rotary tools

[woundedbear]

Hi everybody I am thinking about buying my first rotary tool, I want to get a Dremel brand tool but their prices mean I'll have to save for 2 month to get their cheapest model. I have seen rotary tools by an outfit called Gensis and their prices are too good to be true. They make a tool similar to Dremel's stylus that can be had for around $35.00. Have any of you had any experience with this company? If any of you have had any experiences with this company's tools, good or bad please let me know. I have learned a lot about building Guillows kits from all of you and trust your judgement, so let me know what you think. Should I buy one or save and get the Dremel brand tool?

[elkhart]

What do you use a rotary tool for on a balsa kit? Please excuse my newb question!

[strongeagle]

Dear WB,

I've had a wide variety of dremel and dremel-like tools over the last thirty-five years of model building. Most lately I've been using an ordinary, garden-variety Dremel model 7000 and find it does everything I want a rotary tool to do. It has two speeds, HI and LO. I use LO the most, as balsa doesn't need much power to get through it or to sand. The 7000 takes four AA batteries that last a surprisingly long time. I have two sets of rechargeable batteries, one set for the tool and the other set to replace them when they get tired. The Dremel 7000 is easy to find on e-bay and generally costs around $20-22.

Remember, for most modeling needs, a lot of speed in a rotary tool is too much. My 7000, using the cut-off wheel has been up to my most challenging steel wire cutting. But most of the time you want to go slow.

Hope this helps.

Tom S.

[scigs30]

I like Dremel brands, you can buy used ones on Ebay or swap meets dirt cheap.

[woundedbear]

Hi elkhart, well come to the forum! If you have already glued the formers to the center keel and you want to cut them out in the center, to make them lighter. A rotary tool with a sanding drum will do a good job of it, "I hope so anyway ". A rotary tool can also be used with drill bits to make preforation holes in the formers to lighten them, as will as the wing ribs. Of course it makes more sense to do this before you start building, I'm not a newbe but I have a lot to learn. If you are building a Guillow's kit as a free flight model, be sure and check out the forum for glassblade's build of his 400 series Messerschmitt Bf. 109. He is building his Bf. 109 as a rubber powered free flight model. glassblade is building his model very light and I have learned much from his building techniques, has a lot of photographs posted too. And it is a good read for anyone wanting to build a Guillow's model kit as a competition rubber powered free flight airplane. Building my Guillow's models as rubber powered free flight airplanes is what I am focusing my efforts on now, and glassblade's build is helping me a lot toward that end. To be totally honest glassblade's building skills makes me a little

[David Lewis]

I've found an aftermarket collet to be an excellent investment. You rotate the outer sleeve to tighten. (The Dremel collet has a ring you push along the shaft to lock. It doesn't work well.)

The last time I bought a Dremel MotoTool, I immediately threw away all the bits and accessories that came with it. They are worthless. Hobby tool suppliers, such as Micro Mark, sell a complete line of all the different types of high quality grinding bits, saws, drills, sanding disks you'll ever need.

[Steve Blanchard]

I own 3 dremels and all of them have a screw type tightening ring around the collet. They all work excellently. I'm not sure what David is referring to. I know there is a size limitation but they do sell a couple different size collets to help with this. If you have a local Home Depot, or Lowes, or even Walmart you can go see all of the different brands and compare them. They are indispensable in the building of model aircraft of all kinds.

Steve

[woundedbear]

Thanks for your replies guys, Keep 'em comin', It will be sometime after the week of the 4th before I can buy anything and all the advice you can give me will help. However this Genesis company does make a cordless rotary tool (it's a knock off of the Dremel Stylus rotary tool) . Has anybody had any experience with this brand of rotary tools? Their inexpensive and comes with 60 attachments and a set of 208 attachments is not too much extra on eBay. There are several reviews two are positive, one was almost positive but the lady doing that review could not get her's to work Remember you guys here on this forum have "veto power", if one of you has had a bad experience with a Genesis rotary tool, I'll just save my money for the Dremel brand, so the more opinions the better

[David Lewis]

Steve, You are correct. I mis-remembered. The Dremel collet locking ring doesn't slide on the newer ones. What you do is press down on a button which prevents the shaft from turning and then rotate the outer ring clockwise to tighten. The problem is collet doesn't have moveable jaws. It's just 3 slots cut in a tube.

I replaced it with an aftermarket Jacobs chuck that has taper-mounted jaws, just like a standard electric drill. Without it I was getting too much slippage.

[Steve Blanchard]

David,

You are correct about slippage. It does occur. Especially if you don't use the little wrench to tighten the collet. I never use the wrench so I get slippage occasionally.

Steve

[Mitch]

Hi WB et al,

I love my Dremel tool, and as with any modeling, when you have the right tool work is easier, faster and more precise. I use my tool for drilling and also have hole saw bits for perfect lightening holes. I think the most use I get is with the sanding drums, I use this to sand away excess wood from inside the contours of the model (I build FF with rubber power).

My tool of choice is the Dremel Stylus. This is a vari speed cordless that has a base that charges the unit. It is very ergonomic, however you said you had a budget...and this tool costs about 60 dollars. I was lucky to get a large accessory case with bits and stuff on sale for about 25, with other bits and hole saws I bet I have 100 dollars in my tool and parts.

Here is a inexpensive alternative. The GizmoGeezer sanding tubes. There are 4 in the pack. There are 4 different sizes and they are called the Gizmo Gritubes. Cost is $6.95. I think Everyone at the WESTFAC has these tubes. The "Geezer" is always at the FAC events I have been to, and he has stuff he sells.

You can do most of what I do with my Dremel with these tubes (slower of course).

These are in my tool box also... so look up Gizmo Geezer, he has a website, and check out all his neat FF parts and tools!

Mitch

[woundedbear]

Thanks Mitch I'll do that

[woundedbear]

Hello guys, I've been perusing the, "infernal net", looking at all of the rotary tools that are out there. Some of them are so inexpensive and some of them have received good reviews, the one made by WEN looks promising. Has anyone bought any of these Dremel rotary toll knock-offs, of course their all made in China these days (even the Dremel 4200 series) Seems like we don't make anything in the USA any more But the prices of some of the Chinese made hobby items as well as their quality is good too to pass up I feel like I am comiting economic treason. But what a person to do

[pedwards2932]

I bought one from Harbor Freight and so far it seems to work great for me.
http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty ... 60713.html