaw

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 05:15 PM

Thanks for the link, Kevin. I was very pleased to find that Dremel is still located on 21st Street in my home town, Racine, Wisconsin (on Lake Michigan, 25 miles south of Milwaukee). When I lived there in the 1950's and 1960's, Racine was a fairly prosperous little town of 90,000 inhabitants. For such a small town, it had a lot of well-known brand names - Johnson's Wax, J.I. Case Tractors and Massey-Harris-Ferguson, Walker jacks/mufflers, Horlick's Malted Milk, Hartmann-Wheary Luggage, Hamilton Beach, Whitman coloring books, Oster's "Raycine" hair clippers, Jacobson lawn mowers, Young Radiator, and Dremel. Many people from Racine worked ten miles south in Kenosha, home of American Motors and Jockey underwear. We also had a fishing industry that had the most interesting little boats (I tried to find a picture to link to, but couldn't - they looked kind of like wooden shoes). In the years since, many of the industries have shut down or moved south. Racine was down to a population of 70,000 at one time, but now it's back to 84,000.
Anyhow, it's nice to see that Dremel is still there. Johnson's Wax seems to be doing well, too.
-Joe Offer, in exile in California for 25 years-

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: paddymac
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 03:41 PM

It is indeed a marvelous creation which allows an amateur to do much better quality work in many areas. Both a fine tool and a cool toy.

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 03:01 PM

I got Dremel crap running out my ass.

I was overjoyed to see the 90 adapter and my next two nickels will not be rubbed together, but will go for one of those.

The router attachment is just the best!!! And ..... If you check with the boys at Stew-Mac, they have some great little adapters for it to cut binding and purfling channels and grooves JUST RIGHT!!! Plus they have a wonderful CLEAR base plate so you can see exactly what you're doing. Drop 50 clams and you can have it too....you'll love it. Even if you don't cut binding channels, the attchment will work for other similar uses. I cut the pin blocks along the edge to inset the soundboards on hammereds for instance.

They also have a cute little router table, but I made one myself out of a heavy plastic step stoll and also use it as a small spindle sander, just the thing for cutting and finishing bridge rails.

Ah, Dremel............Makes my mouth water just to say the word.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 02:40 PM

I got curious about that word "Dremel" - sounds like something out of Star Trek. Probably a race of friendly aliens.

So I checked, and was pleased to find that it's the name of a real person, not some nasty acronym made up by combining the names of companies that have devoured each other...

Here is a potted biography of the man. He sounds OK. (I love the bit about the machine he invented for sharpening razor blades. I'm sure we used to have one of those in my parents home...)

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Midchuck
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 01:22 PM

I also got a rechargeable one for Xmas. Haven't tried it yet. I'm trying to read the instructions all the way through first, for once in my life.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Melani
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 01:15 PM

I just got my first one for Christmas, after drooling for many years. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but will be using it first for making antler buttons for belt pouches. After that, the possibilities are endless.

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Lady McMoo
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 01:01 PM

Yes I'm a Dremelholic too. Bought one when I was repairing instruments for a living and used it all the time. Now, after some 20 years, it's almost worn out and I've been eyeing up the new models with flexible drives and other gizmos much to Lady McMoo's great annoyance!

mcmoo

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Bert
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:56 PM

Yup, just love the little beastie. Mine is a rechargeable, so I use Tree's full power version most of the time.

When you mentioned that your's blew up while you were renovating your shed, I got this image in my mind of half a dozen 2x4s on sawhorses and you with your cutting off tool on the Dremel. So I'm not going to let you forget that Rick.

BTW have you seen the cute line of miniature power tools that Sears has now. A little sander and a grinder and other such goodies.

Oh, and Tree has moved upscale now, since she bought a RotoZip. I still get to borrow it though.

Bert (who gets all the BIG tools, the bench saw and the air compressor etc.)

Subject: RE: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:55 PM

I met my first Dremel in metalsmithing class three years ago. I fell in love at first sight! Our teacher was making us craft everything by hand; my shoulders ached, my saw blades kept breaking; the sandpaper wore away my fingerprints; my chasing hammer kept slipping, but finally, FINALLY I got to attch the little buffing pad, put the polishing compound on and USE THE DREMEL!! Yes!!!

Still don't have one at home; a kiln is top priority, but I can certainly understand the feelings you have, Rick, although as Bert said, it takes some kind of power-minded person to build a shed with just a Dremel; something I'd probably try, too!

kat

Subject: Dremel Fixation! I been Hyp-notized!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:48 PM

If this turns into a "Boys with Toys" discussion I'll understand, but I AM curious if some of our wonderful gals here have the same affliction.

Bert mentioned Dremels in another thread, and boy, can I relate! I've owned about four and the last one blew up about two months ago. So....naturally I've gotta get another......with ALL THE NEW GADGETS AND ATTACHMENTS!

I simply have not been able to pass ANY Dremel display in a hardware or craft shop for years without stopping to stare at the little suckers.

Sure, they are INCREDIBLY practical for doing just about any repairs and setups on instruments. The REALLY tiny drill bit is great for mounting Fifth string capos on banjos, and the sanding drums and cutting wheels are invaluable for many little jobs.....but...I've never got one of the (whaddya call it?) "free range" pen-like attachments connected to a rubber cord. Seems too heavy and unweildy. However The "Right Angle" attachment looks great, so I guess when I get my new one (delayed for a bit 'cause our heat went off and the furnace guy charged 180 bucks!) I'll get ALL the new doohickies!

Any other "Dremoholics"?

Rick

Apologies for using David Letterman's take on Stepin' Fetchit in the Header.