Recommended Dremel or other rotary tool??
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axiscommander
- Recruit
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 2:42 pm
- Location: Geraldton, western Australia
Re: Recommended Dremel or other rotary tool??
I have a dremmel which is mains powered. Used to have a cheaper rechargeable one but it soon found it's way into the bin in disgust. I have also bought a set of cutting discs and drills etc off eBay. I now cut, drill and grind to my hearts content....sometimes that little extra cost is better in the long run
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jonger
- Lance Corporal
- Posts: 215
- Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 8:39 pm
- Location: Charnwood Leicestershire
Re: Recommended Dremel or other rotary tool??
Following axiscommanders comment I just wanted to say I to have had rubbish rechargeable ones in the past which is why I flagged up this one, its much better than others I have seen, its an equal to the dremel rechargeable rotary tool but at a fraction of the cost, the Aldi power craft tools are all to German spec with a 3 year warranty so much better than the usual cheap stuff out there.
I already have a full corded rotary tool setup and a como mini drill and I can see myself using this one more than both of them now, the adjustable speed is a must if working on plastic as the higher speed tools melt rather than cut the plastic so its ideal for working on our tanks and the pistol grip design means your thumb and index finger are either side of the chuck giving much better control than the usual "pen" grip with my other tools.
Must go now I'm using it to polish the scratches off the glass of my WW2 issue pocket watch as it was not too clear- and I'm using it every day now.
I already have a full corded rotary tool setup and a como mini drill and I can see myself using this one more than both of them now, the adjustable speed is a must if working on plastic as the higher speed tools melt rather than cut the plastic so its ideal for working on our tanks and the pistol grip design means your thumb and index finger are either side of the chuck giving much better control than the usual "pen" grip with my other tools.
Must go now I'm using it to polish the scratches off the glass of my WW2 issue pocket watch as it was not too clear- and I'm using it every day now.
Jonger
Re: Recommended Dremel or other rotary tool??
Hi Jonger,
Before you polish up your watch glass, have a look on Fleabay or somewhere and check its value. It might (or might not, I don't know) have value. Those scratches are part of the patina of the watch and by polishing them out you could reduce its possible value to a collector. I know that some old watches, even mundane ones can be worth quite a bit.
If value doesn't matter to you or you really want to do it, I would suggest doing it by hand with a soft cloth and something like Brasso followed by jewellers rouge if you can lay your hands on some. Mask the metal surrounding the glass. If it is the original glass the glass will have aged and might be more brittle than you expect. Get rid of all traces of whatever abrasive you have used from between the glass and the bezel with thin card or it will set up corrosion in the base metal.
I used to work in a museum and I've seen a lot of valued items damaged or reduced in value by people with the best of intentions trying to repair or clean them and I've seen the disapointment on their faces when they are told that they have done the wrong thing to Grannys old locket.
Sorry, shouldn't be preaching really!
Peter
Before you polish up your watch glass, have a look on Fleabay or somewhere and check its value. It might (or might not, I don't know) have value. Those scratches are part of the patina of the watch and by polishing them out you could reduce its possible value to a collector. I know that some old watches, even mundane ones can be worth quite a bit.
If value doesn't matter to you or you really want to do it, I would suggest doing it by hand with a soft cloth and something like Brasso followed by jewellers rouge if you can lay your hands on some. Mask the metal surrounding the glass. If it is the original glass the glass will have aged and might be more brittle than you expect. Get rid of all traces of whatever abrasive you have used from between the glass and the bezel with thin card or it will set up corrosion in the base metal.
I used to work in a museum and I've seen a lot of valued items damaged or reduced in value by people with the best of intentions trying to repair or clean them and I've seen the disapointment on their faces when they are told that they have done the wrong thing to Grannys old locket.
Sorry, shouldn't be preaching really!
Peter
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jonger
- Lance Corporal
- Posts: 215
- Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 8:39 pm
- Location: Charnwood Leicestershire
Re: Recommended Dremel or other rotary tool??
Hi Peter
Its not that valuable but it is a good working example of a WW2 issue Swiss made GS/TP military issue watch - a Helvetia.
The glass is actually acrylic so it has yellowed and the surface scratches have made the face difficult to read so I have just polished it enough to make the face clearly visible through the acrylic.
I picked up a tip on a web site to use tooth paste as its a mild abrasive and that has worked really well - I considered Brasso but thought it too coarse.
The rotary tool on its slowest setting was perfect for my needs.
Thanks for your concern.
Its not that valuable but it is a good working example of a WW2 issue Swiss made GS/TP military issue watch - a Helvetia.
The glass is actually acrylic so it has yellowed and the surface scratches have made the face difficult to read so I have just polished it enough to make the face clearly visible through the acrylic.
I picked up a tip on a web site to use tooth paste as its a mild abrasive and that has worked really well - I considered Brasso but thought it too coarse.
The rotary tool on its slowest setting was perfect for my needs.
Thanks for your concern.
Jonger
