Nobody Told Me the Dremel Gets so [H]ot

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Jul 16, 2004
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Okay so I started cutting into my case, here are a few observations....

1. The Dremel gets HOT!!!
2. When a disc breaks, it flys!
3. My hands feel like I'm holding a tuning fork, they vibrate a ton (been done for about 10 mins)
4. It takes a while to get the littlest parts done.
5. Safety goggles are you friend.
6. A mask is also your friend, black / aluminum snot is not.
7. It takes a while...
8. Some grinding wheels shrink amazingly quick!

In all I spent about an hour and a half and only got this done....
firstcut.jpg


I stongly recommend Goggles, a Mask, and a long sleeved shirt that will either get thrown away or cleaned by itself.
 
well your doing a lot of intrecate cuts, its going to take a long long time, if you dont cut straight in and you try to bend the disk it will fly all over the place think of it as a game, if you get your cuts done, and you can see at the end of the day, you win!

what is it your cutting into the side?
 
I have been cutting out a square (like the top cut) and slowly working out from that. It is hard for the small parts because I have to wait for the disk to "widdle" down so I can fit it in some parts.

The bottom is pretty much done, and most of it has been smoothed down with a grinding disk, which is now about half the size.

As for what it is, its THIS
 
If it's getting too hot and you are going through too many cutoff disks, you are pushing it too hard.

Pay attention to the cutoff wheel. If it starts glowing orangish/red, pull up for a second, let it cool off then press down again. Find a niche where you are pressing down but not hard enough that it turns red and you will save yourself a lot of time by not changing cutoff wheels every 2 minutes. :)

Hold the but of the dremel tight with your right hand, and use your left hand (or right if you are left-handed) to control the end of it by holding kind loose with the grip by the business end. This will keep the vibrations down some and let you do your job easier. :)
 
Its the actual Dremel thats getting hot, the disks are cutting fine, its hot outside and thats where I'm doing it. I have it at a variety of speeds but it just gets really warm. The first few disks was a "lesson learned" sort of thing, the last one is just smaller, but I have been using it for a while. I figured out the best way to cut (or so I think) and its moving along pretty good.

I have both dremel and craftsman disks (from a old craftsman rotary cutter) and the only difference is the craftsman are thinner. Almost half the size to the human eye. I have gone through 3 dremel disks and 2 craftsman (note the dremel disks broke mostly on trial and error) All in all if you see the craftsman disks at the store and thier cheaper I would recommend them. I'm good to go now (I hope) I have about 40 disks left!
 
Okay upon further analysis there is infact a mark from where I got "kick-back" (stupid n00b). It got through the tape and just marred the black the slightest bit, you can see in the pic below where the tape is ripped off (right side), that little line is the mark. Luckily it didn't get through the black, just made it shine a little bit....
mistake.png


Here is the setup
toolbox.png

That "dust" on the cardboard is the black anodization comming off. Lovely stuff. :rolleyes:

Here is the Dremel, the cutting disks and the Polishing kit I got for another project.
toolset.png
 
dont use the wrong tool for the job ...........get a scroll saw :tard:
 
Good observations about dremeling in general (especially the mask...friggin metal dust goes everywhere, I still have some in my shoes).

That's gonna be some tough cutting for a dremel. You might be better suited finding a tool meant for an intricate job like that. Or take it to get laser cut ;)

And btw, that is a sweet stencil. Boondock Saints?
 
Is that the new flex-shaft? I understand it's not as flexible. I've got the old fashioned one which is supposedly better.
 
I wouldn't consider it too flexible, but I have never used the older one so cant compare. As for having someone else plasma / laser cut it, wheres the fun in that? I am moving along on this and will turn it into a work log soon enough.
Like I said I broke most of the disks in trial and error, basically seeing how far I could take the disk before it broke, I have a variety of other cutting devices that will make the smaller cuts easier.
But like I said, its the challenge that will make this thing worth it in the long run, that and I have about 2 or 3 weeks until I get the parts for it, so I need something to hold me over until then!
 
thats a pretty complicated design... no wonder your discs become smaller or snap
 
Use a jig saq for those cuts, then sand it down as necessary for the dremel. I would also use 2 layers of tape and switch to the blue quick release tape.
 
ZodGilla said:
What is the purpose of tape when using the dremel?

It is easy to mark on, helps guide the cut, and in the *rare* event the dremel slips, hopefully it will prevent major scratches.
 
Hmm ..

My perspective is to ditch the flex shaft. Personally I never liked using them much. I find that I get much more control cutting metal without using the damn thing.

If you are really having a hard time with wheels breaking, you might want to switch to fiberglass reinforced. I dont use them for initial cuts since they tend to slow me down, but they normally dont break.

As far as kickback .. well it might be a little late for this, but most of the time it is best to cut from the inside of the case in the event that this happens. It is also best to wait to paint the case after you do the dremeling (if you are painting it).

If you havent seen it, chech out my guide at www.jesder.com. While I havent touched the site in about 2 years, it might be of some help to you :)

Keep it up, looks like you have a good start going there. Dont worry about how long it takes you. When you attempt to rush, mistakes are much more likely to happen.
 
yeah, if you wait to paint afterwards, you could probably clean up that little kick-back with some Bondo.
 
It has mechanical parts, which would cause it to generate heat. Anything with moving parts causes heat.
 
I just got that part under the hand done (the little squiggle) I was thinking that I might omit it but, just decided to go at it, and its done and looks great. Finished that hand and started in on the forhead (above hole) coming along, but to not make any mistakes I'm taking my time.

Thanks for the advice all. I haven't broken any more disks (this one is a little smaller).

For some reason I think the discs get worn out more from cutting the cardoard underneath. I took out the trusty exacto and cut off the top layer (its corregated) and now I have some room under the case. I cant really keep it off (above) the cardboard because I dont want to bend the panel. Anyway, I will get to work on this again on Thurs, so then I will start a work log. Only problem now is affording the system to go with it.
Some Specs...
AMD A64 3200+
Epox EP-8KDA3J
Antec Ture 430
1 gig Corsair XMS
6800 GT (either eVGA or BFG)
 
Did anyone else think his cut out looked like a map of some area around Norway? it looked like a bunch of islands until I saw his picture.
 
revan said:
Did anyone else think his cut out looked like a map of some area around Norway? it looked like a bunch of islands until I saw his picture.
Yup, I was trying to decide what it was before he showed the pic too. It seemed like I should recognize the island formations.
 
saddly i was in the same boat as you two with trying to place the island formation, and i saw the thread where he was talking about cutting that out (like 3 days b4 i read this one) so i should have known but i just forgot.

again, good luck man, and its looking good, slow and steady with the dremil and you can get alot done
 
My mother said...

Why are you cutting a map in your computer?

I swear on my life, so your not the only ones, only problem is that now that I know what it is, I cant see the "map" at all.
Oh and when she made that comment I said "So I can find the internet" :rolleyes:
 
Definately an ambitious first project. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out :)
 
OMG!, I just saw what the picture was....

I was thinking islands or some country I didn't pay attention to in
geography class. Then I saw the talk about it NOT being that
and looked at it again. I was still thinking I needed to pay
more attention in school, and I should know where this place is...

one more time, looking at the original post, and now If finally see it...

Ack, where did my brain go, how could I miss it?????

Cool design
Can't wait to see the finished product.

-Jeff
 
Sometime a dremel works well in an application, but for other apps we use a Bosch nibbler, no heat just a bit of clean-up. Many industries use these for van customization-auto & etc..works great in case modifications..
 
Shainz said:
Use fiberglass reinforced discs. Problem solved.


dont push on the cut off wheels let them do the work for you...problem solved... you push on ANY cut off wheel itll grind down faster than shit...this includes the reinforced wheels..just at a slightly slower rate.
 
Forget about tape... cut the metal from the backside of the panel. It makes it seem like a cleaner cut on the front, and you dont need to worry about it slipping.

I dont use glasses, I dont use a mask, I dont use safety gloves.... =(.
Ive gotten stuff in my eye before, and my snot is definitly black whenever Im working on something. I really need to get some protection.
 
uh.... this happens to real saws... not a big surprise it happens to little itty-bitty ones right? The title of the thread is just a bit funny is all. Good tips in here.
 
ninethreeeleven said:
My mother said...



I swear on my life, so your not the only ones, only problem is that now that I know what it is, I cant see the "map" at all.
Oh and when she made that comment I said "So I can find the internet" :rolleyes:
LOL :p
 
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