Dremel Danger

[rowdyb]

So I got a Dremel tool for Christmas, the 4200 set I think.

As I've never used one before I'm hoping it will be a good tool for polishing mating surfaces mostly. Previously I just did this by hand with wet and dry sand paper or Flitz and a cloth/elbow grease.

Now that I have a tool, what are the dangers, pitfalls of using it?

What might be some good accesories to pick up? Avoid?

What do you do to polish steel? Aluminum? Different finishes?

Thinking of smoothing out barrel feed ramps, lugs, trigger bows/arms, slide rails and such. Not trying to tune, just smooth/polish out mating surfaces.

I know that is a lot of questions, but thank you. I've heard horror stories of the generic kind like "Anyone with a Dremel just does stupid stuff and destroys their gun", and I'd like to avoid this.

[Sarge]

I won't go near my gun with a dremel. Every time I use it I end up nicking something with the chuck of the tool. I probably just don't know how to use it very well. But I am certainly smart enough to realize it! lol I use a cut off wheel more than anything with mine but I'm sure the kit came with that setup. Practice a lot before you do anything important. A little dremel goes a long way from what I understand!

[entropic]

Out of the the things you mentioned, the only thing I would use it for is polishing a feed ramp. Get stones and fine papper for all that other stuff. It comes in handy for many thing but you will probably mess up some things in the learning process.

[rowdyb]

I was definitely planning on playing with spare parts first. And I'm glad my caution doesn't seem to be unfounded.

[donnyglock]

Dremel is a great tool and if you have the skill it can be used for alot. Blending grip safetys and blending the rear slide to frame to mention a few. Get the whip attachment. It makes the dremel like holding a pencil. Start slow.

[bountyhunter]

I won't go near my gun with a dremel.

It says right on the first page of the Kuhnhausen manual that you have to prepare your Dremel for gunsmithing by putting it in the closet then setting a bowling ball on it and locking the closet door.

It doesn't really say that but it should....

[toothandnail]

I'd suggest using it to lighten the slide on your pistol, or flute the barrel on your rifle.

Can't ever have a gun that's too light weight.

Make SURE and post pics of your work

[Pat Miles]

Man up, get a Foredom! 1/8th horsepower!

[Dranoel]

For someone just starting in gunsmithing who has never had a Dremel before I would agree with the above sentiments. Keep it away from your guns.

The biggest pitfalls of using it is using it too aggressively. Often the way Bubba screws things up is thinking, 'I need to take a LOT of metal off this, so I'll use a really coarse grinding stone, set the speed at 30,000 and add some pressure to get it to take it all off.' That is the absolute WORST thing you can do. You will suddenly realize all too late that it took off WAY more than you wanted. In most cases using a fine sanding disk or drum at 10k rpms and light pressure is best. Work things slowly and carefully and pay attention to what and where it is cutting.

And before you pick up that high-speed rotary tool, measure everything. Then measure it again. Then confirm those measurements and double check them. Then mark it with a pencil and measure it again. Then mark it with a scribe. Not just a little dot or a short line, scribe the entire outline of what you want to remove. Then measure everything 3 more times, Have a tall glass of iced tea while you think the entire process and plan through fully and completely. Then go back and measure everything again and confirm those measurements with what you did before. Once you start up the Dremel, don't just go at it til you reach your scribed line. Make a few light passes and measure it again. Make a few more passes and measure it again. Make a few more passes and measure it again. Keep doing this til you get down to scribed line, but can still see it and STOP. Work it down the last few thousandths with a stone or wood block with sandpaper.

If there is a way to make a test run on something other than what you are working on, do it. Do it several times and pay close attention to how it is working. EXAMPLE: You want to polish your feed ramp? Take a 6" piece of 3/4" steel pipe or tubing, cut it in half length-wise and polish that to a mirror finish. Both ends. Then you have a pretty good idea what it's going to be like when you do your ramp.

Also, if you feel you have to free-hand it, DON'T. Stop and think it through first and see if you can figure a way to put the piece in a vice and brace your hand while you work. Probably the most common mistake is having too loose a grip on the Dremel and/or what you are working on and the bit "walks" ( or runs) and you mar a streak across the entire piece.

And again, work slowly and carefully, measure thoroughly and OFTEN. And if you have any doubts at all about what you are doing, STOP.

The Dremel IS very useful for gunsmithing and I'd bet dollars to donuts that every top smith has a Dremel, or pneumatic die grinder, or both on his bench. But they have practice and experience using them.

All that said, You can can check out the thread on my latest two builds. Used the Dremel for a LOT of the work on both guns.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=200485

Edited December 29, 2014 by Dranoel

[Ronnie j]

Note to self , don't buy form rowdyb in the classifieds .

[rowdyb]

This is all advice I can appreciate, thank you.

Edited December 29, 2014 by rowdyb

[GrumpyOne]

Dremel....Keeping REAL gunsmiths in business since the first one left the assembly line.

[revomodel10]

Dremel....Keeping REAL gunsmiths in business since the first one left the assembly line.

Plus ONE! Step away from the Dremel.................

[bountyhunter]

Also be careful if you use one for shining things up. Even with a cotton wheel, the metal gets hot pretty quickly.

Another thing: I dont use a dremel as an excuse for laziness. Most of what I polish (including feed ramps) can easily be done by hand it just takes longer. But it is more gradual and does not have the danger of catching an edge and tearing things up.

Edited December 29, 2014 by bountyhunter

[outerlimits]

Be careful with cratex tips.

[Dranoel]

Be careful with cratex tips.

+1 Do not confuse them for a polishing wheel. They WILL remove metal. I use them only as a superfine sanding bit.

[CJDOUBLETAP]

1. Don't "climb cut" up to corners. That's why most Dremel and die grinder tools have a "reverse spindle" button.

2. Keep it moving.

3. Do NOT hold delicate work in a table mounted vise. You want all the control you can get. Keep your elbows in tight and your hands close together. Keep your hands as close to the spindle and the work as possible. Use vise grips or a small toolmakers vise to hold your work if it is getting too hot.

4. Draw polish. Always polish in the same direction that the part moves.

[RePete]

And, if you must use the Dremel, get the flex shaft and make a stand, so that you aren't supporting the weight of the tool.

[pxm142]

I used my Dremel to shorten the screws for my optic mount. That was relatively quick and easy and I figured the quick speed was worth the risk for a few $ set of screws. I kept the gun locked in the safe during that project.

I don't want the greedy Dremel getting its eyes on any of my guns. I don't trust it.

[Strip]

I suggest buying the craytex bullets and start with the finest cut. most slip ups will be light enough to be polished out. I use a dremmel often, but its most common use in my shop is to debur the inside surface after drilling a hole, or using a cut off wheel to cut a piece of stock for a pin etc. no real fitting is done with the dremmel unless it's a very light material removal in a spot that is otherwise not accessible to hand sand. It is never used to do a trigger job, but is probably the main tool used on home trigger jobs that are brought in for repair. The dremmel, is probably the one tool that makes gunsmith's more money in the customers hands than it does their own.

[mfaith]

I found I couldn't do enough damage with a dremel so I bought a mill.

[Strip]

LMAO!!! That statement rings very true!

[mgardner]

Over the years we've used them to de-burr, fit and finish aerospace parts so the transition to using them on my guns was easy. I wouldn't give up on it, just practice on as many different materials as possible. Once you develop some skill with it you'll be fine. Remember when on the learning curve in a machine shop it's expected to lose a few parts as scrap which is not a luxury you can afford with your guns. LOL

[Lunker]

A dremel is good for one thing in ban states. Grinding the ears off bayonet lugs from uppers bought online.

[MikeRush]

The Dremel is my favorite gunsmithing tool- for Glocks. When your trigger components are made from stamped soup cans it works great.

Very little use for it on guns otherwise. Some decent files and stones, patience, and a Brownells account will give you results you can be much happier with. I have used it with a burned up sanding drum to help remove file marks while blending grip safeties or slides/ejectors... but light pressure and discretion go a long way.

The big thing is to keep the Dremel moving. Parts that need to be flat, or precise, are not it's specialty. I have found a glass plate and varying grades of sandpaper a much better tool for things like trigger bows or the sides of sears or hammers.

ETA:

This is coming from a guy who took a brand new 3k+ custom to the chopsaw to cut back the dust cover. It is very easy to ruin parts with a Dremel. A local engineer has a safety protocol built into his rotary tool work- use an air powered tool on a small tank. When the tank runs out, you stop and assess. Helps prevent going too far...

Edited January 3, 2015 by MikeRush