What is a Dremel: how does this tool work and why is such a device needed?

Is it possible to do without a Dremel? A tool that every craftsman should have. The many features and amazing functionality have made the Dremel very popular. They can create masterpieces of engraving and cut pieces of metal. Isn't that impressive?

Dremel is a tool with many names. It is called both an engraver, a drill, a straight grinder, and a mini-drill. All these names are united by a common feature - a high rotation speed on the tool shaft with its small size. Why Dremel? This is the name of the brand that first introduced such a device to the consumer market (Dremel). The versatility of the device allows you to perform a large number of tasks and various operations - at home and at work.

Description and design of the Dremel

A tool like a Dremel is called by many people by different names. And an engraver, and a mini-drill, and a straight grinder. The operating principle of the tool is that, despite its small size, the rotation speed on the shaft is quite high. Dremel got its name from the brand that first introduced this tool to the world. It is good because it can be used to perform various cutting actions and tasks, both domestic and industrial.

Dremel includes the following elements:

electric motor;
chuck and working nozzle;
plastic body.

The engine of the tool is cooled thanks to a plastic impeller located on the spindle, and the air flow is created through the presence of air intake holes on the body of the device. The body itself has an ergonomic shape, which helps to hold the device comfortably so that your hand does not get tired.

In some Dremel models, the motor is located not inside, but outside, and is an outboard motor equipped with a flexible shaft. Most often, professional tools with impact and quick-tightening tips have this design.

And there are also designs where there is no shaft rotation speed regulator, although it is better to choose a tool with it. Regulators can be electronic, they are better suited for high-precision work, or simple ones based on a rheostat. The adjustment can have a fixed value, smooth or according to a specified range.

And some models of the device are equipped with a box or case where it is convenient to store all the attachments and parts that come with it.

Exploitation

How to solder brass: how to choose flux, solder and the right tool
In order to show the “abilities” of the Dremel, you can come up with a lot of scenarios. I have 2 cats “on the farm”, or rather a cat and a male cat, since we live in the private sector, they are left to their own devices and roam freely. If the cat is not yet particularly active, then the cat is a real CAT. It may take a week, come back thin but happy. And so that during these spree times his mistress would not add gray hair, I decided to try to make a sign for the collar, on which the nickname and our phone number would be written, if someone finds this beast when he goes crazy from hormones and cannot return home, they will call “his family.” In general, there was already an attempt at such signs, I ordered them from an advertising agency, they were made of plastic and they swore that they were of high quality... These are the ones But in fact, they lasted no more than a week and were lost and chewed up.

I got very high quality stainless steel strips, 1mm thick.

But the trouble is, I tried to drill a hole, and... I couldn’t do it, 5 dead drills, from different manufacturers and 0 effect. I thought that a fiasco awaited me here too. But the Dremel pleased me. Loaded the cutting disc and let's cut :)

I cut out a rough shape

Improved it a little

On the other side

I took out the engraving attachments from the kit and began to try my hand...

Oh, and this is painstaking work... It’s obvious that it’s clumsy, but this is a test sample. It remains to drill a hole for the collar ring. It’s impossible to do this simply with a drill, so first I removed it a little at a time with a roller cone. And then, when a tiny hole became visible, I “finished it off” with a drill. As a result, the drill was killed :)

But the result was achieved, albeit an ugly result.

Here is the disk after all the work, it’s clear that once I freaked out and pulled sharply, a triangle broke off from the disk... in general, ghxyst disks do an excellent job with such strong stainless steel, with hardened screws, but they are fragile in this direction.

Then I decided to “sand” the surface a little; the sanding attachment did an excellent job of this.

Then I refined it a little with a cutter

It took a lot of work to carefully engrave the number on the back, but it didn’t work out to hang the craft on the cat, he hasn’t been home for half a week... After all that work, here’s the state of the cutting disc. was

It became

Then I made a small table out of plywood. But there were no suitable screws; they were slightly longer than the thickness of the plywood. I was too lazy to go to the store; the table was not for the exhibition, but to help myself.

In the end it looked like this

nothing pleasant here, you can easily injure your hand... so a couple of light movements with the Dremel with a cutting disc and voila.

The photo may not convey it well, but to the touch there is no feeling that something is sticking out. Everything is smooth. A self-tapping screw like this cuts off a disc in seconds, with a fountain of splashes.

And I considered the third option for purely everyday use. My son has a "railroad". In fact, it’s plastic, and in the semaphore zone, my son broke off the plastic lever for stopping the train “on red”; it just couldn’t be glued together... The photo wasn’t there; screenshots from the video, so I hid it under a spoiler

If you've ever been to a tool store, you've probably seen a Dremel. This is a multi-purpose rotary tool with a large number of attachments and attachments. It can be used to process wood, metal, glass, electronic components, plastic and many other materials. This tool is perfect for crafts and minor repairs; it is convenient to work in confined spaces and hard-to-reach places. Get comfortable with the Dremel and give it a try and you will truly appreciate this versatile tool.

Areas of application of the Dremel

This tool is a rotary-type hand tool and has universal use. So, it can be used for such types of work as:

small high-precision work, such as trimming, engraving or grinding, cutting off excess parts, drilling miniature holes and sharpening cutting edges;
modding;
modeling;
milling;
polishing;
drilling;
processing of hard metals, as well as plastic, glass, wood, stones, glass and other materials.

The Dremel is used by representatives of the following professions:

repairmen of various directions;
car mechanics;
designers;
furniture makers;
masters of applied arts;
jewelers;
builders;
aircraft and shipbuilding modellers;
master engravers.

Dremels are also used in dental clinics and even in beauty salons for working on nails. In such cases, miniature models or micromotors are used that can reach speeds of up to 50 thousand revolutions per minute .

DIY mini drill

To carry out drilling work on miniature workpieces, engraving machines, the so-called “dremels,” are usually used. The name comes from the name of the most popular manufacturer. This is a convenient hand tool, but its cost is usually high (especially for high-quality branded products).

The most common area of application is amateur modeling and production of printed circuit boards. As a rule, an industrial design is redundant for such work: some of its capabilities are not in demand. Therefore, home craftsmen often create instruments with their own hands.

Classification of Dremels

A tool such as a Dremel is produced by more than one manufacturer; there is practically no difference between the models; the operating principle of all of them is similar.
Naturally, the cost of the model will be influenced by its quality, as well as the number of attached attachments. In addition, different Dremel models can have different power from 35 to 180 W , different number of revolutions and type of power supply. Some are powered by the mains, while others are powered by a battery. Rechargeable models are very convenient for use where it is not possible to connect to the network. However, such devices will not be too fast, about 10 thousand revolutions per minute.

The most famous Dremel manufacturing companies are:

Kinzo;
Ferm;
Bosch;
Proxxon;
Hammer;
Skil.

When purchasing products from one of these brands, be extremely careful so that they do not turn out to be counterfeits. Also, despite the large number of competing brands, the market leader is still the Dremel brand . These products will always be considered the highest quality and most reliable.

Engravers are also of the laser type, which are used to produce stamps, seals, and markings.

The weight of dremels ranges from 1 to 7 kg. If you plan to work for a long time with small parts and do not want your hand to get tired, choose tools with the least weight.

How does a Dremel work?

The speed of the tool is adjusted on a rotating shaft, and the range of speed adjustment can be large, for example, from 3 and even up to 35 thousand revolutions per minute .
If you need to change the nature of the work performed with a tool, you can quickly change the attachment using a collet chuck, which ensures secure fastening and ease of use. Some types of work, in particular engraving, are such that holding the tool in your hand will not be very convenient; if it is too heavy and bulky, then for convenience it is equipped with a flexible shaft. The Dremel can be hung on the hook of the tripod that comes with it and is attached to the table. The flexible shaft fits in your hand like a pencil, which improves the quality of work. If such a shaft is not included with the tool, it can be purchased separately.

speed control allows you to change the rotation speed at any time.
For example, delicate work such as grinding or polishing requires a minimum speed, but cutting thick metal or sharpening it is the opposite, respectively.

Consoles

Control

Multifunctional vice (2500)

Dremel 3-in-1 Multifunctional Vise. Stationary vices, freestanding clamps and tool holder clamps will fit any workbench, table or tabletop.

Workstation (220)

This is an ideal solution for stationary work with Dremel tools.

Tool holder with flexible shaft (2222)

Provides convenient storage for your Dremel Multi-Tool above your workbench. The Dremel Precision Handle provides optimal control of your multi-tool when working on DIY projects. The sanding platform allows grinding and abrasive processing at precise angles of 90° and 45°.

cutting

Universal cutting set (565)

Cutting a wide range of materials.

Ceramic wall tile cutting kit (566)

Includes cutting guide and drill bit for cutting and shaping ceramic wall tiles. (do not use on ceramic floor tiles)

Set for removing mortar residues from the joints of wall and floor tiles (568)

For removing grout from the joints of wall and floor tiles.

Milling compass (678)

Performs perfect round and straight cuts.

Device contents

Dremel equipment may vary depending on the model and manufacturer. As a rule, it includes the following elements:

engraving attachments;
unreinforced cutting wheels;
grinding wheels made of fine sandpaper;
fastening pin for cutting wheels;
polishing attachment;
felt tips;
grinding attachment (rubber roller on a pin and sandpaper cylinders);
burs of various types;
carborundum nozzle;
drill;
emery stone for sharpening;
brushes based on metal wire and fishing line;
collets;
keys;
clamps and flexible shaft (in some models).

Cutting wheels become unusable very quickly, and they are also quite fragile. There are up to 30 of them in a set , but this is not as much as it might seem. It is better to immediately purchase additional good cutting wheels, which are reinforced with a metal mesh or equipped with diamond coating, otherwise you may at any time be left without the consumables necessary for the operation of the tool.

Depending on the scope of use of the Dremel, some attachments may not be needed at all. The manufacturer does not know how you plan to use it, so the tool is equipped with the maximum number of attachments. Some may not be enough, so you will need to purchase them additionally.

Types of attachments for engravers

Equipment for an engraver can have simply a huge number of distinctive features. Drill burs and other types of equipment can be classified according to the following criteria:

Type of material being processed.
Purpose of the drill and the engraver attachment used.
Areas of use.

An example is diamond cutters for engravers, which can be used to process the end surface and obtain a surface of complex shape.

The use of hard spraying can significantly extend the service life of the cutting edge, as well as provide higher cutting conditions. A mini drill bit for a drill is used to produce blind or through holes with a minimum diameter. The main classification can be called the purpose for which technological task the engraver attachment is purchased. By providing diversity in this indicator, the scope of application of the engraver is significantly expanded.

By type of material processed

When choosing the most suitable set, attention is paid to what materials it is intended to work with. The classification of tools in this case is as follows:

Most of the options are designed for working with wood. As an example, the wood engraving cutter has become widespread. It can be used to obtain various patterns. If necessary, ensures high processing accuracy.
An engraver with appropriate attachments for working with metal is used. In this case, when making a cutting edge, more wear-resistant and hard alloys are tried on. When choosing tooling, it is important to pay attention to what kind of alloy will be processed. An example is the ratio of the hardness of aluminum and hardened steel.
Glass equipment is purchased quite often. This type of material is difficult to process. That is why the cutting part is often made of wear-resistant alloys or diamond chips.
There are attachments for engravers that are designed for working with stone. The diamond cutter for stone has become quite widespread. The high hardness of the processed surface determines that special requirements are placed on the cutting edge.

Nozzles for working on glass

The purpose of the type of material being processed largely determines the cost of the equipment. The most affordable offer is considered to be wood cutters, which have become very widespread. There are also often versions designed for working with metals.

By purpose

A tool for engraving on metal or wood can be intended for a variety of operations. Based on this feature, the following execution options are distinguished:

For engraving work. Very often it is necessary to apply some kind of drawing or inscription on the surface. If the work is carried out in a home workshop, then an engraver can be considered a more suitable tool. There is an engraving cutter for metal or wood, artificial or natural stone, glass and other materials. Diamond burs (cutters) are often sold as a set, since complex designs and inscriptions may require attachments with different cutting edge geometries.
Tools whose attachments are a combination of a solid metal rod and an abrasive tip. In some cases, it is necessary to improve the quality of the roughness of recesses or other complex surfaces. In such cases, this type of equipment is used. Its purpose is to rough and finish the surface, it all depends on the grain size of the abrasive material used.
For grinding and polishing work. On sale you can find a huge range of engraver grinding attachments. Various materials can be used in their manufacture. An example is classic abrasive or felt.

When choosing, it is worth considering that there are a variety of pastes for engraving and other engraver attachments intended for grinding surfaces. Their use can significantly increase the efficiency of the operation. The selection of paste is carried out in accordance with the specific tool used for processing and what material the part was made from. Before using any paste, you should pay attention to the instructions for use.

When considering the classification, we will also pay attention to the fact that there are working attachments for professional engravers. They are intended to be a multi-functional tool that can be used to perform a wide variety of operations. The most common set of such equipment is represented by the following combination:

Cutters that have different shapes and sizes.
Cones made of abrasive, felt or diamond coating.
Drills that can be used to transform a conventional engraving machine into an efficient drill for precise drilling work.
Wire nozzles, which can be used to clean the surface.
Cutting discs designed to remove part of a product.

Read also: Installation diagram of an air conditioner in an apartment

Ready set of nozzles

If desired, the set can be assembled by purchasing all the attachments separately. However, some versions are extremely rare on sale, which makes it difficult to purchase them separately. Let's take cutting discs as an example.

Advantages and disadvantages of the tool

The key advantage of this device is its versatility. This way, you won’t need to buy several different tools for different types of work. With the help of a Dremel, you can perform various tasks thanks to its configuration.
As mentioned, different models have different power ratings. When purchasing a device, choose the power that is most suitable for the types of work that you plan to perform with its help.

Another advantage of the Dremel is silent operation, which is very important if the work will be long. And the vibration level of the device is also insignificant, so this contributes to high-quality work. Among other advantages of the device:

transportability;
light weight;
compactness.

But this tool also has its disadvantages , for example:

the need to take breaks from work to cool the engine. Intensive use is only possible when using expensive professional models;
short operating time for battery models (up to an hour).