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Small hobby drill - Dremmel !!!


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Hi Folks,

I'm after a small hobby type drill.

Many years ago I had an Expo 12V that was very good and powerful so a replacement would be nice but I think they are no more.

Cheap ones have no power so I was wonder what a Dremmel was like.

They tend to be pricey so it would be nice if I got what I actually wanted.

It will be used mainly to drill fibreglass PCB board with a thin layer of copper. I have the correct carbide drills

Battery or 12V would be good.

Any recommendations.

Roger

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Hi Roger

I have the battery powered Dremel and it has been very good through a lot of (ab)use

current model is the 8220, which is claiming to be 12v but mine is 10.8 i think

i also have the oscillating multi tool that ises the same batteries.

with 3 batteries i’ve been able to do most jobs !

PS, you could borrow it for a test if you’d like ?

Edited by Steves_TR6
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When my old Dremel type machine ( can’t remember what type it was- old age ) I purchased a Dremel 3000 mains electric.

I have found that it is everything I need.It happily cuts through steel sheet using the disc cutters also aluminium sheet. I have used it it cut bolts and as a drill.

Only problem is that it is not battery powered 

Cheers

Gordon

 

 

 

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11 minutes ago, Steves_TR6 said:

Hi Roger

I have the battery powered Dremel and it has been very good through a lot of (ab)use

current model is the 8220, which is claiming to be 12v but mine is 10.8 i think

i also have the oscillating multi tool that ises the same batteries.

with 3 batteries i’ve been able to do most jobs !

PS, you could borrow it for a test if you’d like ?

Hi Steve,

does it have a chuck for various small diameter drills. Or does it rely on collets and you need drills with standard diameter shank etc.

Hi Gordon,

Same question as above

Roger

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4 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi Steve,

does it have a chuck for various small diameter drills. Or does it rely on collets and you need drills with standard diameter shank etc.

Hi Gordon,

Same question as above

Roger

Both Roger

as standard it uses collets, i think they all do, but i bought a small chuck as an accessory

steve

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I bought a mains Dremel 25+ years ago and have used it extensively for general household stuff and aero-modelling in metal, wood, glass and carbon fibre. Brilliant bit of kit, worth every penny. It came as a kit with flexible extension, chuck and loads of tools and cutters.

If I was buying one today, a Li-Ion would be more portable.

Mick

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Ive two but reliability hasn't been good with one of them.

Both 240v; first with variable control and a two speed which is far less useful. Variable one works but the collet chuck you can't lock to undo as the internal pin will not engage despite been replaced with genuine parts. The other is too fast for some jobs like using wire brushes as it simply destroyed them while on slow its not enough to be effective. That said there isn't much else as good and I'd buy another 240v with the variable speed function if I can't repair the one I have.

Only other thing is the cost of the cutting discs etc which is excessive, e bay is your friend in this department.

Andy

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I use a li ion battery powered one form Lidl, Have found it to be very good, & not expensive.

They do mains powered ones sometimes as well, but battery is more convenient.

They also do little kits of spare things to put in it - grinding discks, pads, etc. the come with 4 or 5 collets which are quick to change.

If you are drilling fibreglass PCB's I would very strongly recommend the use of tungston drills, they last so much longer than HSS.

Available from RS etc.    https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/pcb-drill-bits/0457651/?tpr=1

Bob.

 

Edited by Lebro
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Hi Gordon/Bob/Steve,

Many thanks of the info for the chuck - very handy.  0.8 - 3.2 is fine.

The 8220 can be had as a 12v and 10.8.  not sure what would be best but the 10.8v is £40 more expensive (MachineMart).

I use the solid carbide drills for fibregalss. They work very well but are very delicate.

I shall pop along to MM tomorrow.

 

Roger

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17 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi Gordon/Bob/Steve,

Many thanks of the info for the chuck - very handy.  0.8 - 3.2 is fine.

The 8220 can be had as a 12v and 10.8.  not sure what would be best but the 10.8v is £40 more expensive (MachineMart).

I use the solid carbide drills for fibregalss. They work very well but are very delicate.

I shall pop along to MM tomorrow.

 

Roger

I dont think there are two models Roger

just checked and one of my batteries says 10.8v and the other 2 say 12v !

i think its just marketing.....

let me know if you do want to try mine, just in case you dont like it for some reason

steve

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I inherited my dads older model mains dremel 

it’s a damn useful tool. 

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I’ve had the same issues has Andy above variable speed , locking pin no longer works  , I’ve changed bushes twice. This machine as been abused and on the whole as been a brilliant piece of kit  and would definitely buy another  maybe battery next time.

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I've had an original Minidrill since the 1960s - runs off a battery charger. Bought a Challenge drill from Argos, but I've lost the most useful one of the collets, and neither the Minidrill not the Dremel collets fit it, so I bought a Dremel mains powered one from B & Q, the kit with the flexible drive. That works well, but even on the slowest speed it's too fast for sanding plastic, so for scale modelling I use a battery one from Lidl, which goes down to a very low speed, especially when it needs a recharge.

I bought a chuck for the Dremel and haven't found the range of sizes it'll grip to be a problem - it works with more sizes than the collets.

Pete

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Inherited my father's battery Dremmel. Wouldn't be without it. Although had to build a new niCad pack (getting tabbed batteries was a pain). So many uses. Just this weekend had to slice two sides of a stripped nyloc to remove it as couldn't get the nut splitters in place. Before that, working on a new patio cutting out adhesive overspill in a few awkward and delicate places. Genius kit.

Miles

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17 hours ago, RogerH said:

...It will be used mainly to drill fibreglass PCB board...

Does this mean there is a new project in the pipeline?

Self-driving TR4 by any chance?

 

Charlie.

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14 minutes ago, tthomson said:

Hi roger,

For drilling PCBs, a hand drill is often easier and more accurate. I have used such a drill for nigh on 50 years. It is still in good condition and doesn't need a battery! :D

TT

Hi Tony,

I still have my hand drill from my apprentice days and it works well when needed.

Too many holes to drill and you need three hands so a simple batteyr powered drill should be ideal. Sadly the Ebay cheapo that I bought ast year doesn't have the power to drill a 1mm hole in PCB firbreglass

 

Roger

 

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2 minutes ago, stillp said:

An Archimedian drill is the answer to that. Drilling more than a few holes by hand takes too long though.

Pete

One of the tedious jobs when working on the aircraft was refitting cabin windows. Lots of windows held in with lots of screws.

The standard screw driver was seriously slow and tiring. Along came the 'pump' screwdriver Just like the Archimedian you pushed the end and it would spin very nicely.   UNTIL !!!! it jumped off the screwhead and gouged a wiggley line across the perspex window. They were soon banned anywhere near a window.

I have a lovely Bosch screwdriver (very small) but it will not take a small drill

Roger

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