Dremel TV ad.. I don't get it..

[Doug Warner]

I wondered what the woman was cutting in one scene, so I paused it for a closer look:

It's a crooked screw sticking about 1" out of a door hinge.. Instead of removing the screw with a driver or vice-grips, she's cutting the screw off flush with the hinge...

Unless I'm missing something, this is the dumbest tool use I;ve ever seen.. Do the writers for this commercial even know how to use tools?

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[Kyle Boatright]

Unless I'm missing something, this is the dumbest tool use I;ve ever seen.. Do the writers for this commercial even know how to use tools?

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I don't think it matters whether the ad writers are tool users or not. During the holidays, there are plenty of folks out there looking for the perfect gift for a loved one. They see the ad for the "latest greatest nifty tool" on TV and go buy one. Unfortunately, most of the tools that are advertised before Christmas are what I'll call "gizmo" tools. They are not everyday tools and may not even be *that* good at the thing they are supposed to do well. Even so, there are plenty of potential gift givers out there who don't realize that these tools arn't very practical and buy 'em anyway.

KB

[Sacramento Dave]

Unless I'm missing something, this is the dumbest tool use I;ve ever seen.. Do the writers for this commercial even know how to use tools?

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The reason she cuts it off is in the next add in the series she uses a small dremel welder to weld a new top on the remaining screw. Then you could in theory put a straight, Philips, square drive or what ever top you want, giving a wider range of removal tool options. I can't believe you could not figure that out.

[JohnH]

A totally unrealistic ad if she went through less than 5 cutting discs per screw. ;)

[Toller]

Now thats not true. I used a cutting disc to cut nails from an old tack strip off flush to the concrete floor; even chewed up some cement. Must have 20 of them without too much wear on the disk.

It was a PC rotary tool with twice the power of a dremel, but I can't see why that would stop the disc from wearing.

Have to admit though that I don't know what she is doing either.

[SteveB]

Unless I'm missing something, this is the dumbest tool use I;ve ever seen.. Do the writers for this commercial even know how to use tools?

[mm]

Maybe, it's the dumbest you've ever seen, but I'm sure there are dumber. :) You should have followed me around my first five years.

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[Larry Fishel]

I think he was referring to the dremel cut-off disks' tendancy to shatter unless you're VERY careful while cutting... I've wasted 3 or 4 of them on the same nail myself.

[spudnuty]

Actually I've used my Ryobi clone to cut an exhaust pipe off my Acura. Used the glass reinforced disc however as those thin discs shatter. They're useful for finer work, thinner cut. Now I'd probably use my RotoZip with the disc attachment. I've done something like the comercial shows. I think it was cutting some protruding nail heads flush with something I didn't want damaged. I then set the shanks with a small set and filled in the holes. Someone had "repaired" this piece with 4d nails I replaced them with screws countersink beneath plugs. Richard

[wkearney99]

Which are a helluva lot different than dremel cutting discs. A grinder with a 1/4" disc has considerably more durability that the paper-thin ones used in a dremel.

But yes, cutting off a screw instead of just backing it out is stupid. There's plenty of sensible reasons to use a dremel, but since when has advertsing ever been sensible?

[wkearney99]

Ooooo, on the job entertainment, fireworks!

[spudnuty]

I had a girl friend who I watched lighting candles for a make up dinner she had made for me. She was wearing one of those sweaters. I was a split second late in warning her and she went up like she'd been doused with charcoal lighter fluid. I doused the flames in the next second with the blanket I was sitting on. In the emergency room I realised she LOVED the attention she was getting. I declined all future invitations.

[spudnuty]

Actually the fiberglass reinforced disc is made by Dremel you just have to look for it. Their stuff is overpriced IMHO/

[mm]

But who ate the dinner?

Can I have some?

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[Jeff Wisnia]

The profusion of TV and print ads for laser leveling devices of all kinds speaks loudly to that.

Unless I'm missing something it's hard for me to believe that the average DIY homeowner will really have many needs for that kind of level that couldn't be accomplished by the plain old bubble level he/she probably already owns.

DAMHIKT

Jeff

[wkearney99]

Heh, I recall being in the ER once and overheard the situation in the next bed. Seems the guy tried being all suave and cooked dinner on the grill whilst wearing some hopelessly cheesy polyester robe, aka 'smoking jacket' (literally in this case). One step too close to the flame and FOOOMP! up it went. It damned near welded itself to his skin. Note to self, no cooking in robe, check.

Now that's dodging the bullet!

[spudnuty]

What I really need is a very expensive projecting type laser on a tripod. However, I do carry a cheap one . The cllients all oh and ahh at the nice laser line on the wall. Meanwhile I'm leveling it with my trusty 4' bubble rather than that piece of crap on the laser level itself. Can't see that anyway. Richard

[CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert]

Actually I just did this with my Dremel a few days ago. There was a screw into cement in my basement that I overtwisted and popped the head off. I saw a Dreml add where the guy 'dremels' a groove into the top of the stud, making it like a flathead screw. I tried that, but when I twisted, the head just split off, lol.

Hey, it was worth a shot!?

So then I just sawed off the screw at its base, and used one of the remaining 3 holes for a new screw. But yea a door hinge with only 3 screws is a bad idea to waste a screw.

[No]

Unless I'm missing something, this is the dumbest tool use I;ve ever seen.. Do the writers for this commercial even know how to use tools?

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