Got a rotary cutting tool for Xmas

[Brian da Basher]

Hi folks!
     As the topic title indicates, I got a Craftsman™ rotary cutting tool for Xmas. It's similar to a Dremel™ and I've already done a little bit of playing around with it, but before I use it for major kit surgery, I was hoping some of you with more experience might be able to give me some good hints and tips. I caught up with Mr Jeffrey Fontaine (owner of the Pacific N.W.'s Largest Model Stash™ ) and he suggested I keep the RPMs low when cutting plastic as higher RPMs have a tendency to melt the plastic. Are there any other suggestions or things I should know about before I start cutting up some fine kits until they are unrecognizible?

Thanking you all in advance,
Brian da Basher

P.S. It seems the tool came with everything I need (goose neck extension, LED light, router & a selection of cutters and bits), but as I also got a $50 Sears™ gift card, if there's any extras you suggest I need I'd be glad to know.

[Mossie]

I've not used one myself but from what others have said I'd offer two bits of advice:

1.  Watch your fingers!  I've known a couple of people using these kind of things (mostly not for modeling) to have a few accidents, nothing serious though.  Apparently it's easy to think it's not got much bite in it because it's small but it can punch above it's weight.
2.  The sanding/grinding tools seem handy but tend to be a bit too aggressive for plastic.  Even on slower speeds you can probably turn a spatted wonder into a pile of blackened goo very quickly.  I'd suggest trying it out on a bit of scrap first.

Not actually my advice but I thought I'd pass it on!

[John Howling Mouse]

Wear eye protection at all times when using any rotary cutter.

Seriously.

Anything can happen and, at 30,000 RPM, many such things are less than desirable for your eyes.

Other than that, it is the RPM speed of the tool that provides it's ability to perform, not the (relatively low) torque.  Biggest mistake most people make is trying to force the tool to cut.  The old adage applies: "Let the tool do the work."

Always be very aware of your hand location, especially when holding onto a subject from underneath while working on it.  

While I've never had any problem with "kick-back" issues using a dremel, watch for the same kind of skittering effect you can get with a router.  If cutting *with* the rotation of the tool, it can easily surprise you by skittering across the work surface.  Like a router bit, you've got to work against the rotation of the bit so it is always biting into the work, not able to "roll" across it.

Hope this helps.  

[Jennings]

Wear eye protection at all times when using any rotary cutter.

Wear eye protection at all times when using any rotary cutter.

Wear eye protection at all times when using any rotary cutter.

Wear eye protection at all times when using any rotary cutter.

Wear eye protection at all times when using any rotary cutter.

Wear eye protection at all times when using any rotary cutter.

Wear eye protection at all times when using any rotary cutter.

And in case it's not perfectly clear - that means EVERY time you use it.  Period.  If the switch is on, the eyes are protected.



J

[Andrew Gorman]

Use $10.00 of that gift certificate and get a chuck!  In theory, the collets that come with the tool hold bits better,  but with my random assortment of Dremel. "Dear Leader" brand knock-offs, dental and industrial bits the chuck just makes things easier.  With a chuck you can also use the moto tool as a little lathe. For plastics, keep that speed WAY down- the high speeds do come in handy for metals.  Another handy accessory are the cheap Chinese diamond cutting disks, which are a vast improvement over the shatter prone silicon carbide disks that come with the tool.  Have fun with it!
Andrew

[kurly]

buy extra sanding drums in assorted grits, read the manual, dont exceed recomended rpms and although its a handy tool for just about everything, its not a dental tool.

[TsrJoe]

hiyas, id reiterate Jennings post many times over..iv seen a few very near misses when my students get their paws on them (even under supervision!) as well as a few potential accidents myself over the years!

another lil aspect to look out for is the fragility of the stone disc cutters (if included) as well as the sharpness of the lil thin blades..ouch!


apart from all that, have fun and explore, im sure tll open up (quite literally) many possibilities fr your modelling

seasons best wishes, cheers, joe

ps. oh and keep thespeeds down...lil grinding bits are a pain trying to remove melted plastic from...lol

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I forgot to mention one other thing about that new acquisition of yours, if you have the financial resources, look into obtaining one of those flexible shafts that has the tool bit/collet attached to the end of it.  This gives you a lot of flexibility with the tool for some applications but not all.  Another gadget to look for is the universal drill press stand that was produced for the Dremel and Dremel Clones.  This will allow you to strap the tool down and use it as a drill/router/very primitive milling machine while working on a flat surface of very small size. 

Jennings is also quite right in stressing the eye protection requirement for using motorized tools.  With very high RPM rotation the small flying bits of detritus or a piece of broken tool flying back at you from the worked surface can ruin your life if you are on the receiving end and it hits you in the eye. 

[Brian da Basher]

Thanks for the tips, gents! Low RPMs and eye protection always. Gotcha. I'm going to see about getting a chuck for it and some more cutting disks as I hear those disks wear out pretty fast. Luckily, it came with the goose neck shaft extension.

I've been putting off modelling in anticipation of getting a roto tool as all my pending projects involve major surgery and I didn't want to spend endless hours of "fun" slicing up plastic the old-fashioned way.

Brian da Basher

[Hobbes]

The goose neck has an additional advantage: it lowers the speed of the tool (due to increased resistance). Even the lowest speed setting may be too high for plastic, with the goose neck you can mitigate this problem.  

[cthulhu77]

One of the most indispensable tools out there !  Yeah, the little bits of plastic can flick up and cut your eye before you know it...so...eye prot (ah hell, that's been covered).
 A big complaint from some modelers is how the plastic melts when using the cutting tools, my solution is to cut a little (2-3 seconds) then back off until the styrene cools down.

[B777LR]

Want a good tip? I broke my glasses once coz a piece of what i was cutting was flinging at them. So wear eye protection!