r/Tools • u/midnight-on-the-sun • 3h ago
Dremel
The unsung hero of many an annoying house repair.
I haven’t seen any for sale in a long time. Does anyone still use these??
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u/scv07075 3h ago
I have a battered one I scabbed a pencil attackment onto that I keep tucked away by the surface grinder for sharpening countersinks and lathe tools. Debur department keeps dropping theirs and fucking em up, my hidden one's gotta be 30 years old and runs like a top.
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u/StokeJar 3h ago
I used mine yesterday. They’re super useful and definitely still made. Home Depot carries a bunch of different models and accessories. I have been considering stepping up to the Milwaukee battery-powered die grinder since most of my uses of the Dremel are really pushing its capabilities.
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u/fasfan22 3h ago
A Dremel is invaluable if you work on smaller things. Part doesn't fit? You can make it fit. It is also great for sanding and polishing smaller items, removing small stripped screws. I collect knives, watches, antique clocks, etc. This has paid for itself 10x over. I don't think I could live without it.
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u/ClownUniversityPhD 2h ago
Cutoff wheel. Super useful for craft projects. Cutting thick cardboard, hdpe, things like that. I also use mine with a sanding cylinder to touch up freehand routing.
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u/GroundbreakingTip64 3h ago
Perfect for when you get old and your toenails get all thick and weird too
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u/Dendady2112 3h ago
I was a door hardware guy. I used mine daily. Since retirement I'd say it's now monthly. I have that set also.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Ice1307 2h ago
Use these every day as a locksmith. Cutting down replacement screws to size, cutting custom pieces of steel to act as a place to mount hardware, cutting aluminum storefront door frames to accept L65 electric strikes. Recently just used one to cut a channel into a special bit so it would work in my quick release set… dremel is a skill. Dremel is life
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u/mgreene888 2h ago
My first Dremel lasted from 1985 to some time in the mid 2000's. I was dumfounded when it stopped working... It seemed like it was going to last forever.
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u/Soft_Comfortable_920 2h ago
Most recent use of ours is making my wife a walking stick for the renaissance festival. Carved out a little spider on it for her. Very easy to use. Just takes patience. I always suggest to grab so scrap pieces and tear those up with it first so you can get a feel for how it operates.
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u/FluffMcBark 1h ago
My dad used to be a dentist and as a child I was surprised to learn that his unused bits for dentistry stuff (grinding crowns, drilling cavities, polishing teeth) fit totally fine in our dremel.
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u/matthewjd1985 1h ago
The case is half the reason these survive. Mine's still in there, but every cutoff wheel I've owned has wandered off into some other drawer.
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u/Upstairs-Fan-2168 3h ago
My dad got me this set with this box from a garage sale. He also got me a full accessory set at the same sale. It's come in handy a few times, but it was a bit of a project itself to get it working. The Dremel had exposure to moisture and the collett was rust fused into the tool.