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Thread: All the gear but no idea!

  1. #1
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    Default All the gear but no idea!

    Father Christmas was astonishingly kind to me this year, absolutely no bubble bath but a Dremel 4000 4/65 with flexishaft, a Dremel workstation 220 to mount it all on, a flat vice to go on the base and an ultrasonic from Lidl. I am a very lucky girl! However.... I'm not entirely sure how to get the best out of my new toys.

    I got red, white and blue Dialux blocks from my son too, how best to use them? I have felt polishing wheels and points, but would I use them in sequence or just pick one?

    Diamond burrs look very sparkly and pointy in their box of 30, but again I'm not entirely sure what they do!

    Then there's the ones that have little fluted balls on the end, red resin cutting wheels, an orangey cylinder (for grinding?) and a green disc on a mandrel (there seem to be a lot of shapes available in this stuff).

    I have tried various tools on the flexshaft but have no idea what I'm doing, really. I did get a 1mm cup burr from Cookies, but need a smaller collet before I can use it (on its way).

    I'd like to be able to cut strips of metal for rings and bangles, it has an attachment for cutting straight lines but again, I'm a bit clueless :-(

    I have been having huge fun today drilling teeny holes in fired copper clay ready to make earrings though, using it as a pillar drill.

    As for the ultrasonic, is that the final, FINAL stage of manufacture?

    Apologies for such a rambling polemic, but I bet I'm not the only one out there with a box of exciting but mysterious doozits, widgets and thingummybobs for their Dremel (other rotary tools are available :-) )


    Melanie

    http://www.spinysharklythings.com

  2. #2
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    Default

    Melanie, a while back I posted a thread called 'A Gadget Too Many', which might help you. It will be under tutorials, or this link might be sufficient:http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/hot...two-three.html

    Dennis.

    By the way, the ultrasonic is for cleaning waxy compounds off at the very end, and it helps to use detergent, or dedicated solutions.
    Last edited by Dennis; 13-01-2012 at 08:45 PM.

  3. #3
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    Actually it's under gold, silver and metal working and part three is here:http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/hot...ree-three.html.

  4. #4
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    Melanie,
    I sincerely hope that you have some basic hand tools, for cutting strips of metal for rings and bangles all you need is a pair of dividers for marking the lines, a piercing saw frame and blades for cutting the strips, a bench peg to support the metal while cutting and then some files to clean the metal after sawing.
    Diamond burs are good for texturing as well as grinding hard substances like stones and metal. The ultrasonic is mainly for removing hard to get at polishing compounds left on the articles after polishing, use a mixture of warm water and washing liquid in the machine for a start. I am not sure if a Lidl ultrasonic will accept the stronger spirit and ammonia based cleaning agents.
    Good luck
    James

  5. #5
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    agree on the cutting, it's a lot quicker (and safer I think) using a saw.
    I love my dremel (I just use a basic one) and the best thing I ever bought for it was a multi chuck (cheap on ebay - so I don't need to switch back and forth when changing tools.) x

  6. #6
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    Thanks James, I do have a good collection of hand tools as well :-) After a few weeks of playing with all my new toys I'm working out when to go electric and when to go acoustic, as it were! The time savings on filing and polishing are giving me so much more time to make more things, so I'm pretty content with all my kit. Now, about that rolling mill I couldn't possibly live without...


    Melanie

    http://www.spinysharklythings.com

  7. #7
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    Hi Mel, I am glad someone else has problems trying to sort out what does what. I bought a Foredom motor last year and apart from polishing, I have no idea what all the widgets are for. Someone mentioned that the best thing to do was to throw them away as they werent much good for anything,but why would they put them in the box if you couldnt use them for anything useful. I bought a small circular saw shaft thingy cos I thought I would be able to cut things with it - wrong, it wont cut anything apart from pencil sized wood. I have lots of things with balls on the end, but what they do I havent a clue. To be honest, I think it was a waste of money, cos everything I have been able to do with it so far, I can do by hand quicker and better. Hey ho, just use it for polishing then. That does it better than I could, but my problem is lack of patience. Pat

  8. #8
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    Hi Pat,

    I spent literally hours photographing my fairly comprehensive collection of gadgets and adding a description (see my reply and link above), so I would be disappointed if it got a thumbs down from you. That said, professional jewellers will reach for files, buff sticks and then the polishing lathe. I am more confident using my handpiece and rotary gadgets. Dennis.

  9. #9
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    Dennis's guide is fab, Pat. I turned the three episodes into an illustrated Word document and can email it to you if you message me with your address. I think I've used all the accessories except for the cutting bits, and that's only cos they are for wood!
    One problem I do have is finding a bit that bridges the gap between diamond burrs and polishing rubbers. The surface is a bit too rough! Any ideas?


    Melanie

    http://www.spinysharklythings.com

  10. #10
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    Hi melanie,
    Diamond burrs have limited use, such as making flush the end of a wire, rivet or screw, or in place of steel burrs of the same shape if you want to have full control. Steel burrs can suddenly run away and cause nasty score marks. However diamonds don't cut metal very well and have no place in the finishing regime, which is more to do with grades of emery paper, Micromesh sheets, Scotchbrite mops and radial disks. Dennis.

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