Dremel questions

[Sandy Glenn]

Spent the better part of yesterday cleaning around the basting rings of a couple Wagner lids and I'm thinking of getting a Dremel... especially since there are a few more lids and a couple WI's in my future.  Checked their website and found rechargeable as well as electric rotary tools... anyone have experience with either or both?  I'm assuming variable speed would be a plus.  Kinda confusing since there are a gazillion options and attachments and all I'm wanting is the tool with brushes.

What brushes work best?  Wheel or cup?  Steel or carbide steel?  Size?  Number?  Any input and advice is greatly appreciated -- I'm totally in the dark on this.

Thanks, Sandy

[Jerry Cermack]

Spent the better part of yesterday cleaning around the basting rings of a couple Wagner lids and I'm thinking of getting a Dremel... especially since there are a few more lids and a couple WI's in my future.  Checked their website and found rechargeable as well as electric rotary tools... anyone have experience with either or both?  I'm assuming variable speed would be a plus.  Kinda confusing since there are a gazillion options and attachments and all I'm wanting is the tool with brushes.

What brushes work best?  Wheel or cup?  Steel or carbide steel?  Size?  Number?  Any input and advice is greatly appreciated -- I'm totally in the dark on this.

Thanks, Sandy

Sandy, I've used a dremel tool a good bit over the years in my work, but never have used one to clean up cast iron.  My experience with wire brushes for the dremel is that they dont last long.  They are handy though for getting into tight places.  The shape of the brush just depends on what your trying to do.  It doesnt hurt to have several different shapes.

 I use the cheap toothbrush shaped stiff wire brushes and they hold up very well.  Get them at lowes, Walmart, etc.  I wish I could get some wire brushes for my Dremel with the stiffer wire that would last longer. Someone else might know more about brushes for them that hold up better on cleaning cast iron.

I use the variable speed model, and it depends on the nature of your work what attachements come in handy.  I have the flexible shaft attachment for mine that I use quite a bit.

[Harry Riva]

Sandy , I've had the Craftsman clone of the plug, variable speed dremel for years and it is one of the handiest tools I own. As Jerry say, the brushes don't clean a lot before they are gone but when you just can't get to that one spot  with any of the bigger tools, them nothing beats a dremel. There are tasks around the house that I just couldn't have done easily without a dremel. I've picked up a handful of  rechargeable, battery powered tools and after the first handful of charges I find them lacking in power and duration.

Harry

[Dwayne Henson]

Whats your opinion on using a Dremel Tool to "clean" up the inside of the hole on a handle? I have a few skillets were the inside of the hanging hole is rough, is it an acceptable practice to smooth that roughness out?

[C. Perry Rapier]

Dwayne, I don't see that it'd hurt it any. You're just doin what the man at the plant did not take time to do. After you season over it, you'll never see it again. I've done the same thing using a rat tail file.

[Mike Bohannon]

I don't remember who posted (CPR?) but someone once said here they ought to give the Dremel when you buy the brushes!  I use one regularly for waffle irons.  Mike

[Steve_Stephens]

Whats your opinion on using a Dremel Tool to "clean" up the inside of the hole on a handle? I have a few skillets were the inside of the hanging hole is rough, is it an acceptable practice to smooth that roughness out?

I clean up the handle hole on occasion with a small, hobby type file that is flat on one side and curved on the other.  Works pretty good and is find enough to not leave small ridges.  Then I burnish up the filed surface.  The only problem is making the hold so nice that it doesn't look just right.

I've lived with a 1/3HP bench grinder with a 6" wire wheel on one side for cleaning iron for 30 years and would highly recommend such a tool.  While you can't get into the nooks and crannies like gem and waffle pans, you can do most surfaces of most iron.  Electrolysis will catch what the wire brush won't but electo will also probably eliminate most use of the wire wheel.  I would think using a dremel tool to clean iron would be like using a rubber eraser to polish a car.  Too small and too slow and you will wear out the brushes too fast.  But I have never owned a Dremel so don't have any experience with one.

Steve

[C. Perry Rapier]

Steve, the dremel does what your bench grinder does, in places your bench grinder can't.

[Preston Edwards]

Sandy:
I use  dremel wire brushes all the time. I use #428, 442, and 443.  The 428 is 1" wire wheel, the 442 is about 1" wire cup and the 443 is a straight 1/4 ' wire. Use complete eye protection and don't run the wheel in line with the operator as they throw nasty little stingers, run it so  they fly to the left or right. I wear  a nylon shop apron and it catches most of the stingers. I have a varible speed flexible shaft and use different speeds, according to what has to be cleaned. They get into the hard to reach places. They wear out fast so using them on a cheap piece of cast iron is like throwing money away.

Hope this helps, Preston

[Jerry Cermack]

Use complete eye protection and don't run the wheel in line with the operator as they throw nasty little stingers

Amen to that!.....Everytime I've used one for anything, sanding, brushing, etc over the years I've wished I was left handed so it wouldnt throw that mess in my face..... ;D

[Sandy Glenn]

A couple of you mentioned a flexible shaft attachment.  What is that?  Would it help in cleaning the nooks and crannies of zig-zag basting rings inside lids?  Sorry to be so dense, but I've never used one of these tools and don't know the first thing about it.

[Will Person]

Use complete eye protection and don't run the wheel in line with the operator as they throw nasty little stingers

Amen to that!.....Everytime I've used one for anything, sanding, brushing, etc over the years I've wished I was left handed so it wouldnt throw that mess in my face..... ;D

Doesn't matter if left handed.   I had one throw a splinter in my cheak.   Didn't realize until my cheak itched and I rubbed it.   OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!


Will

[Preston Edwards]

Sandy:  Go to dremel.com and look up the numbers of the wire brushes. The flexible shaft on my unit is about 20 inches long, about 3/8 inch in diameter. This is hander than holding something about 3 inches in diameter with the brush on the very end. I can take a picture of the one I have and post it in the morning. I have been able to clean everything I have attempted. I use the carbon steel brushes as they are much cheaper than the stainless steel. I buy wire brushes in bulk to get a better price, and not direct from Dremel.

Preston

[Sandy Glenn]

Preston, You don't need to post a picture.  Checking that website I figured out what a flexible shaft is and can see how it would make it much easier to use.  I also looked up the brush #'s you posted and will get those.  I hope I'm able to find the tool and the flex-shaft attachment without having to purchase one of the kits that has a billion parts.

[Tom Neitzel]

I had one throw a splinter in my cheak.   Didn't realize until my cheak itched and I rubbed it.   OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Will

Eye protection and long sleeves and gloves.  I learned the hard way using a rotary wire brush in an air tool at around 20,000 rpm.  What I thought was crud bouncing off my arm as I worked turned out to be wires that were now stuck in my arm.  Looked like a porcupine and took a long time to pull them out.

I do have a dremel style tool that I've tried to use on aluminum but stopped because it did a great job of polishing a small area, but then it didn't blend with the rest of the item so you would have to do the whole surface.  It turned out to be way too much work.  Doesn't sound like that is the case with iron.

Tom

[Jeff Friend]

I have been using a variety of wire brushes in an electric drill.  Seems to work good on 95 percent of what I do.  You can generally find them pretty cheap at the local flea market.  Grainger has a very good selection, but they are pricier.  Grainger is also a good place to buy the little scratch brushes with SS bristles.

Jeff