Newbie question about purchasing a Dremel for tinkering

[Rob]

Hello all, my first post here so be gentle.. :)

I wanted to start a calm , relaxing and creative hobby... I am currently a systems administrator have have been working to long in this genre, but its my bread and butter....

I wanted to start tinkering with small wooden projects... my kids are alway asking me to buy this and that, and most of it i say , jeeze if i had time i would make ya one out of wood... so i want to start, i figure starting off with a Dremel of sorts would be a good way to start...

I have some construction experience, and i have some tools, standard stuff, jig saw, circular saw, saber saw, hand saw, but no band saw : ( So i was wondering if someone here could recommend a Dremel model or kit i can start off with... and a website or 2 of fun and useful projects i can spend some quality time with myself creating....

:)

I saw this at a Canadian tire store here in Canada, but not sure if its right

apologies if posting that link is not appropriate... Thanks to all in advance... and have a great evening and upcoming holiday season...

Rob.. Montreal , Canada

[Tanus]

Hello from the Gatineaus, Rob,

I'm not sure what kinds of projects you have in mind, so recommending or not recommending the Dremel is going to be tough for us. The link is fine, BTW.

What you also haven't stated is how much room you have to devote to a shop or work area, so that will affect what advice you'll get here.

However, having said that, there are still a few things we can pipe up with, and you'll get a bunch of different points of view.

For what it's worth, I don't have a house with a basement, and my shop is a

10'x10' garden shed that has an 8' roof. So you don't need a lot of space. (Remember I live in the Gatineaus, so there are some nights my nads disappear)

You have a good, basic set of tools to start out with, and maybe a bandsaw is a good purchase. Some guys swear by them over table saws. My first recommendation would be the table saw. You don't need a honking big saw for the types of things you're doing; a benchtop saw would be fine. That's all I have and it works ok. I want better, and I'll get it, but to start I think it's a good idea.

What I'd also push hard for is to get out to a community college or High School and get a few basic woodworking courses. There are specialty schools out there, but that's not what I'm talking about. Just a bunch of guys getting together every Tuesday night with a decent instructor to learn some good basics. Once learned, you'll never unlearn them, and they'll give you a bunch of confidence for later. The first course I took was in a comm. college that had a ton of power tools that we never used once. We planed and chisled our way through that course and it was the best set of Saturday mornings I've ever spent.

Good luck with it. You'll find a wealth of information in this NG.

[RayV]

right

> My apologies if posting that link is not appropriate...

I don't know the current exchange rates but that seems a little high for what is pictured. Shop around and check out the dremel website.

You may also want to consider the Rotozip, DeWalt, PC, etc. mini- routers. They are probably a little big to do carving but they have loads of accesories like the Dremel and collets can be had to use the Dremel-size bits. I think you can find a fully-loaded Rotozip kit for ~$100 US. And according to the infomercials it is the only tool you'll ever need.

[DGDevin]

My wife and I were in a huge hobby shop today for the first time, the sort of place that sells to folks who built models and miniatures, radio-control enthusiasts, that sort. They had a section of amazing small-scale tools--radial saws, drill presses, lathes--and of course lots of Dremel gear. If you're thinking of tabletop-scale projects that might be a good place to look as your existing tools might be a bit oversized for what it sounds like you're interested in. Have fun.

[Edward Hennessey]

R:

My personal experience for many applications favors flexshaft machines. Foredom is a notable manufacture you can find information about on the web. I've had and laid to rest more than one Foredom and would buy one again.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

[asmurff]

I have a Dremel Model 395 which I like very much.

a flexshaft it is very versatile and all sorts of accessories are available. The Dremel website has lots of info and would be a good place to start.

[rich]

Rob, Before I retired, I lived in a condo, limited space, and a workbench and a Dremel, with a few hand tools was what I used. The Dremel drill press converted the Dremel to a router table ! With a chuck, I had a power drill, Used the sanding discs for everything. I used a back saw for dovetails and all cutting, as well as an X-acto saw for the fine stuff.

I was able to make a jewelry box for my daughter, with inlays, for a Christmas present.

So, I think It's a great place to start. Later, as you go, you may want to invest in more power tools as you gain experience, skills, and interest. But a warning... it led me to fill a 4 car garage with power tools after I retired. Now I can make HUGE piles of sawdust and scrap lumber.

Regards,

Rich.....

[daryl1138]

right

> My apologies if posting that link is not appropriate...

Not sure what your economics are but for what it is worth here is my experience. I had a dremel I bought back in the mid '80s and it was a great little tool. About a year ago it finally died and I started hunting. I wound up buying the corded dremel kit (in a case with a flex and several other attachments as well as two cases for bits). I have regreted that purchase since. It is horribly underpowered, a heavy grit sanding wheel can be completely stalled working some maple. If I am using for more than a minute job it also gets quite hot. They have just catered too much to the price point market. If I had it to do over again I would look into something else like a Foredom, maybe even a good used one off ebay. If you only use it occasionally or $50-$60 is the top end of the budget then it is probably the option for you. If you are going to use it for any length of time at one sitting, save up and by a better unit.

Daryl