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11-13-2004, 12:51 PM
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#1 |
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Certified Audio Nut
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington State
Posts: 7,202
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Dremel Cutting Tips
I have never used my Dremel to cut metal before. I am cutting out fan grills on an old case. I have been using cutting wheels. I have only broken one. It is, however, extremely slow. It too almost an hour to cut one fan grill. I know I can go faster than this. What speed should I set the Dremel at for cutting steel? Should I use the cheap, brittle cutting discs or the reinforced ones? I can't spend hours on end cutting out four fan grills. The one that I did finish, by the way, looks find after I ground it down. It just took too long.
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11-13-2004, 01:26 PM
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#2 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 258
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the reinforced disks seem to work best for me... and I recently found diamond cutting disks from Harbor Freight... THOSE work like a charm and last ALOT longer.
For me... higher RPM's but not pushing too hard is what works for me... |
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11-13-2004, 04:07 PM
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#3 |
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Shiro Usagi
Premium Member
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Kaneohe, Hawaii
Posts: 34,002
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Use the reinforced cutting wheels. You'll be able to go somewhat faster with them since you don't have to worry about breaking the wheel as much as the regular cutting wheels.
 Cricket
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11-13-2004, 04:11 PM
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#4 |
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Member (10 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: southern cal
Posts: 644
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I've never used a dremel for cutting something, but I have used grinders for cutting and grinding steal. The diamond blade goes through ANYTHING. That's what I would get.
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11-13-2004, 05:57 PM
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#5 |
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Remember
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: MO
Posts: 1,478
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Another tip, when cutting a steel case, stick a couple of magnets to the case close to where you're cutting, but not so close as to interfere. the magnets will catch a lot of the small fragments.
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11-15-2004, 04:39 PM
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#6 |
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Member (8 bit)
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 164
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thats a good idea, mc2phat, I'll keep that in mind next time I'm doing some cutting. one method for securing your piece while cutting that I find works great is to find a nice cardboard box and tape whatever it is you're going to cut on that. it makes the piece very easy to handle and you don't need to worry about damaging your tabletop when you break through with the cutting disk. also, I find the reinforced cutting disks work MUCH better than the normal ones. well worth the few extra bucks.
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11-15-2004, 05:53 PM
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#7 |
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Member (8 bit)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 233
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when i cut into my brother's case to make a window kit i used a fiberglass reinforced bit. i tried some of the other ones and that worked the best for cutting metal. one tip i have (which i'm sure most people already know) is don't apply too much pressure to it, just let the dremel do it's thing, or else things can get ugly
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11-15-2004, 07:07 PM
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#8 |
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Stereo junkie
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Just North of Fort Pontchartrain du Dιtroit
Posts: 3,393
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ive never used a dremel for cut a computer case...they can be hard to control once you get snagged on something....plus the cuts arent as precise...and you also have to deburr the edges. ive always used a nibbler to cut my case, theyre relatively cheap ($10 to $15) and make a much neater, cleaner cut than a dremel could ever hope for. they do cut slowly, but theyre alot easier to cut complicated curves and angles with. i bought mine from best buy for $11
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11-17-2004, 03:18 AM
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#9 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 258
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the best thing I found so far was a $12 (on sale) air-powered nibbler from Harbor Freight... man that thing cuts like butter... and fast... I rigged up a custom jig to cut out square window pieces and I get as good a results as some of the factory pre-windowed setups Ive bought...
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11-17-2004, 06:18 AM
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#10 | |
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It can never be too quiet
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Burlington, Ontario
Posts: 1,090
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Quote:
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11-17-2004, 10:29 AM
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#11 | |
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Resident Intel Fanboy
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 1,669
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Quote:
Stick one of those on Hi-Ho and crank the RPM's as high as they'll go
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...wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat... |
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11-17-2004, 09:45 PM
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#12 |
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Certified Audio Nut
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington State
Posts: 7,202
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Thanks for all the tips. I ended up finishing the cuts with the regular cutting discs. I used only one and cut out one and a half grills without it breaking or wearing down all the way.
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11-19-2004, 08:50 PM
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#13 |
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Member (8 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: SoCal
Posts: 178
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I always use a jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade when cutting a fan hole for a case - I find it a lot faster.
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11-19-2004, 10:07 PM
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#14 |
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Certified Audio Nut
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington State
Posts: 7,202
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Well it's hard to use a jig saw where I was cutting. It would have cut through other things I didn't want to cut through.
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